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It might be surprising to hear designer Mary Kathryn Wells call herself a minimalist. After all, there are 15 different wallpapers in her family’s Nashville home, one of which is a custom creation based on doodles and drawings by her three kids. So, sure, she’s a maximalist in the sense that she loves color and pattern, but you won’t ever find something unnecessary in her house. “I don’t want to have more stuff than I need,” explains Wells. “And to me, all the seasonal decor is more stuff you have to store.”
That’s why her Christmas decorating recipe is pretty simple. The key ingredients she keeps on hand are funky stockings, retro lights, ribbon, and handmade ornaments. Then, after Thanksgiving, she’ll buy live greenery (a tree and a handful of wreaths). “There’s already so much stress and chaos going on around the holidays that this should be fun and joyful, not feel like a chore,” she says. Ahead, the designer shares her tips for getting crafty with what you’ve got while creating a holiday look that feels personal.
Shop Your Linen Closet
Wells’ only real parameter for what qualifies as holiday decor is that it has to bring her joy. For years, she set the dining room table with a $20 striped cloth from Amazon, but lately she’s been using a sunny yellow and blue squiggly design from Lisa Corti. “Those aren’t traditional Christmas colors, but it still feels very festive,” she says. She also doesn’t own any holiday-designated dishwasher, preferring to whip out her floral China or her everyday plates when it’s time to eat.
Go Heavy on Taper Candles and Produce
The secret sauce to her holiday tablescape is an overwhelming amount of taper candles. “And I’m not talking two or four,” she says. She’ll light around two dozen candles to create a cheerful ambiance, and since they’re usually pink, she’ll burn them throughout the year. “If you’re having friends over for takeout or getting pizza delivery and then you light a bunch of taper candles, it’s instant magic,” says Wells. To fill in any gaps, she’ll scoop up pre-made mini floral arrangements from Whole Foods (around $10 each) and a bunch of clementines, preferably with the stems and leaves still attached.
Hang Wreaths from Windows, Curtain Rods, and Backsplashes
Trying to perfectly swag a garland over a fireplace mantel or staircase railing requires too much energy and time that Wells doesn’t have. Instead, she buys basic live wreaths for $6 each and peppers them throughout the house. To get them to stick to tile or glass surfaces, she relies on suction cup hooks. And a little bit of ribbon is all you need to dress them up or, say, dangle them from a curtain rod.
Go Down Memory Lane
Old-school C7 bulbs set the backdrop for Wells’ groovy Christmas tree. Her strategy for getting ornaments on the branches is simple: let her kids go nuts. “When they were really little, there would be clusters of ornaments in some places and then barren areas,” she says with a laugh. She doesn’t discriminate when it comes to styles of ornaments—even the simple pipe-cleaner ones made by her children are proudly displayed.
Every year, the designer finishes it off with the same topper: a paper towel roll craft her eldest made when he was two, combined with a tin foil star.
Hang the Stockings in the Kitchen
The first year Wells decided to mount her family’s stockings in the kitchen instead of the living room, she admits her kids were bummed. “All the books tell you to hang them on the mantel, but it was becoming a chaotic explosion of Christmas in that one corner of our house. It was way too crowded and cluttered,” she shares.
Moving them to the kitchen, hanging from sturdy metal holders on the open shelves, felt like a good way to spread the Christmas cheer. Plus, she loves that each stocking is different from the next and reflects the personality of that family member. “I want every home I work on to feel like a reflection of the people who live there, and that applies to holiday decor, too,” says Wells. “The point is joy and togetherness, not perfection.”