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A Classic Christmas House

by - Thursday, December 07, 2017

Home Alone. It's A Wonderful Life. Miracle on 34th Street. There's something about the classics  at Christmastime that brings comfort and makes you feel warm and fuzzy. That's the feeling I wanted to capture with the the decorations on the exterior of our house. Something familiar. Something nostalgic. A throwback to the classic Christmas house.

classic christmas decorations, colonial house with wreaths on windows, wreaths on exterior windows

From the moment I first laid eyes on this Colonial-style house, there was no doubt we'd be decorating her with traditional matching wreaths for the holidays. The exterior changes we've made over the past year have lightened up the facade and the black and white really helps show off those wreaths with their bright red bows. In truth, I would have preferred something not so bright red but there's not a lot of choice out there for outdoor bows! I might have to make my own for next year.

classic christmas decorations, colonial house with wreaths on windows, wreaths on exterior windows, wreath on chimney, large exterior wreath

Our house sits on the corner on a bit of a hill. I wanted it to have a presence, no matter from which direction you approached. The addition of a larger wreath mounted on our chimney makes this side of the house feel complete. You can't tell but there are twinkly white lights on the large wreath. It looks so pretty at night!

classic christmas decorations, colonial house with wreaths on windows, wreaths on exterior windows, wreath on chimney, large exterior wreath

I was pretty happy with how this wreath turned out. It was a basic 40" undecorated wreath to which I added real greenery and ornaments. I soaked all the greenery in a water bath overnight and sprayed them with Wilt Pruf to prevent browning and drying out, before I used them in our decor.

classic christmas decorations, colonial house with wreaths on windows, wreaths on exterior windows, wreath on chimney, large exterior wreath

We're hosting Christmas Eve and our annual Pancakes & Pajamas party this year so I wanted to make our front porch welcoming for our guests.  We wrapped the front door in garlands, a mix of faux and live pine and cedar roping.

red brick classic house, christmas garland around door, coastal outdoor lighting, mailbox with decal

red brick classic house, christmas garland around door, coastal outdoor lighting, mailbox with decal, trees in urn

I would have loved to swag the top garland a bit more, but the storm door kept getting caught. Truly a #Canadianproblem. I've had the red berry wreath for a decade now and it looks splendid against the blue-grey door. I decided to forgo the outdoor arrangements of birch branches and boughs that I usually put in the urns and instead used live mini-trees (a steal for $17 each at Lowes).

The door mat is a DIY, if you can believe it! I was completely inspired by the Magnolia Hearth & Hand outdoor mat from Target and decided to make my own version with this coir mat from Ikea, painter's tape, and a can of black spray paint. 

christmas porch decor, porch bench with christmas decorations, ski poles as decor, birch branches in crock

It's been fun having a porch to decorate but I have to admit - it's a lot of space to fill! The lanterns are new but most everything else I've had for a while. I really love coming home and seeing this vignette. It conjures up all sorts of happy feelings. The neighbours seem to really like it too!

christmas porch decor, porch bench with christmas decorations, ski poles as decor, birch branches in crock

Come sit a while and join me for a hot chocolate, won't you?

classic christmas decorations, colonial house with wreaths on windows, wreaths on exterior windows

All I need is a dusting of snow and it will truly feel like a classic Christmas. I hope you enjoyed the tour!

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