The Homes & Gardens archives are rich with beautiful spaces, and at Christmas, we love nothing more than revisiting the festive homes of years past – those beautifully dressed rooms that instantly make you feel welcome.
'I always find it inspiring to look back at our Christmas house stories – each one captures a unique kind of magic, a moment in time when homes feel at their warmest and most alive,' says Homes & Gardens' editor Jo Bailey. 'My favorite has to be the old vicarage; there’s something truly special about its rustic charm, the texture of the old stone walls, and that magnificent oversized tree standing proudly in the heart of it all. I love how the joyful pops of color dance against the earthy tones of the stone walls – it feels both timeless and exuberant, a perfect reflection of what Christmas decorating should be: cozy, joyful, and full of heart.'
Here, we’ve gathered some of our favorite spaces from over the years, from a grand Gothic manor house ready to greet guests in from the cold, to a cozy country cottage that feels straight out of a holiday movie. Whatever style you’re dreaming of this season, you’ll find plenty of inspiration in these fabulously festive homes.
1. A London Townhouse That Puts a Twist on Tradition
With its toffee-colored walls and soft yet bold color scheme, this home invites you in. It's relaxed and colorful. ‘I’ve been in a warm and cozy color phase for the past few years,’ says Brandon Schubert, the American-born interior designer who created these beautiful spaces. ‘I’m drawn to caramels, oranges, reds, and greens, so the house naturally embodies those hues.’
‘I was focused on incorporating pattern without letting the house tilt into country cottage,’ he says. ‘So I chose smaller, geometric patterns for curtains and solid colors for upholstery. I kept the colors vibrant and interesting so that the rooms have intensity and energy without relying too much on pattern.’
In the living room, there’s an effortless coziness. Furniture fills the space – something we actually don’t see enough of – making it perfect for conversation. You can easily imagine everyone gathered together, filling the sofas and sitting on the floor, the ottoman tray scattered with half-drunk mulled wines and plates of cheese.
On the tree, bronze baubles glint among the greenery, candles float in the branches (LED taper candles, of course, but very convincing), and paper bows from The Kensington Paperie give this year’s biggest Christmas trend a more homemade feel.
That same toffee hue (it’s Golden Honey by Sanderson) continues in the dining room, where the table is set for an elegant yet intimate feast. You still find all the coziness of the living room here, but there's less furniture, so the focus is really on the table. The garland along the mantel has an organic, almost wild look to it, almost like it's grown there, taking over the painting above.
2. A Cozy Cottage in English Countryside
‘Christmas feels quite magical here,’ says interior designer Sophie Garland of the 17th-century thatched cottage in the North Wessex Downs that she and her family visit each year for the holidays. ‘We’re both big on Christmas, and Freddie (her husband) loves decorating for it. The cottage is so cozy with the fires burning, and we put fairy lights all around the trees outside.’
‘Everyone told us we were mad for buying a thatched cottage, but it has a charm that other houses we viewed didn’t have. We liked that it had history and that it was very quirky inside – everything’s slightly wonky, and we love the beams and low ceilings.’
This is the kind of home that was made to be decorated for the holidays – the beams, the fireplaces, the general movie-set quality of its quirkiness. You walk straight into the festive feeling – literally – the door opens into the living room–cum–hallway, and the Christmas tree is front and center, sitting perfectly next to the very appropriately painted pillar-box-red staircase. The space doesn’t need much to get into the holiday spirit: a garland on the stairs, a vase of foliage on the table, and the tree adorned simply in nostalgic, deep pink and blue ornaments from Gisela Graham.
The inglenook fireplace in the dining room also calls out to be decorated. It’s actually no longer in use, so Sophie had the genius idea to turn it into a home bar, with drinks displayed on top of the old stove. It’s a quick and easy tip – wrap a few lights around the bottles and tuck in a few sprigs of holly to give the bar a festive flourish. The patterned decorations that hang behind create a lovely cohesion with the green chairs – you can find similar designs at Meri Meri.
3. A Relaxed Apartment Perfect for Entertaining
When designer Orla Read took on this project, it was, in her words, a ‘shambles.’ The apartment had all the potential with its high ceilings and wonderful proportions, but the strange layout, peeling wallpaper, and shredded curtains meant it needed some vision to transform it into the multifunctional family home it was meant to be.
The owners loved to host, and that was at the forefront of many of the decisions made. In the remodel, Orla managed to create three double bedrooms with bathrooms, a large kitchen–living space, and a utility room, cellar, and bike store.
The kitchen was one of the most important spaces, and it really comes into its own over the holidays – a big, multifunctional room that both guests and family are drawn to. ‘The clients are both madly into cooking and hosting, so it needed to be convivial but chic, classic but not too fussy, bold and robust,’ Orla recalls. ‘But equally, I didn’t want it to feel like a standard kitchen in any form.’
