Home for the Holidays

The holidays are here, and it's the time many of us have been waiting for: the chance to pull out the ornaments, swags, trees and more to spread cheer throughout our homes. We've got some tips and inspiration to share with you to make this holiday season one of the coziest ever.

Many homes have one or more chandeliers or pendants installed over tables and kitchen islands. Think of your light fixtures as a frame for holiday decor. Create an eye-catching, suspended centerpiece by decorating your lighting with ornaments, ribbons, garland and other florals to create a unique conversation piece that adds to the festive atmosphere.

Blogger and design influencer Tracey Amadio, also known as Porch Daydreamer, is a holiday decorating superstar: she typically decorates the entire downstairs of her home. She offers a ton of decorating advice, inspiration and guidance on her blog and Instagram pages for rooms throughout the house, and one of her must-do rooms to decorate is the kitchen.

To get your kitchen in the holiday spirit, Tracey suggests looking around and identifying all the areas you can decorate, including light fixtures, countertops, kitchen island, windows and even chairs. "Think outside of the box and add napkin rings around candles on your light fixtures for a new festive look," she suggests. Tracey did this with the two large Landree pendants over the island, whose Silver Ridge finish and open design made the ideal framework for this decor trick.

Tracey likes to decorate chair backs for the holidays, and on her blog, she shares how this is done easily with upholstered chair backs by using pins to hold ribbon, ornaments and wreaths. Her woven kitchen stools are new this year, and at first, she wondered how she would be able to decorate them, but she managed beautifully by running ribbon through the weave to hold the small decorated wreaths in place. She placed festive greenery inside lightly distressed silver pots for an island centerpiece and added a large silver reindeer to the tray as the finishing touch. Her overall theme for the kitchen was simple and elegant: greenery, silver accents and a gorgeous wreath over her stovetop.

"Don't feel like you have to buy anything new to create a new look at Christmas time," advises Tracey. "Get creative and repurpose what you have. If you typically use one item in the family room, move it to the dining room."

Photo Credit: Porch Daydreamer

Spread your seasonal decorations throughout the home, even if they are only small touches. A real or faux garland swagged up a staircase adds an instant and elegant touch of holiday cheer. Attach the garland with zip ties, then pull some of the garland's greenery over it to camouflage the fastening point. Weave string lights throughout so that your entryway has a warm and inviting glow.

This beautifully decorated hallway from the home of Instagrammer Chic_Cottage_Decor features our classic Piedmont fixture.

Photo Credit: Chic Cottage Decor

Farmhouse decor- what's not to love? Especially at holiday time, when homes featuring Farmhouse design can showcase beloved decorations that may have been collected over the years. Add a brand-new light fixture like our Spicewood pendant that epitomizes Farmhouse style. It fits perfectly with this dining room's vintage, aged look that was created by decor elements of distressed wood and neutral white. To instantly add holiday cheer, add greenery for a simple yet festive touch.

Photo Credit: Brittanys Home Sweet Home

For more lighting inspiration all year long, follow Progress Lighting on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.