Christmas Decor in the Dining Room
There is always that funny in-between moment in early December when the house is decorated with Christmas decor, yet one room is still clinging to fall. This year, that room was the dining room.
I decorated the rest of our home a month ago, but I left the dining room exactly as it was, warm, cozy, and very much set up for fall. We were hosting Friendsgiving. And while I adore Christmas, there was just something that felt wrong about serving turkey and stuffing beneath a frosted tree and twinkling lights! So the pumpkins, rust-colored napkins, and amber accents all stayed put until the final slice of pie was eaten.
Christmas Decor in the Dining Room
The minute the last Friendsgiving leftovers were packed away, everything changed. The boxes came down from the attic, the Christmas bins that had been waiting oh-so-patiently in the hallway were opened, and the familiar seasonal chaos took over the dining room.
Within an hour, the frosted tree was assembled, the garlands were fluffed, and I found myself knee-deep in green glass ornaments. It was officially time to give the dining room its complete Christmas transformation.
And as always, this room has a very special purpose. Every year, our dining room is the heart of our Christmas party, the place where most of the food is served. We serve fourteen hors d’oeuvres (the rest are tray-passed), all beautifully labeled and arranged throughout the space, so the décor has to walk a fine line.
It needs to feel festive, magical, and inviting, yet also have an incredible amount of open space. No clutter. No décor that steals precious serving surface. And no table setups that have to be taken down to make room for cranberry orange turkey sandwiches, tartlets, crostini, and all the other little things I’ve created for 200+ guests.
So this year, like every year, I designed the dining room Christmas décor around one idea: elevated but functional. And I absolutely love how it turned out.
The Frosted Tree: A Sparkling Centerpiece
The very first thing that went up was our large frosted Christmas tree. It’s tall and full, instantly transforming the room into something straight out of a Christmas movie. This tree lives in here every December, tucked into the corner where it reflects perfectly in the glass-front cabinet.
It’s so beautiful.
But the real star of the tree? The ornaments.
Last year, during a spur-of-the-moment trip to the Pottery Barn/West Elm Outlet, I stumbled upon the most gorgeous oversized bulbs. They were stunning—shimmery greens, soft metallics, icy whites—and marked down 75%. I still don’t know how I walked out of the store so calmly because inside I was doing cartwheels. I bought as many as they had in stock. And this year, seeing them on the dining room tree again made me fall in love with them all over.
They’re bold enough to make a statement, yet soft enough to feel elegant. And because the dining room has such high ceilings and tall windows, these ornaments fit the room’s scale beautifully.
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Wreath Backed Chairs
I love tying wreaths to the dining room chairs. Typically, I use red or green ribbon, but this year I thought it might be fun to use some of the colors from the ornaments on the Christmas tree.
Green Ornaments Everywhere
If you’ve been following along this season, you already know that my color palette for our Christmas décor is sage green and warm white. And that palette spills right into the dining room.
In addition to the ornaments on the tree, I filled three rattan-wrapped glass bowls with about 80 green glass ornaments. They sit together on the buffet, and the effect is stunning—like bowls of shimmering emerald jewels. The glass paired with the rattan wrapping adds so much texture. It’s relaxed yet elevated, just the way I love holiday décor to feel.
This is one of my favorite decorating tips: use multiples of one simple element to create a big impact. One bowl of ornaments is lovely. But three bowls overflowing with ornaments? Magical.
The Buffet of Tabletop Trees
If you know me, you know I have a soft spot for tabletop trees—ceramic ones, snowy ones, glittered ones, mini faux pines, bottle brush trees, and everything in between. I’ve collected them for years, and every December I bring them all out.
This year, a lot of the tabletop trees I owned ended up on the buffet and the glass cabinet. And somehow, instead of looking cluttered, it created the most enchanting vignette. Different heights, different textures, different shades of green and white … they all came together to form what looks like a tiny enchanted forest.
The glow of the frosted tree nearby reflects off the small trees, making the whole room feel alive with little pockets of twinkle. If you’ve never decorated with lots of small trees together, just try it once. It creates instant charm.
