Holiday decor can add festivity and merriment to your space — but it doesn’t have to do so at the expense of the environment.

For those of us who prioritize sustainability and resiliency at home, seasonal holiday decor can feel antithetical to our larger goals. While seasonal decorations are both festive and undeniably pervasive during Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Hanukkah, they can also be expensive and seem wasteful. After all, those fresh greens beautifully lining your mantle are only up for a few short weeks… (But keep reading to see why real versus faux is still the more sustainable choice.)

Thankfully, when designed with thoughtfulness and intentionality, holiday decor can align with the key values of a space and its homeowners — and given Nexthaus Alliance’s commitment to thoughtfulness and intentionality in all areas of our practice, we’re well-equipped to provide holiday cheer without sacrificing the tenets we built your home upon.

Here, we share our insights on celebrating the holidays mindfully with sustainable holiday decor.

A wood and stone living room, kitchen, and dining area are all included in an open floor plan — *Thanks to warm woods, cozy textures, and existing treasures, this space is primed for holiday gatherings.*

Incorporating Vintage Elements

Across design principles, from interior design to fashion and beyond, it’s commonly understood that the most sustainable choice is one that already exists. When designing interiors (both during the holidays and all year long), we like to use meaningful pieces from a client’s existing collection of art, furnishings, and decor. Why buy new elements when those that you already have are not only functional, but also meaningful?

With that in mind, some of the best holiday decor comes from antique stores, vintage markets, or even from your family’s own collection.

The “fireplace” in this Certified Passive House isn’t a fireplace at all — rather, it features water vapor that is illuminated with LED lights (which, by the way, can be adjusted by color for the holidays!). Maximum comfort, minimum impact.

Functionality Is Key

Sometimes, however, it’s necessary to buy something new — but that’s not always a bad thing. When considering new items, it’s helpful to determine if they serve multiple purposes. For example, decorative trinkets can be festive for the holidays, but they spend most of their life in storage. Pillows and throws, on the other hand, can be used for much of the year — so having some in your collection in festive shades of red, green, blue, gold, and silver allows for both seasonal functionality and year-long enjoyment.

“While I am not a fan of holiday decor that is too obvious or ‘loud,' I embrace subtle gestures suggesting holiday accents,” says Lauren Coburn, Nexthaus Alliance member and founder of the interior architecture and design firm Lauren Coburn. “I like accenting with winter whites, greenery, and metallics, such as silver, white gold, and bronze. These are best used in non-obvious ways and not in the literal holiday decor fashion.”

Functional decor pieces (such as picture frames, dishware, drinkware, and textiles) in holiday-friendly shades allow for the colors and motifs of the season to shine in these less-predictable ways.

*Lauren Coburn designed this living room with party-ready finishes that blend perfectly with tabletop accents such as dishware, drinkware, and candles.*

Texture and Finish Reign Supreme

In addition to selecting functional items in festive shades, Coburn suggests thinking about materiality when it comes to the holidays.

“To evoke holiday merriment, I like to use subtle metallic accents,” Coburn says. “These can include place settings at the dining table, or sculptural silver candlesticks with white taper candles.”

Metallic candlesticks may not feel particularly holiday-centric, but when paired with seasonal florals and colored linens, the effect is subtly festive. Luxury can also be added by way of dish and drinkware, plus vases, mirrors, and flatware. These shine-heavy items can be used all year long — for celebrations and for casual get-togethers alike.

Alliance member Bob Hursthouse takes great care to ensure that seasonal planters feature festive, yet thoughtful greenery.

When In Doubt, Bring the Outside In

We work to incorporate nature in all of our projects — but this is particularly true around the holidays. For those celebrating Christmas, a real Christmas tree makes for a sustainable choice. A real tree can be composted or recycled after use, while faux greenery requires extensive carbon usage for creation and shipment and can’t be upcycled. Real greenery adds festivity, the benefits of nature, and a seasonal scent.

No matter what holidays you celebrate, fresh florals provide the perfect opportunity for themed decor without contributing to the high-carbon purchasing cycle. “In these holiday months,” Coburn says, “I recommend adding tall, sculptural plants in a beautiful white urn, sculptural floral arrangements with cherry blossoms in a chic vase, or white calla lilies.”

As with all sustainable and resilient design work, these values don’t require the sacrifice of beauty or personality. With thoughtful planning and mindful execution, holiday decor can be functional, festive, and low-impact.