by Furnishly | Dec 16, 2025 | Design Inspiration, DIY, Style
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Fireplaces, thanks to their dreamy mantels, are one of the most sought-after home features — especially around the holiday season. That area essentially becomes the heart or focal point of your Christmas decor, as it’s where stockings are hung and family gathers. However, if you’re just decorating the actual mantel and not the space around it, then you’re really missing out on a dramatic decor moment.
Carrie Miller from @acarriedaffairdesigns wanted a Christmas aesthetic that’s “classy with elegance, but nostalgic.” And to Miller, that means going back to basics with garlands, tinsel, and pops of red. In the living room, Miller gave the mantel the Christmas treatment, but also carried the decor to the ceiling, which really transformed the entire room.
“This is hands-down my favorite Christmas look I’ve ever done,” Miller wrote in an Instagram caption. “I thought last year would be impossible to top, but I did it! And we don’t even have the tree yet.”
How to Make Your Mantel Pop This Christmas
Miller’s fireplace is set along a wall of bookshelves, so there’s a perfect alcove to hang garland above the mantel. But you can easily re-create this setup with a bump-out fireplace, or if your fireplace is set into a flat wall.
“I started with adding garland to the top of the bookshelves, and then of course, added some red garland,” Miller said in the video. Miller draped a swag of faux greenery above the mantel and then layered a red ornament garland and a handmade red paper chain garland in front of it. Then, Miller carried the paper chain into the center of the room, where a wreath was hung like a pendant light.
“And then I wanted to do something even more crazy and put a wreath in the center of our living room because we don’t have lighting,” Miller continued. “I added different sizes of red ornaments and used ribbon like streamers and topped it with some poinsettias and red holly stems.”
Of course, Miller’s actual mantel gets the Christmas treatment, too, with some faux pine stems, large red ornaments, and red velvet bows tied to the candlesticks. But it’s really all about what’s happening up above.
Think outside the box when decorating your mantel this Christmas, and you might end up with the most whimsical, nostalgic, and perfectly over-the-top decor ever!
by Furnishly | Dec 16, 2025 | Design Inspiration, Furniture, Style
In my role at Apartment Therapy, I’m most passionate about making my home look beautiful and organized and helping our readers do the same — often at a discount. Although I cover my fair share of newsy pieces, my work focuses on long-form service articles that help our audience…read more
by Furnishly | Dec 15, 2025 | Design Inspiration, Furniture, Style
Kelly Dawson is a writer, editor, and media consultant. Her writing has appeared in almost every major American design publication, most notably as a longtime contributor to Architectural Digest and Dwell, and she’s also been published in places like The New York Times, AFAR,…read more
by Furnishly | Dec 10, 2025 | Design Inspiration, Style
We
independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
My friends and I are obsessed with Christmas — like, decorating-our-dorms-in-November obsessed. But as college students on a budget, we needed a way to make holiday gift-giving affordable and meaningful.
The concept we decided, which we call “the Big Four,” on is simple but ingenious: We “assign” out names Secret Santa-style, and each person puts together a gift box for their giftee with one thing the person needs, one thing they want, one thing that reminds you of them, and one thing in their favorite color. I have been doing this with my friends for two years now, and this year was even better than the last.
The Secret Santa format means everyone gets a gift without spending a ton (we each keep it under $50). It’s thoughtful, budget-friendly, and honestly way more exciting than just swapping wish list items.
How to Start “the Big Four” Gift Tradition with Your Friends
If you love the idea of trying this gift exchange method with your friends, here’s exactly how you can make it happen this holiday season.
This method turns out so well with my friends because we’re all super clear about how it will work. If you also want to give it go, establish a spending limit early on that works for everyone. Again, my friends and I stick to $50, but it should be whatever you and your friends feel comfortable with.
Then, make sure everyone understands the four categories: something the person needs, something they want, something that reminds you of them, and something in their favorite color.
Going the Secret Santa Route? Pick Names Secretly
If you want to assign a random person to each friend like my friends and I do, you can draw names out of a hat in person or use an online generator like Elfster if your group is spread out geographically.
Of course, you can also simply use this “Big Four” blueprint for individual gifting — it’s perfect for a bestie, sibling, or significant other when a full group exchange isn’t an option.
Don’t forget to think about the four categories while shopping for your giftee: If you keep them as a checklist in your Notes app, for example, it makes the whole process easier and more intentional.
Remember to stick to your budget (it keeps things fair for everyone else, too!), and know that thoughtfulness matters more than price. Go for personal touches: Whether it’s a DIY element or something that shows you really “get” your friend, those details make all the difference.
Then, for an extra-adorable touch, use a cute box or basket to hold everything — and don’t forget festive tissue paper.
Plan a day to meet up, swap your boxes, and watch everyone’s reactions as they open their presents. It’s so heartwarming to see how thoughtful everyone gets with their picks!
If you and your friends live all over, you could also ship them to each other and then do a Zoom gift exchange.
My Favorite Finds for “the Big Four” Gift Tradition This Year
This year I did all my shopping at T.J. Maxx, which was a goldmine for cute and affordable gifts. I also loved picking out a decorative box and tissue paper to tie everything together. Here’s what I put in my friend’s box to fit each category.
I chose a framed photo of our friend group. My friend recently moved into her own apartment, and I felt like this was something she needed to make her space feel more like home.
For this category, I went with a beginner-friendly crochet reindeer kit. She’s been talking about wanting to try crocheting ever since she saw it trending on TikTok.
Something That Reminds Me of Her
An initial necklace. My friend loves layering necklaces, and the one I saw felt so like her when I saw it. Plus, initial jewelry is super trendy right now!
Something in Her Favorite Color
by Furnishly | Dec 9, 2025 | Design Inspiration, Style
The tiles were a DIY job.
To make the staircase the statement Matthew and his husband were after, Matthew bought some green tiles that caught his eye at Lowe’s. “I knew immediately what I was going to do with them,” he says. “Everyone thought the idea of tiling a staircase was crazy, but I told them to trust the process.”
And trust the process they did; Matthew’s husband and a friend, Sarah, actually installed the tile over a holiday break when Matthew had to work. And it seems the tile was truly meant to be, because not a single piece had to be cut to size! “The tiles across fit perfectly, and they were the exact height that we needed,” Matthew says. “The tile at first seems to make the biggest difference, but in my mind, as soon as the honey-colored wood tone was gone, the space immediately felt better,” Matthew says.
by Furnishly | Dec 9, 2025 | Design Inspiration, Style
Blair DonovanSenior Editor of Style
As AT’s Senior Style Editor, I cover the latest interior design trends, expert decorating ideas, and must-see home products. Whenever I’m not keeping tabs on the next TikTok “core” or buzzy IKEA collection, I’m most likely reading, online shopping, or looking for the best tacos in New York (recs are encouraged).
