Why We’re Decorating Our Kitchens for Christmas This Year (2024)

As interior design firm Studio McGee proves here, wood accents pair exceptionally well with a fresh garland. The beauty of this kitchen arrangement is that it’s not too much, and the way the garland is positioned—framing the marble backsplash and the two white pendants—adds an indispensable feeling of symmetry, precision, and order to the whole thing. That latter part is something we all need more of during the hectic holiday season!

If there’s one thing we’ll never be around the holidays, it’s tacky. This chic kitchen corner, courtesy of CB2, is anything but—its polished stainless steel bar tools, tray, and ice buckets signify (in a very subtle way) that the holidays have arrived. And that means one thing: It’s time for a well-oiled celebration.

As this holiday display from Anthropologie makes clear, sometimes the most life-affirming and joy-bestowing Christmas decorations come in small packages. Enter: the brand’s extremely cute sisal trees with bows and baubles on them. Outfit your bar cart with these tiny treasures, or else use them to line your kitchen counters.

Christmas is supposed to feel like a cozy embrace, and this tableau, courtesy of Coral & Tusk, channels just those vibes. Tapered candles add an element of moodiness, while the embroidered tea towel and napkins (all from the hand-drawn designs of the company’s founder, Stephanie Housley!) are guaranteed to make your holiday a whimsical dream.

At Christmastime, stars shouldn't be exclusively reserved for topping your tree. In this kitchen design, paper star lanterns are aglow with twinkle lights, a rattan star rests on top of a shelf, and hanging baubles seal the deal on a look that's both fun-loving and quintessentially Noel.

Have holiday figurines, tiny wreaths, LED-powered candles, and other seemingly random tchotchkes on hand? Don’t be shy: Place them on your kitchen shelves! Yes, it might get busy up there, but as this picture shows, sticking to a theme (in this case wood interspersed with touches of blue and green) will help keep it integrated—creating a feast for the eyes and the heart.

Tall windows, like in this Brooklyn Heights kitchen vignette, lend themselves perfectly to some garland bling. The pictured display is bedecked with a hearty Anthropologie garland, transforming the space into an evergreen winter wonderland.

A garland loosely draped across an open shelf is seemingly suspended across this earth-toned lakehouse kitchen—belonging to Anastasia Casey, founder of boutique creative agency IDCO Studio. “Using a layer of faux as a base is cost-effective while also giving that coveted full look,” she tells ELLE DECOR. Her other hot tip? Think ahead, but allow for versatility: “I like being able to use the same base layers year after year and only swapping the color palette.”

This rustic rosemary wreath is the secret ingredient to Casey’s Texas kitchen during the holidays. The corresponding sage-green cabinets ground the room, while flourishes of varying greenery echo the outdoor-indoor theme. Our favorite detail? That floppy gold velvet bow! “As we head into the holidays, I always pick a color to focus the theme on and purchase 15 yards of velvet ribbon in one and a half-inch and three-inch widths,” Casey explains. “Cutting the ribbon in long, loose, uneven bows layered in two slightly mismatched hues creates an editorial, yet still festive, look.”

Amaryllis’s Rick Davis takes advantage of the windows above his kitchen sink with a trifecta of botanics. “It doesn’t feel like Christmas until we hang these wreaths in the kitchen,” he tells us. “The kitchen is the room most people don’t really think about decorating for the holidays, yet it’s the most daily used room, besides the bedroom, in the house.” Here, an arrangement of amaryllis, ilex berries, pine cones, and evergreens sits atop a circa-1800s trunk in Davis’s Maryland farmhouse. Who knew cooking in December could be so much fun?

Fairy lights are the ultimate way to create magical ambiance and soften an industrial-style cooking space. In this Belarus kitchen, the oh-so-charming wall lights create a warm luminescence against the garland flourishes placed strategically across the room.

Flocking, it turns out, isn’t just for full-scale Tannenbaums. A few tabletop trees give a festive punch to this Ukrainian kitchen, and the similarly flocked wreath ties it all together.

Need some company in the kitchen this season? While your kids might be more hesitant to pitch in on the food prep, these charming Christmas gnomes, perched atop an open shelf in a Ukrainian loft-style kitchen, are the perfect companions. They won’t even try to snitch!

The best way to spread Christmas cheer is with a home bar and drinks so dear. A subtle change in some side nook of your kitchen (like this one, curated by Emily Henderson) can instantly make it merry and bright. Here, Henderson brought in a gilded deer candelabra, smoky glasses, and a red cake stand to incorporate festive but modern colors. This is a setup worth toasting to!

Move over, coastal grandpa: Grandma knows best. A traditional decorative ceramic bowl and glass stand are the ideal countertop receptacles for seasonal fruit. A few evergreen sprigs infuse true festivity into the bowl of tangerines.

A thoughtful centerpiece is a fail-safe way to make a statement on your dining room table, so why would a kitchen island be any different? Tamara Anka of Citrine Living spiced up this spacious countertop with a modern assortment of miniatures. Thanks to its textured palette of silver and white, this setup would look right at home in an all-white kitchen.

While Christmas has different meanings for many, some people boil it down to one thing: Presents. Turn your kitchen into the gift that keeps on giving—literally!—by tying some ribbons on jars, as seen on Citrine Living.

Need a bright idea? Take a cue from Gatehouse Style, who spruced up professional dancer Whitney Carson’s home just in time for the holidays. For a look that’s jubilant without overdoing it, the Utah design firm added mistletoe-like bunches to the kitchen’s pendants.

This elegant holiday kitchen decor idea, courtesy of ELLE DECOR A-List designer Ken Fulk, brings the snowy Montana landscape indoors. Here, Fulk delineated the cooking area with an evergreen garland draped from the ceiling and emphasized the powdery views by outlining the windows in fresh magnolia leaves. A rustic pail full of blooms and branches adds an extra heap of cozy romance.

Contrary to popular belief, a Christmas tree doesn’t only belong in the living room—or even right side up! In this metallic kitchen, John McClain turned the foliage into the ultimate “wow” moment. “One item that had always been missing from this space is a central light fixture,” the designer shares. “Cue the conifer decked in baubles and battery-powered twinkle lights. This special touch really sets the mood and makes the kitchen feel special.”