It really doesn’t feel like a kitchen, especially when dressed for Christmas – it’s more like a living room with freestanding furniture and plenty of seating. The cabinets don’t fill the room visually or physically, creating an open space for entertaining.
‘It’s very, very festive, and everyone feels welcome,’ says Orla.
4. An Elegant Home That Balances Comfort and Sophistication
‘Our brief was that it should feature lots of color and a comfortable mix of old and new, but above all, it had to feel totally “us,”’ explains Alice Holt of her West London home, which she remodeled with the help of designer Sophie Pringle of Pringle and Pringle. ‘We didn’t want it to look contrived in any way. This home feels safe and comforting, but it’s also a space to entertain in. And that’s just how we like it.’
Christmas is big in this home. Since the renovation finished in 2020, Alice has hosted her annual party featuring champagne, cocktails, and carols – and, of course, a resident piano player. ‘It brings together every generation and lots of friends,’ she explains. ‘It’s our biggest yearly ritual.’
And of course, a regular cocktail host needs a cocktail room. More than just a dining space, this room feels elegant and elevated – a home bar with all the ambiance you’d find in your favorite cocktail spot. ‘This was always intended as a room for Charles (Alice’s husband),’ explains Sophie. ‘But it also works brilliantly for entertaining family and friends with champagne, games, and carols.’
Decorated in a timeless festive palette of gold and white, the ornaments complement the jewel tones used in the decor and furniture. The Christmas wreath that hangs on the mirror, made from Old Man's Beard, still creates a lovely focal point in the room – but it’s softer and more subtle than a traditional evergreen wreath.
5. A Manor House With Classic Christmas Style
Tucked away in the English countryside, this elegant manor house feels like the perfect place to celebrate the holidays. Both its interiors and festive decor stay true to the home’s historic character – understated, refined, and effortlessly timeless.
Recently restored by interior design studio K&H Design, the period property has been thoughtfully reimagined for modern living while preserving its architectural beauty and original features.
‘The client was wonderfully open to mixing eras, patterns, and textures,’ says K&H Design co-founder Katie Glaister. ‘It was important that the home felt inviting and lived-in. Our clients were drawn to richly patterned, multicolored fabrics, so we opted for a neutral wall palette throughout to create balance and continuity from room to room.’
The holiday decorations echo that same balance – festive yet restrained. A classic tree dressed in shades of gold and green sits harmoniously among the layered fabrics and textures, while the mantel is adorned with abundant greenery that brings warmth and texture without overpowering the space. Using natural foliage as the foundation for the holiday scheme gives the rooms a subtle and organic sense of celebration – perfectly suited to such a beautifully layered home.
6. A Stately Victorian Vicarage With Festive Flourishes
‘This house has been decorated from our hearts,’ says Designers Guild’s Amanda Back of her Victorian former vicarage, which she moved into in 2019. ‘We didn’t sit down and create a plan; we only knew that we wanted it to feel warm and comfortable – neither grand nor stuffy.’
Decorated for the holidays, this home feels the most warm and comfortable, and despite the grand proportions and dramatic original features, it's far from stuffy thanks to Amanda's skill for decorating with an abundance and color and pattern. Her own home is a tapestry of different shades and prints. ‘Working with color and pattern runs through my DNA and has influenced my more adventurous design choices,’ says Amanda.
Of course, when decorating for the holidays, the same bold and beautiful rules apply. Just like the year-round decor, the festive flourishes throughout the home are colorful, layered, and eclectic. The tree is adorned with a myriad of colorful ornaments, paper garlands, and floating candles – the result is a classic, comforting look that doesn’t feel overly curated.
7. A Calm and Comforting Home Elegantly Decorated for the Holidays
‘This is a home that excites us and feels like a calm haven at the same time – the dream,’ says Laura Butler-Madden, both the designer of these spaces and the owner. You often associate Christmas with warmer hues, reds, and golds, but in Laura’s home, the festive decor fits perfectly with her cool and serene color palette. ‘Cozy in an elegant way’ is how she describes it. ‘Cozy doesn’t have to mean dark and moody.’
The violet-tinged gray walls of the living room provide the perfect backdrop for the silver-and-white tree, its ornaments layered with soft textures and sparkling accents for a timeless, refined look. While 2025 Christmas trends lean heavily into “more is more,” Laura’s approach is understated and elegant, letting the classic color scheme take center stage.
Laura has the same calm approach to holiday hosting. ‘It can be hugely stressful if you put too much pressure on the day, so we allow ourselves to take it slowly – early morning stockings, followed by a leisurely breakfast, then a sociable stroll with both families,' she explains. 'Lunch comes late, around 4 or 5 p.m., with an Anglo-Spanish meal combining traditional British turkey with Iberian delicacies like aged hams and piquant olives.’
Holiday decor is, of course, very personal, and as each of these homes shows, everyone has their own unique approach that reflects both their style and the spaces they’re decorating. But no matter what your style, it’s always inspiring to look back through our archives and take ideas from real homes that celebrate the season so beautifully.
