Natural Holiday Decorating Ideas - Greenery Mantel

Well, I don’t know how you all are doing, but I’m feeling some holiday pressure at this point. Not bad, but it’s there. I’ve been working on another project that I’m anxious to wrap up, so I haven’t had quite the same time to devote to things like decking the halls, much less getting those halls photographed and written up.

This year I kept with the same theme I used outdoors on my porch - a natural look with evergreens. (Check out my DIY Evergreen Swag post.) There’s nary a red poinsettia or decoration in sight; after the tumultuous year, I think I craved soothing greenery with muted winter neutrals.

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A natural palette is also a practical choice. You can more easily procrastinate putting away a neutral and green holiday design scheme than one decked out in red with Santas galore. At least I could. If you can live with Santa until mid-January, more power to ya.

The only items I purchased were the vintage brass trumpet-style candle holders from eBay. (My boys play brass, so I knew they’d be a hit.) Well except I did purchase the cedar garland from Trader Joes too.

The bullseye mirror I borrowed from the TV room, and I shoved the cloud photo that’s usually there (see my fall mantel post) under my bed. The bullseye mirror feels like a keeper to me, at least for now.

Otherwise I used decorations I’ve had for years now, but I still haven’t tired of. (Again, I think it’s the color scheme. My red decor from the same era is in the basement.)

I found this charming vintage horse pull-toy at an antiques shop a few years ago and was glad to find a sweet place for him on this mantel next to a faux Christmas tree in shades of gray-green.

I gravitate toward gray-green for my holiday greenery when I can find it because it looks like California, where gray-green foliage (along with fuzzy or waxy) is often the norm since it’s usually drought-tolerant. (There’s a reason gray-green Australian eucalyptus is happy as a clam here in our warm, arid state.)

Although it’s tough to tell in the picture, the redwood cuttings in the vase are quite gray-green, especially compared to the cedar garland. Coast redwoods in their natural habitat get about 50% of their water from the foggy coastal air that drops from their needles through adapted shallow root systems. (OK I didn’t think I’d be talking about plants at all in this post, but apparently that’s not possible.)

Next to the redwood cuttings is a section of cork oak that stands sentinel on the hearth year-round. It’s Quercus suber - the oak we use to make wine corks. (Hurray for wine corks - especially as this year draws to a close!)

The purple Soviet-era Santa matryoshka doll (there are about 5 smaller Santas tucked inside) was a fun find at the Santa Monica airport flea market many moons ago. I think he looks right at home surrounded by shades of silver-gray including cast concrete acorns and a Tillandsia xerographica air plant.

The long sugar pinecones and oak branches on the left of the hearth were collected by boys and me and also stay year round, but definitely add to the natural holiday look when December rolls around.

Thanks for joining me on this little living room mantel holiday tour. Is this green, neutral, and natural look a one-off 2020 kind of thing, or is it more enduring? For me, I think it’s a little of both.

What are you feeling this year? Bring on the red-nosed reindeer and Santas or keep it evergreen? Or both? Drop a comment below and let me know!

Note to self - change out of fuchsia running gear before taking next year’s holidays photos in front of a bullseye mirror. (So distracting in one shot I didn’t use it.) Or get a better camera remote.

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