These 5 Old-Fashioned Christmas Decorating Trends Are Making A Comeback This Year, According To Designers
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A Veranda report on Christmas decorating in 2026 highlights five approaches designers describe as a return to old-fashioned holiday traditions: meaningful keepsakes, handmade decorations, natural materials, cozy textiles and decorating less-used rooms. The report presents these as designers’ observations and recommendations, not as sales data or a measured industry-wide trend.

Designers interviewed by Veranda say Christmas decorating in 2026 is turning toward old-fashioned, personal details rather than coordinated, matching displays. The report identifies five approaches—meaningful keepsakes, handmade pieces, natural materials, cozy textiles and decorating overlooked rooms—as ideas designers are noticing or recommending; it does not provide market data showing how widely households are adopting them.

One theme is decorating with objects that carry personal meaning. Anthony Gianacakos, founder of Anthony George Home, recommends collecting ornaments gradually and choosing pieces tied to people, places or interests. He describes his own tree as a collection of animal ornaments reflecting his interest in wildlife. Design journalist Kathryn O’Shea-Evans also favors a nostalgic lighting choice, saying she switched from LED Christmas lights to incandescent bulbs.

The report’s second trend is sentimental and handmade decoration. Jenna Randolph David, director of interiors at Grossmueller’s Design Consultants, suggests displaying old family holiday photographs or children’s Christmas drawings. Designer Frank de Biasi describes making paper chains and decorating citrus with cloves as activities that bring a handmade quality to the home.

Designers also recommend natural materials and winter textures. Evergreen clippings, dried citrus, pine cones, candles and sugared fruit can decorate a mantel or table, while velvet pillows, wool throws and tartan fabrics add softness. The fifth idea is to extend seasonal touches beyond the living room: suggestions include a wreath in a window, a candle or festive hand towels in a bathroom, or greenery near framed art.

At a glance
reportWhen: Published for the 2026 holiday season
The developmentVeranda has published designers’ observations that Christmas decorating in 2026 is drawing on nostalgic, personal and nature-inspired traditions.

A More Personal Holiday Home

The suggestions matter because they offer ways to make a home feel festive without relying on a coordinated set of newly purchased decorations. Heirlooms and handmade pieces can connect displays to family memories, while greenery, citrus and pine cones offer seasonal color and scent. Textiles and small details in less-used rooms can spread that feeling without requiring a full-room makeover.

These are design recommendations, not evidence that consumers broadly are changing their spending or habits. Still, the report’s emphasis on collecting slowly and using items already at hand gives readers alternatives to buying a new set of decorations each season. Some suggestions, including switching to incandescent bulbs, also involve practical considerations such as energy use and heat; the article does not compare their costs or performance.

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How Designers Define the Five Trends

Veranda frames the ideas as timeless details with nostalgic roots, rather than as a move toward a single new decorating style. The report says the designers’ approach centers on decorations that feel collected and connected to home life, not necessarily polished or uniform.

The five categories bring together both visual choices and activities: keeping meaningful ornaments, displaying family-made art, crafting decorations, bringing in seasonal natural materials, adding warm textiles and placing small festive touches in rooms that often receive less attention. Several suggestions can be made with items from a yard or grocery store, although the report does not estimate costs or compare them with store-bought décor.

“We’ll spend a whole day cutting and gluing construction paper chains, and studding oranges and lemons with cloves.”

— Frank de Biasi, designer

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How Broad Is the Shift?

The report does not say how many designers or households are following these approaches, and it offers no survey, sales figures or other measurement establishing that the styles are increasing in popularity. “Making a comeback” is therefore best understood as the designers’ assessment, not a quantified claim about the decorating market.

It is also unclear whether the recommendations will be followed more widely through the 2026 season. Veranda’s article does not provide pricing, sourcing details or comparisons of the practical effects of different lighting choices. Readers should treat the ideas as design suggestions rather than proof of a measurable industry shift.

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Ideas to Watch This Season

The immediate next step is the 2026 holiday decorating season, when readers can decide which ideas suit their homes and traditions. The report points to simple choices—bringing out a family ornament, making a paper chain, adding greenery or placing a seasonal candle in an overlooked room—rather than a single prescribed look.

Whether designers’ observations reflect a broader change may become clearer through later reporting that includes household surveys, retailer data or other evidence. For now, the confirmed development is that Veranda has published these five recommendations and attributed them to designers it interviewed.

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Key Questions

The report highlights meaningful old-fashioned details, sentimental or handmade pieces, nature-inspired décor, cozy textiles and decorating overlooked rooms.

No consumer survey or sales data is included. They are designers’ observations and recommendations reported by Veranda, not a measured assessment of household behavior.

What are examples of handmade Christmas decorations?

The designers mention paper chains, festive streamers, papier-mâché crafts and citrus studded with cloves. Family photographs and children’s holiday drawings can also be displayed as personal decorations.

How can someone decorate beyond the living room?

Suggestions include a seasonal candle or festive hand towels in a bathroom, a small decoration in a home office, a wreath in a window or greenery near framed art.

Source: rss

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