A DIYer uses easy tips and tricks to create a simple winter wonderland in her DIY Christmas farmhouse in Michigan.
Christmas décor doesn’t always need to be flashy. For blogger Amanda Vernaci of Come Stay Awhile, her Christmas style is based on the vibe of her small town in Clarkston, Michigan. “It’s very family oriented,” Amanda says. It’s a more rural area but still boasts a charming downtown with great restaurants and boutique shops. “It’s the best of both worlds,” Amanda says. “It’s rural, but it’s still not too far off the beaten path.”
The town is a perfect reflection of Amanda’s own simple, rustic farmhouse style and the foundation of her seasonal décor philosophy: keeping it simple and personal.
“Our living room is where we spend most of our time, so that’s the area that gets the most attention and décor,” Amanda says. You get a glimpse of the room as you enter the home, with the frosty twinkle tree just beyond the garland-covered stairway.Believe it or not, this mini mudroom was originally a hall closet. This was Amanda’s first DIY project in this home. “When people first entered my house, I wanted it to make a statement,” she says. She added the garland on the stairs, small tree and wreath for Christmas. “This way, the first thing when you enter the home makes you say, ‘Oh it’s Christmas,’ just with subtle touches that give the same effect as a big tree,” says Amanda.
Neutral Tones
Christmas is one of the holidays that can be as bold or as subtle as you want. Amanda prefers to go with a more subdued approach that leaves her home feeling like a peaceful, glistening, winter wonderland. “My mom loves the reds and greens of Christmas,” Amanda says, “but I’ve always been more of a neutral person. I’ve never been a bright colors person.”
It’s always important to consider your lifestyle and the function of each space as you decorate. Amanda’s living room is the family’s most-used space, and with a young son, it was important for her to be careful with her Christmas decorations. “In the lantern I used foam and yarn, knowing it will be fine if my son gets them out. It’s important to be aware of your lifestyle, I’m huge on that,” Amanda says. “It could be beautiful, but if it’s not functional, how will you be able to enjoy it?”Amanda put her DIY skills to use in her kitchen, turning her originally plain island into a custom farmhouse piece for only $36. With just a few pieces of medium-density fiberboard, Amanda added vertical batten boards and an X on the end of the island. After some painting, the finished product boasts the overall kitchen aesthetic with an island that looks like a custom piece. “It can be hard to figure out how to decorate a kitchen,” Amanda says. “I try to find little ways to add Christmas touches.” Amanda will swap out her usual kitchen plants for mini pine trees, add candles and lights and touches of greenery. “I think less is more in the kitchen, I let the lights and greenery do the talking,” she says.Just like large pine trees, wreaths are an inextricable part of Christmas décor, and their size makes them extremely versatile. “Whether on a door, big window or in the entryway, wreaths are a great way to add greenery and give a lot of life to a space even if there isn’t a lot of room for décor,” Amanda says.
To stay true to her style, this means Amanda’s Christmas décor follows a color scheme of silver, cream, beige and gold, with additions of sparkles and twinkle lights for a bit of extra magic. “My mom comes over and asks where all the red and greens are, but this is what feels to me the most like Christmas, it’s a winter wonderland,” Amanda says.
Amanda uses this area of the living room as her son’s play area, but just because it’s a play area doesn’t mean it skips the aesthetic of the rest of the house. The dressers match the rug, and the Christmas tree is a mini version of the main tree. The closed cabinets are perfect for tucking away all the toys while another mini tree and Christmas sign on top add a few more touches of Christmas to the space.
“I want my home to be a reflection of me, of my style.”
The magic is in the details when it comes to Amanda’s décor. “If you decorate too much, things can feel cluttered. I like adding the small details and little touches,” she says. Amanda focuses on swaps like putting a Christmas graphic on the TV and holiday-themed art prints. Her home’s neutral colors pair perfectly with touches of gold and silver. The twinkle lights and white tree are additions that help create the winter wonderland look.
“It’s the small details that really make a difference.”
Simple projects helped transform the primary bedroom like Amanda’s inexpensive trick to update the ceiling fan. All it took was a coat of chalk paint, some antique wax and new light covers. “I had been wanting to update the light forever, but we didn’t have the money, so this was a great temporary solution,” Amanda says. The fan, wooden bench and framed artwork bring warmth to the room while a simple potted pine adds a pop of color and holiday cheer.
Amanda’s everyday neutral color scheme extends to her Christmas atmosphere. For her Christmas decorations, she loves to primarily use items like mercury glass, twinkle lights and greenery. Though her approach to seasonal décor is simple, that doesn’t mean there’s a lack of decoration. Each room of the house boasts something Christmas, whether it’s a miniature tree, wreath or lights. “I try to incorporate [Christmas] into every room,” Amanda says.
