2018 Twelve Days of Christmas Tour: Whitney’s Home

Hello! My name is Whitney and welcome to my “Modern Coastal Christmas” in MO. I call my home’s style “Modern Coastal” in reference to the blend of traditional and modern furniture and I draw from coastal influences in color and texture. I think when some people hear coastal their minds go to anchors and seashells. You won’t find any obvious coastal motifs in my decor, but the natural wood tones, rattan, white cabinetry, and overall brightness definitely give off a coastal feel.

Twelve Days of Christmas Tour

In July of 2017, our family relocated from St. Louis to Farmington, MO. We transitioned from a tiny, city row house where we could literally touch our neighbor’s home to a large lot in a beautiful subdivision with a lot more square footage. We have had such an adventure bringing this great house up to date. With my husband, Ryan’s carpentry talent and my love for interior design it has endured quite the transformation in 18 months. I’m excited to see what we can accomplish next! I hope you enjoy the tour.

I love having a more formal space in this house. The neutral colors of the Nativity and trees on the console table compliment the entry.

Although there isn’t a tree in this room, you can get peaks of the trees in the dining room and family room.

A gallery wall with frames filled with family photos that can be easily updated is an easy and inexpensive way to fill a large wall.

A couple of wreaths adorn the French doors that lead to the screened in porch and deck.

Unfortunately, we don’t get to enjoy this area too much during Missouri’s winter months, although the day I took these photos was a random 70-degree day in December and we hung out here most of the afternoon.

The porch is definitely our favorite morning coffee spot during warmer months and even though I miss my banana palms that normally live here, the Christmas lights help make up for it.

The dining room is the only spot in the main area of the house where you’ll see much traditional holiday red.

With a toddler, I normally don’t set a formal table, so it has been fun to see the dining room adorned with place settings.  I mismatched some red and green Fiestaware with these cheery holiday plates for the dinnerware.  To create some cohesion with the rest of the main living space, I used chargers made of natural fibers.  The black and white linens play off the light colors in the room and the flocked texture of the tree.

I’ve been making these ornaments for Christmas gifts this year for a few friends and family. I used my house to practice!

The pencil tree is adorned with nostalgic ornaments from my husband’s childhood. Our young son, Jude, loves this tree because the ornaments look like tiny toys and treasures.

The open concept eat-in kitchen and family room is our most lived-in space, so it was the obvious place to put our main tree. Silver, gold, and touches of turquoise fill the tree and garland. I added the grey and white buffalo check and gold open-weave ribbon this year. Changing your ribbon is an easy way to get an entirely different look with your tree. The lights create the coziest atmosphere to visit with family and friends or enjoy a little Netflix.

I love this charming little wreath above the stove. It was the perfect little touch for the space.

Wrapping presents is one of my favorite parts of decorating during the Christmas season. It might be because seeing presents under the tree means we are finally getting close to the 25th, but I think it’s the cheery pattern mixing that puts a smile on my face. Stick with a cohesive color scheme and tie in some ribbon from your tree and you can’t go wrong.

The picture-ledge gallery wall can be updated seasonally with photos and artwork.

Festive pillows were an easy way to change the look of our grey sectional. A tip for throw pillows, invest in nice inserts and then when you want to change the look for different seasons, you only have to buy new covers instead of an entirely new pillow. It is much easier to store unused pillow covers rather than entire pillows.

Can you tell I was obsessed with adorable tiny pre-lit trees I found at Target? I managed to squeeze one into almost every room and our bright and cheery guest bathroom was no exception!

The animal heads in Jude’s bedroom were just screaming for a little holiday fun.

The fuzzy pom garland, gingham initials, and plaid reindeer were the perfect addition to his tabletop tree.

Warm and fuzzy throws in holiday plaids and faux fur add another level of warmth to his cute little room.

Being an art teacher, I had to add a fun little handmade touch to his monogram.

I kept the tree in our bedroom simple with some festive ribbon and a few Mercury glass ornaments.

To add a little height to the pencil tree, I propped it up on a box and placed it inside a seagrass basket. You don’t always need to use traditional tree skirts for underneath the tree.

The top of the basket is filled with a blue and white baby blanket that matched the décor of the room. I love the way the basket and the bamboo chairs lend to the coastal vibe in the house.

A festive plaid pillow had the perfect amount of white and blue to coordinate with my bedding.

Our most recent project in the house is the mudroom nestled between the kitchen and garage. We took two small storage areas and combined them to make a larger space and had some custom cabinetry and bench installed. The mudroom now seems to expand our kitchen with extra storage, provides a place to kick off snowy boots, and makes a drop zone for purses, backpacks, and lunchboxes. I also love how the new exterior door floods the space with natural light.

I love the ambiance of the Christmas lights and décor at night. It truly is a magical time of year.

There are so many holiday traditions in our family that it’s hard to pick just one. From an annual shopping trip with my mom to attending Christmas Eve mass, inserting a toddler into the traditions the past couple of years has been double the fun. One thing we always look forward to is spending the night at my husband’s granny’s house with his entire family. We cram a couple of dozen adults and kids into her home and fill Christmas Eve night with games and matching pajamas. Everyone spends the night and every square inch of the house is filled with air mattresses, food, wine, presents, and tons of laughter and love.

 

I hope your family enjoys the holiday season. Thank you for taking a peek into my favorite retreat.

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Tomorrow on the “Twelve Days of Christmas” tour is my VA home. I hope you enjoy my traditional style, mixed with modern & rustic pieces. I love decking my halls for the holidays and hope you can feel the magic of Christmas in my home.

If you haven’t been following along, click the name of the tour you would like to see below to begin!

Twelve Days of Christmas Tour

Linda’s Home – The Spirit of Christmas

Sandy’s Home – It’s a Holly Jolly Christmas

Keli’s Home-Dreaming of a White Christmas

Ashlee’s Home – Dressed in Holiday Style

Amy’s Home – The Magic of Christmas

Jessica’s Home – A Simple Cozy Christmas

Holly’s Home – Old School Christmas

Francis Fick’s Home – Cozy Christmas

Jocelyn’s Home – A Classic Christmas

Lisa’s Home – Vintage Christmas on the Farm