Wreaths in the Windows
Nothing says “holiday magic” like wreaths in the windows. In this room, with its tall original windows and soft natural light, the wreaths add just the right touch of festive framing.
I hung the wreaths using soft ribbon that coordinates perfectly with the greens in the room. The wreaths are simple—classic greenery, a bit of texture, and nothing too overdone. But the effect from the street and inside the room is beautiful. It’s like the room is dressed up with festive little earrings.
Creating Space for the Party
As much as I adore decorating, function always comes first when it comes to the dining room. With fourteen appetizers being served, plus stacks of plates, extra napkins, and space for guests to linger, every inch of counter and table space matters.
That means:
- The dining table itself stays mostly open
- The buffet is dressed but not overcrowded
- The tree takes the corner, not the center
- The décor highlights, not overwhelms
The result is a room that feels festive and intentional but also comfortable and usable. You can decorate beautifully without losing practicality—and this room is proof.
The Centerpiece (Still in Progress!)
The only thing missing right now is the centerpiece. And I’m so excited about it because it’s actually one of the upcoming projects in my A Handmade Christmas series.
I can’t give away all the details just yet, but I will say this:
- It’s handmade
- It ties in perfectly with our home
- It’s elegant but simple
- And I am hoping, fingers crossed, t turns out as beautifully as I imagine
You all know I test everything before sharing, so once the centerpiece is finished and photographed, I’ll post the full DIY tutorial with all the steps, photos, and patterns. I genuinely think it’s going to be one of my favorite crafts this season.
Why I Love Decorating the Dining Room
There’s something special about the dining room during Christmas. This room holds memories. It’s where conversations linger, where plates are refilled, where friends gather with cocktails and tiny bites and laughter spilling into the hallway. It’s where Christmas Eve dinners have been served, where Friendsgiving meals were shared, and where so many celebrations have passed through its doorway.
Decorating for Christmas isn’t just about adding ornaments or wreaths. It’s about setting the stage for another year of memories. And this year, the dining room feels especially magical. The greens are soft and elegant. The tree sparkles just enough. The tabletop trees create whimsy. The rattan bowls add texture and warmth. And the wreaths pull it all together.
Every time I walk by this room now, it makes me smile.
Final Thoughts: A Room Ready for Christmas
Now that the dining room is officially decorated, it feels like the last piece of the Christmas puzzle has clicked into place. The rest of the house has been glowing in sage green and warm white for weeks, and this room—now equally festive—finally feels like it belongs with the rest of the home.
Everything is coordinated, intentional, and deeply “us.” And although this space is designed with function in mind, it still feels every bit as magical as the living room, the kitchen, and the entryway.
Every time I walk by, I stop for just a moment to admire it. The frosted tree, the West Elm ornaments, the forest of tabletop trees, the wreaths—together they create a space that feels warm, elegant, and celebratory. But more than anything, this room is ready.
Ready for the platters, trays, and beautiful food I create each year for our Christmas party. Ready for friends to walk through the doorway with a glass of champagne in hand, ready for laughter, and ready for conversation that floats from room to room.
And that’s really the heart of holiday decorating for me. Yes, it’s about beauty. Yes, it’s about creativity, color palettes, and finding ways to make your home sparkle. But it’s also about hospitality.
It’s about creating spaces that invite people in, make sure they are appreciated, and celebrate them. It’s about preparing your home for memories before they even arrive.
This year’s dining room hits that perfect balance. It has just the right amount of holiday charm without becoming overwhelming. It has texture, color, and glow, but still leaves the surfaces open for what really matters—the food, the gathering, the tradition.
Once the centerpiece is finished and placed on the table, this room will be ready for the season ahead. I cannot wait to share the DIY with you and show you how it brings everything together.
For now, the dining room is twinkling quietly, waiting for the party night, for the clinking glasses, for the warmth of friends stepping through the front door. And that, more than anything, is why decorating this room is one of my favorite parts of Christmas.
The home feels full. The season feels here. And I’m so grateful to share it with all of you.
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