Decorating Small Spaces for the Holidays

When I first moved to Boston, I lived in an apartment in the city. I’d sold a house near Seattle before I moved east, and had to downsize drastically for my new apartment. While living in a small home, I learned how to pack a decorative punch without taking up too much space. Here are a few tips for small-space holiday decorating.

Decorate with Multiple Mini Trees

Want a Christmas tree, but have minimal floor space? Put two or three foot small trees (live, cut, or faux) up on counter tops. Try one on a kitchen island, on one end of your dining table, or on a living room end table. They needn’t take up a lot of space!

Small-space holiday decorating requires keeping floorspace—which is at a premium in small homes—clear. (Of course, you can always fill those spaces below your trees with presents!) Think about reusing built-in shelves or deep bookcases, counter peninsulas, or pass-throughs as places for decorations.

When you use tiny trees, you might dress each in a different theme. Perhaps you’d like red, white, and green ornaments in your kitchen—maybe use a food and drink theme. I have a collection of blue and white Wedgwood jasperware ornaments. These decorate a little tree on top of my piano.

I love to put a tiny tree on a round side table next to the sofa. Use a tree skirt as a little table cloth for each one. Or just use a pretty sheet or throw blanket in complementary colors.

Don’t Limit Ornaments to Trees

In my house, we have lots of decorations, more than fit on our trees. We display a number of them in vases, trays, and bowls. A cluster of inexpensive cylindrical glass vases filled with glass balls is so chic. I like them in silver, pink, and red for a centerpiece for a holiday table or mantel. We also display blue, silver, and white glass balls in a low silver tray.

I also like to pile extra round ornaments in cut crystal or silver-plated bowls. I use family hand-me-downs, or find $3 glass, crystal, or silver bowls and trays at thrift shops and online auctions.

Find Extra Ornament Hanging Space

I used to hang light, flat, unbreakable ornaments from closed Venetian blind slats. (Note Henry VIII and his wives in the photo.) Nowadays I hang these ornaments from garlands hung over doorways and windows. Small-space holiday decorating doesn’t have to mean minimalist decorating. Of course, minimalist holiday decorations can be quite beautiful. But you’re a maximalist, look for extra vertical space for your ornaments and hanging decor.

Another pretty option is to suspend ornaments from clear fishing line in front of windows. This is a good option if you want to display fragile ornaments up high to keep them out away from bouncy pets. If you want to use more than one ornament per window, hang them at varying lengths so they don’t look too static.

I’ve also been known to hang ornaments from drawer and cabinet pulls and doorknobs. I like to hang them in front of bathroom mirrors from light fixtures, to maximize sparkle. They’re also lovely on wreaths of greenery, of course. There’s no rule that says they can only be on trees.

Hang Garlands & Ornaments from Banisters

Have a stairway with a freestanding banister? Wrap it in garlands of greens (real or faux). Then hang ornaments from the garlands. If you have pets or young children, use unbreakable fabric or wooden ornaments. Do note that wire can scratch the paint or finish on wooden banisters. To avoid marring surfaces, use coated wire or sturdy ribbon to tie the garland on.

Layering elements is especially effective for small-space holiday decorating. Clustering multiple ornaments in a bowl or vase, putting several candles and ornaments on a single tray, or hanging garlands, then adding lights, ribbons, and ornaments creates a feeling of lushness, even in a small apartment.

Garlands make lovely outside decor as well. I like wrapping the banisters to my front porch with faux evergreen garlands. Wide all-weather red ribbons or white twinkle lights also dress up bannisters quickly and effectively.

Mix the Sublime with the Ridiculous

Every year, Godzilla makes an appearance among my holiday decorations. Sometimes he wanders through my tiny town filled with miniature ceramic Victorian houses. He skates on the rink, or climbs on top of the variety store. Other times he poses on the mantelpiece with his other plastic friends. He often offers candy canes or Andes mints to visitors from his clenched fists. Breaking up the formality and precision with some laughable nonsense gives my guests conversation pieces, and keeps the mood light.

What’s your favorite ridiculous holiday decoration? Why not mix it into your most elegant centerpiece this year and surprise everyone?

Decorate with Evergreens & Holly

Real greenery on your mantel or sideboard provides freshness and fragrance. You can cut your own holly from bushes in your garden, or pick up a cluster at your local nursery.

Another fun option is to cut the lowest branches off your tree when you put it into its base. Just rest them across your mantel piece. Dress them up by wiring on bows or ornaments, if you like. Or place tall taper candles in holders among the branches (keeping flames far from them, of course).

You can also buy branches from a nursery or Christmas tree lot. Just make sure evergreen branches don’t drip any sticky sap on your furniture. Holly leaves do like to scratch things, too. You might place them in a vase or rest them on a tray or fabric runner.

One-of-a-Kind Centerpieces

Place stemware of various sizes in a silver, gold, or mirrored tray. Fill the bowl of each glass with round ornaments of varying sizes. Add more ornaments to the tray below the glasses. For an elegant effect, choose ornaments in coordinating hues and one metallic shade. My favorite combos are pink, red, and gold ornaments, or turquoise, green, and silver.

Now add a few small votives and tea lights. If you like, add clear glass vases of flowers or holly branches to your tray. Then place it on your dining or coffee table, or on a sideboard in your dining room, and light the candles. Voila—instant atmosphere!

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Layers of coordinating color, pattern, and texture make for a joyous and vibrant holiday display, no matter the size of the room | Laura Grey