Bathrooms are areas that can easily get cluttered as they typically don’t offer a lot of space, yet store a lot of essentials. This can be especially challenging for adding holiday décor. In Amanda’s primary bathroom, she’s added a few different Christmas tree decorations. The variety brings different textures and colors to the space and complements the bathroom’s neutral color scheme. “Pine trees and greenery are some of the most recognizable Christmas decorations,” Amanda says. “I try to incorporate some of them in every space.” Here in the more formal dining room, that means another flocked pine tree. The white is a stark contrast to the navy-blue shiplap wall, making the tree and its lights stand out even more as a focal point. “There’s not much décor, but for me that’s enough for this space,” Amanda says.The fireplace is the focal point of the living room and gets dressed up with different layers of décor, from ornaments to garlands, stockings and Christmas graphics. “Whenever I add a garland anywhere, I like to add lights,” says homeowner Amanda Vernaci. “It adds a nice twinkle and ambience that makes it feel homier.”
Simple Style
Simplicity is key to Amanda. Rather than big, colorful pieces, she prefers smaller touches. “It’s the small details that really make a difference,” she says. “I enter a room and think, what are the small things that will make it feel like Christmas?” Typically, this leads her to swap out her everyday décor. Amanda often exchanges framed artwork, centerpieces and other small accents.
It’s no easy feat trying to decorate a young child’s room for the holidays. Whatever you put in there could easily get captured by little, curious hands. Take special care choosing your décor when it comes to kids’ rooms. Amanda advises keeping it simple. “I switched out the regular plant I had in his room for a Christmas one. If I add a bunch of stuff, he’s going to want to get it, but swapping décor doesn’t attract as much of his attention,” Amanda says.Minimalist décor has become more popular, especially in modern farmhouse style, and has extended even into the holiday season. One way Amanda combines her minimalist style and holiday décor is by including a variety of the same decorations in every room, like twinkle lights and the different Christmas trees you see on this shelving in her son’s room. These touches create a seamless holiday aesthetic throughout the home without compromising Amanda’s natural style.Simple wall shelves are a great choice in kids’ rooms. They keep things out of reach and are perfect for décor that is breakable or has sentimental value. Amanda’s floating shelves go with her streamlined, simple aesthetic.
The holiday season is about focusing on what’s important. It’s a time to spend with family and loved ones, connecting in ways we often forget throughout the rest of the year. This is also the foundational principle Amanda uses when it comes to her home projects and home décor. “My biggest takeaway for anyone would be to stay true to you,” she says. “I want my home to be a reflection of me, of my style.”
The primary bedroom, like the rest of the home, boasts minimal décor. The fireplace draws the eye with its navy-blue shiplap and extended mantel that doubles as hidden storage space. On top of the mantel is Amanda’s signature touch of greenery with a garland and mini potted pine tree. A larger tree in the corner boasts only simple twinkle lights for an intimate and relaxing ambiance. “People think you need to decorate everything,” Amanda says. “But even the naked tree goes with my neutral vibe and is enough for the space.”In the primary bedroom, Amanda added a simple tabletop tree and seasonal candle to the nightstand, which doesn’t get in the way of the practical items she places next to the bed, such as a speaker and book for nighttime reading.The Vernaci family’s basement isn’t your run-of-the-mill space. While basements were originally used for storage, Amanda has transformed this space into another gorgeous area for relaxing and special entertainment events like sports games or movie nights. As a walk out basement, it gets a good amount of natural light to keep the area feeling light and airy. For the Christmas season, Amanda chose lots of golds and mercury glass as décor. The tree decorations are similar to that on Amanda’s other trees so she can mix and match.
Looking for more farmhouse Christmas ideas? Read on to see a home in French farmhouse Christmas style, and this one for an elegant take on country Christmas. Of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for your daily dose of farmhouse inspiration!
Jillian began her writing career while working through college. She has continued to follow that passion in the years since. Jillian thrives in combining her experience and education to craft insightful and engaging writing. She loves to research and collaborate with others in order to tell stories that bring value to readers’ lives. Jillian’s love of writing was initially born from her passion for reading. She enjoys all genres including fantasy, historical fiction, non-fiction, thriller and more. She believes one of the best ways to be a great writer is to be a great reader and tries to spend as much time as she can reading. When not reading or writing, Jillian enjoys punk rock concerts, swimming and spending time with family. Jillian lives in Orange County, California with her significant other, two children and their dog. Her work can be found through Linkedin or her personal website.
