Annddd I’m back. :) Hi everyone! I’m so excited about today’s post! I’m joining some of my close friends for the Decked and Styled Home Tour and you are all in for a treat! Every one of the girls in this tour today have beautiful homes and trust me when I say their posts won’t disappoint!
This is such a fun group. I feel so lucky to call each of these girls close, personal friends. Their hearts are as beautiful as their homes! If you are popping over from Megan’s blog “Honey We’re Home” hello and welcome! I love Megan and am so happy to have you here! I also love decorating for Christmas and couldn’t help spreading a bit of Christmas cheer throughout most of the rooms in my house. Yesterday I shared our powder bathroom Christmas decor along with a link to the rest of the rooms I’ve shared so far. Today I’m sharing what might be my very favorite room decked for the holidays this year! My formal living room. I went a little picture crazy so I’ll try to keep the rambling to a minimum (not always easy for me as most of you know, but I promise to try). :)
When you walk in our front door and through our entry this is the room that greets you. When my husband and I were designing our home one of the first things I told my architect was that I did NOT want a formal living room.
I’m so grateful he didn’t listen to me! ;) Because of the way our floor plan turned out this room was going to be our formal dining room at one point. I didn’t love that so we ended up pushing out my front porch and moving the dining room in its place leaving me with a formal living room after all. I got over it quickly when I started designing this space and adding french doors, built-ins and white molding galore. Now this room is one of my favorites! Especially at Christmas time. :)
This wooden sign with the words to the song O Holy Night is one of my favorite things I’ve purchased this year. It was from Magnolia Market (sold out now) and I bought it back in October as soon as it came out! This song has special meaning to me and has always been one of my all time favorite Christmas songs. When I’m alone in my car I turn on Mariah Carey singing this song and I sing so loud. I pretend I’m hitting every single high note right along with her. #truestory I sound awful of course, but if I turn the music up just loud enough, our voices merge and I can’t even tell. ;) I usually end up with tears streaming down my face because this song is so powerful and I can’t listen to it without feeling Christ’s love for all of us. A reminder I’m so grateful for.. especially this time of year.
Then there’s my Christmas gallery wall! If you missed the full post on this gallery wall (that includes the fun way I used it last December) you can see it here.
These family favorite Christmas pictures melt me every time! I love having them on display this holiday season.
I found some cute little wooden trees for my side table from Target.
And of course my couch is covered in red and plaid Christmas pillows. ALL the heart eyes for PB Christmas pillows. :)
Another new addition? My tree! I have been wanting to put a tree in this room since we moved in 3 years ago! I found this over Thanksgiving break at Tai Pan in Utah when I was visiting my family. I knew I wanted a tree that was frosted, not flocked. I love the look of a flocked tree but I didn’t want to deal with the mess! This gives me a bit of the look and doesn’t shed quite so much. :)
The second I saw this tree I knew it would work perfectly in this room. I called my husband from the store and this was our conversation:
“Babe! I have the BEST news! I found a tree for the formal living room! It’s frosted and the right size and it has small and large vintage white lights which I LOVE!”
“NOT the best news. You already have 7 trees up Erin!”
“What!? No.. this will only be my 3rd.”
“What about the two on the porch and the three trees in each of the kids’ rooms?”
“Oh! Those little 5 foot trees don’t count.” :) Trust me. We need this tree. It’s “the one.”
“Sounds like it’s time to have another talk about needs vs. wants.”
“K.. let’s totally do that babe. After I buy this tree that we need.”
Noting like a good back and forth with my husband. :) Good thing he loves me.
It really was the one and I’m so in love with it! I picked up a few ornaments to add along with some I already had and I’m sure I’ll add more next year. Red berries and garland, sleds and skis, silver balls that are different sizes and some white balls of yarn.
I don’t have a top for it yet but I kind of like it without one this year!
My favorite large dough bowl is looking extra festive with some garland and large leftover tree ornaments.
I had fun styling my shelves. I didn’t do much. Just re-arranged a few things and added some greenery and berries here and there. Then I added some red faux flowers to my favorite vase and my striped stockings and before long this room was looking ready for Santa!
This room makes me smile every time I walk by.
My kids love it too.
We have all been hanging out in this room a lot more this month by the tree.
It adds such a beautiful light and glow to this space.
I know Santa will love it too. :)
We especially love to hang out in this room at night. The lights make everything so cozy!
