Home Tour: Dreaming of a French Christmas

French Christmas Wonderland

Some view Christmas as a chance to go bright and bold with seasonal décor, but this home in North Vancouver, Canada, proves you can still achieve holiday spirit with a softer look. Homeowner Jamie Lundstrom, of the blog So Much Better with Age, created a winter wonderland of a French Christmas in her home, using natural elements and neutral colors, rather than traditional red and green. “Most of my home and decorating style is neutral,” says Jamie, “but I love to decorate with lots of textures, so the neutral palette doesn’t have to be boring.”

I love to decorate with lots of textures, so the neutral palette doesn’t have to be boring.

Flocked trees and furniture with a patina help achieve a nicely textured aesthetic, giving her home an elegant simplicity that has a calming effect. White, soft gold, green and gray make up the neutral palette that complements Jamie’s natural accents, giving her a clean background for her wintry escape.

Dining room filled with French Christmas décor and a variety of textures, including greenery, rustic accents, a beaded chandelier and a patterned rug. // Cottages & Bungalows — **GREENERY GALORE.** A variety of textures, including greenery, rustic accents, a beaded chandelier and a patterned rug, keeps the neutral palette intriguing and provides a chic and subtle holiday look.

Joyeux Noel

Jamie loves including old and antique pieces in her home, giving her year-round style a French flair that crosses over into her seasonal décor. “I love French vintage, and I try to keep it in line for decorating at Christmas as well,” she says.

Her French Eiffel Tower ornaments hang on her flocked tree in the dining room, along with glittered gold snowflakes and strips of Merry Christmas ribbon, blending her French treasures with seasonal décor. Another favorite of Jamie’s is her antique stoneware crock collection that remains in her home all year, but serves a special purpose when winter comes. “I love using crocks to put trees in,” she says. “I add greenery throughout the house and bring in natural and rustic touches, so it doesn’t scream ‘Christmas’ and can be used for winter as well.”

Sitting area with a pair of arm chairs and a beautiful pre-lit Christmas tree give this space a warm and cozy feel. // Cottages & Bungalows — **O CHRISTMAS TREE.** A prelit flocked tree gets a makeover with twigs, faux flower stems and large ornaments. Jamie created a tree topper by tying velvet ribbon in a large bow and then cascading ribbon down the sides. “I tried something new and it worked,” she says.

bird ornament and vintage crockery — **CHRISTMAS CORNER.** Antique stoneware crocks and a few ornaments of various heights create the perfect Christmas vignette. One of these pieces is a broken ornament from Jamie’s collection of French Eiffel Tower ornaments that she repurposed rather than throw it away.

jamie lindstrom dining room — **WINTER WONDERLAND.** The dining room is filled with Christmas cheer, with its flocked tree, distressed furniture and bottlebrush-tree centerpiece. “I wanted a snowy winter wonderland, and there was so much going on with the tree that I didn’t want a big, tall centerpiece,” says Jamie. The tree is decorated with gold ornaments and her collection of French Eiffel Tower ornaments, as well as gold organza and Merry Christmas ribbons.

Simple Additions

Many of Jamie’s year-round vignettes remain the same at Christmas, with a few festive updates for the holidays. “I like to use different vessels to display things in a unique way—things that aren’t necessarily Christmas that might have touches of green and glitter, so I can keep them out all year,” she says.

I add greenery throughout the house and bring in natural and rustic touches, so it doesn’t scream ‘Christmas.

The rustic mirror over the fireplace mantel is one such example, as it’s used as a backdrop for hanging glitter letters that spell “Noel.” Another unique piece is the terrarium in Jamie’s office that holds mini bottlebrush trees in the winter and succulents in the summer. These small changes allow her to decorate for Christmas without having to switch out all her décor and buy new pieces. “Most of the décor in my kitchen was already there,” says Jamie. “I just tied red ribbon everywhere, added pinecones and a couple wreaths. It’s fun to decorate with items already used in the house.”

This white kitchen is the perfect backdrop for French Christmas décor. Here, miniature trees in stoneware crocks and a couple wreaths add holiday flair to the space. — **LET IT SNOW.** The kitchen’s white foundation is an ideal backdrop for Christmas décor, as a few added pieces will allude to a snowy surrounding. Miniature trees in stoneware crocks and a couple wreaths add holiday flair to the space.

Various pieces of greenery are added to this white kitchen to complement the light foundation and give it a little bit of color. // Cottages & Bungalows — **FESTIVE ACCENTS.** Jamie keeps it simple in the kitchen by adding to what’s already there. Hanging wreaths in the windows and planting a mini tree in one of her crocks adds just enough festivity to complement the snowy white foundation.

Jamie uses greenery on multiple surfaces to add a winter touch in the kitchen, dining room and even the bathroom. “I snip sprigs of evergreen to tuck in places around the house,” she says. “I like to mix real with faux, and it brings pops of the outdoors in.” Candle holders, bottles and window sills are some of the surfaces she chooses to sprinkle with greenery.

Bathroom accent wall created using a script stencil, with accents of green and gold to tie in with the winter theme. — **DECK THE WALLS.** Using an illegible script stencil from Muddaritaville, Jamie painted one of the bathroom walls for an elegant wallpaper look. A golden tree and some evergreen clippings tie in the winter theme.

Holiday Projects

Some of Jamie’s Christmas décor is handmade and adds a personal touch to her home. With inventive thinking, she made a wreath with sleeves from a sweater, Merry Christmas banners with strips of ribbon, a vintage banner with print-outs and clipboards and a stunning dining room table centerpiece, reminiscent of a winter village. As Jamie’s décor demonstrates, all you need is some greenery and a touch of creativity for a seasonal look you’ll love.