4 Simple Ways to Take Your Holiday Decor to the Next Level, According to an Interior Designer

Around the holidays, the weather outside may get frightful, but your interior design is about to get a whole lot more delightful.

The holiday season is a time to gather with friends and family for a few festive parties, which means it's also time to impress your guests. Don't know where to start? Jenny Wolf, a New York-based interior designer, is here to help.

In case you're unfamiliar with her work, Wolf is most certainly someone to take advice from when it comes to all things luxurious in your home. Not only has she helped furnish and design some of the most beautiful homes in the United States, but she also completed her first hotel project — the White Barn Inn, Auberge Resorts Collection, in Kennebunk, Maine — in the summer of 2020. Here's her advice for elevating your home decor this holiday season.

Add simple touches.

According to Wolf, the simplest way to make your home feel a bit more luxe for the holidays is to add a few tiny touches that welcome texture to your indoor space.

"Add a little foliage — berries, pampas, floral — to your greens," Wolf shared. This will give your preexisting floral arrangements or plant life a festive lift.

As for ornaments or wreaths, Wolf recommended adding some "beautiful ribbon," which can make each piece feel more special. And finally, she said, "bring in the light — you can never have too many white lights, in my opinion." Bonus points if you can find some warmer tones to make your space feel even cozier.

Rethink your color palette.

If you're going for a color theme during the holidays, Wolf said it might be time to think outside the box.

"I love traditional red and green, but I do like to take a more playful approach with holiday decor," she said. "There really are no rules, so the decor can take on any color palette you desire."

For her own home, Wolf noted she's previously added touches of blush and black with feathers and foliage, like berries, to a tree or garlands. "[This] can add dimension and texture to traditional greens," she shared. You can do the same by plotting out the two (or maybe three) colors you'd like to use and centering your decorations around this scheme.

Consider a theme.

Now that you've got your color palette down, Wolf said you may want to consider decorating in theme, too. "Themes for holiday decor allow for storytelling and some consistency throughout," she added. "It's good to have a plan and to try to tie the elements together. I prefer more natural themes like flora and fauna." But again, it's your house, so go with whatever theme you'd like — be it 100 Christmas trees or endless Santas. Just try to stick with one idea to keep it consistent.

Make your tree uniquely you.

Leveling up your decor doesn't mean erasing your favorite holiday memories. According to Wolf, the best place to let your holidays of past shine is on your Christmas tree.

"Everything you do should be something you love, so this does not stop at holiday decor," she said. "I have a collection of sterling snowflakes that I have collected since I was a child. I would get one every year. No matter what the theme is, these ornaments always make it onto my tree. The holidays are about nostalgia, and anything you can do to create this feeling is worthwhile."