Your Merry Little Christmas

IT’S MY FIRST CHRISTMAS IN THE NEW HOUSE. And like any first, it’s filled with lots of excitement, a little curiosity and some awkward fumbles. The tree doesn’t quite fit right where I had hoped it would go (small houses have a way of foiling your space planning). The new blue couch we bought kind of throws off my classic red-and-green vibe I do every year (I didn’t think of that). And lots of my favorite childhood ornaments broke when the mover (and by that, I mean my husband) stacked the boxes too high in the garage during the kitchen remodel when everything had to get stored outside.

But as with my first apartment after getting married and the room we squeezed into at my parents’ home right before we got the keys to this house, I know it will all come together in the best most perfectly imperfect way. That’s the cottage way. You make room for tradition, get creative with solutions and polish those quirks like the charming elements they are.

The holiday homes we visit this year are as warm and creative as the lovely homeowners who inhabit them. They are full of personal one-of-a-kind takes on the holidays. From farmhouse to classic to elegant and eclectic, they show you there are a million ways to slice that holiday pie. I hope that whether you are in your forever home, or your for-now home, you are inspired to craft a magical Christmas that will be just perfect for you.