Thanks to my sweet husband for putting up with all of my recent decorating and for letting my buy “the one.” :) It has brought me so much joy this month! Also thanks to all of you for sticking with me through this post! I hope you enjoyed the tour of my formal living room!
Sources are included below. (Affiliate links used) My rug, coffee table and the mirror over my mantel are from Restoration Hardware. The drapes were made custom. With everything else I tried to find a few similar items for things that are sold out. If you don’t see something below it’s because it has sold out or I found it at a random store like Home Goods. For paint information you can check this post that includes most of my paint colors.
Next up on the tour is my darling friend Bree at Z Design at Home. Aside from being a close friend, Bree is one of my all time favorite designers! We have very similar taste in home design/decor and I absolutely love everything she does.
Does that wallpaper look familiar? Same wallpaper I have in my powder bathroom! We are always finding fun things like that.. we buy the same things without even knowing it. :) Anyway you will love Bree and her blog! Also don’t forget to check out the rest of my friends’ homes in this tour! Christmas decor galore! I am SO in my happy place this month. To see other rooms I’ve shared throughout my house so far check this post. I’ll be back soon with more! I’m on a roll. ;)
Erin, I’m laughing right now because I can so relate to this post! We have so many trees this year too and I’m also totally Mariah Carey in the car! Ha! This is such a gorgeous room! I wish we lived closer so I could come over and enjoy it with you!
Ha ha.. love it Megan! No wonder the two of us get along so well. :) Thank you so much sweet friend! I would LOVE that too! We would have too much fun together! Although I doubt we’d get much accomplished. ;) xo
Oh my word, Erin, what an awesome space! I love it all decked out for Christmas, too. Happy sigh. You have chosen some amazing decor items. I was singing in my head as I read the Silent Night lyrics. I agree, so powerful. Have you heard Amy Grant’s Breath of Heaven? That’s one of my faves. I do the same thing you do when I’m driving alone! Okay, the decor in the room is gorgeous. I’m so glad you prevailed in your back and forth with your hubby. That is one fantastic tree. I especially like the yarn ornaments ;) Your dough bowl looks lovely and well, gosh, the whole room looks amazing. Thanks so much for giving us such a wonderful peek into your home. Have a great day! :)
Jeanne I LOVE Amy Grant’s Breath of Heaven! My other favorite song on that CD is “The Night Before Christmas”.. do you know that one? An all time favorite. :) Now I’ll think of you when I look at those yarn ornaments. ;) Thanks sweet friend! xo
Ok so everytime I see this room I just about die. Girl, this space looks amazing! I wish we lived closer b/c I would be over hanging out all the time! lol . Nice done!
Jessica! I so need you to be my neighbor! Aside from hanging with me in my formal living room you could save me from myself.. ha! I still crack up every time I think about our text messages about the home tours. You are one in a million and I love you! Thanks cutie. :) xo
Wow. Considering it’s a “formal” living room, it is so cozy and warm! I love the pops of red all over the place with the throw pillows, stockings, and decor. Also– Your gallery wall brings such warmth to my heart. I just moved in with my beau, so it’s our first holiday living together. I can’t WAIT to fill our walls with pictures of family and fond memories.
Also–I have that same conversation with him almost every day. My answer is usually pretty similar. “But we need this for….. so we can talk about that later. ;-) Thank you for sharing your beautiful home!
Love it Megan! I’m sure most wives can relate. :) So happy for you this year! Your walls will be filled with pictures and memories before you know it. Congrats cutie. And thank you for such a thoughtful comment. Happy holidays! xo
i heard you about the lyrics on that song because I do exactly the same thing… when I am alone in my car minus kids and hubby! ha! that tree is over the top and where did you find those red skis and sleight? I “need” some please :O All is very pretty, elegant and mostly simple and fun!!!!
Love it Lilly! You made me laugh. :) So happy to know I’m not the only one singing at the top of my lungs when I’m alone! I’m thrilled you like my tree! The skis and sleigh were both from Tai Pan. :) Happy holidays cutie! xo
Erin! It’s all so pretty. I can’t stop staring at your mantel with those darling striped stockings. You are so talented and have such a beautiful eye for design. So fun to do this with you all today. Love you, friend.
I’m so happy you like it Courtney! Thank you! It’s the reason we haven’t been able to go to lunch this month.. ha ha! ;) Loved doing a tour with you and I seriously can’t wait to see you again and catch up! I’m so excited to see your post! And I love you right back. :) xo
Erin!!! Gosh I’m just so blown away by this space, and you!!! Thank you so, so much for doing this tour with me (and for helping me)!! I LOVE your new tree and may have just belly laughed over the conversation between you and your hubby! Thank God for good, understanding, loving husbands…what would we do without them?!! I can’t wait to do this again next year so go ahead and put it on your calendar:) Love you friend!!!
Ha ha! Bree! Seriously! WHAT would we do without our husbands!? They put up with so much. :) Than you sweet friend! I loved doing this tour with you! Count me in for next year for sure. And let’s hope we see each other several times before then! The beach cottage is calling my name after this month. Happy holidays cutie! Love you too. :) xo
What a beautiful space! Do you mind sharing where your rug and curtains are from? Thank you!
Thank you so much Heather! The rug is from Restoration Hardware and the curtains were made custom. I can give you my designer/friends info. I ordered the curtains from if you want to shoot me an e-mail! xo
So festive! I especially like that gallery wall!
Thank you Sue! That was a fun one to put together. :) xo
I am laughing at your singing “O Holy Night” in the car. I do that all the time. My favorite Christmas song!! I would say you are right on with that tree being “THE ONE”! It is stunning, especially when lit. What a beautiful, festive home you have created. It’s like a Christmas dream come true!
You are so sweet to say that Pam! Thank you! :) I love that O Holy Night is your favorite too! Such a beautiful song. xo
Love the tree Erin! I think it’s fine without a topper. Oh, that husband conversation, sometimes I have it with myself, believe it or not. I want a tree for our porch in the future. Something that won’t take too much room, compact for storing, and won’t take long to decorate. Just curious where the door in the hall where the gallery wall hangs leads to….your backyard patio area? Your formal living room is beautiful.
Thank you so much Debbie! You should get your porch tree! I’d look for a cute one on sale after Christmas this year… then you’ll have it and be ready to go next December! :) xo
This room is a dream Erin! I’m so glad your architect talked you into it, it is so beautiful! (Though I still think you should have put a white piano in there!) It looks like it was made for Christmas, the tree IS perfect! You won’t want to take it down.
So now that you have two trees in rooms with fireplaces and stockings, which is Santa going to use?!
Love everything you did, if you ever get bored of blogging about your own house you can retire it and work as a designer and decorator styling other people’s houses.
Thank you Josie! I know.. I never want to take down Christmas trees! I would seriously keep them up for 6 months if I could. :) The girls told me Santa has to come to the family room because that’s tradition. But I might put a few presents under both trees. Getting excited to see you guys! xo
I was oohing and aahhhing and then I saw the room wirh the lights glowing. . Ooh breathtaking! ..
So tidbit fact.. I served a British Sign Language mission and O holy night is one of my favorite songs to sign!
Everything about that room is perfection Erin x
Thank you so much Heidi! What a COOL mission! Love that you love that song too. :) xo
Your new tree looks great! It’s our first year having two trees and my hubby wasn’t convinced it was necessary at first either! :)
So glad we’re here to teach them. ;) Thanks cutie! xo
I love it all! That tree is perfect!
Thank you Natalie! xo
Everything is so warm and inviting! I’ve been loving all your decorating posts.
I’m so happy you are enjoying these posts Hanna! Thank you! xo
I’m totally cracking up at that conversation with your husband! I’m glad you “won” that debate– the tree is perfect for your space. And it’s easy to see why this is one of your favorite rooms in the house! It is absolutely stunning! Hope you have a wonderful weekend, Erin!
~Abby =)
Ha ha.. we have too many conversations like that. ;) So fun to hear from you on the blog Abby! You are a sweetheart to stop by.. I know how busy you must be right now! Have a wonderful Christmas with your beautiful family! xo
Your living room is beautiful! Where did you get the cute little wooden bowl on your coffee table (that’s sitting on your tray)? I’ve been looking for cute little stacking bowls like that, like you have on your shelf and the one on the coffee table. Happy holidays.
Thank you April! Those bowls were a random find from a store on the coast called “Gardenology.” :)
Can you tell me where the love santa pillows are from. They are adorable. Is it too early to start thinking about decorating for Christmas?!?!?!
Hi Sharon! Never too early in my book.. ha! :) Those were from Pottery Barn! But last year they didn’t have them (they were from two years ago). Maybe they’ll bring them back this year. I’ll watch for them for you! xo
This tree is stunning!! Who makes the tree and where did you purchase it. I too love Christmas trees.