Tour a Merry and Bright Holiday House

Designer Kristie McGowan first started decking the halls — and every corner — of her 5,000-square-foot home when her kids were little. She and her husband, Patrick, a tech executive, live in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, far away from most of their relatives, so they wanted to go big on cheer to make up for the lack of family nearby. “We both grew up with large gatherings for the holidays,” Kristie says. “We didn’t want our kids to miss out on that kind of Christmas magic.”

Over the years, she built up an impressive collection of holiday decor in bright, bold colors. “I love to embrace the unexpected beyond red and green,” she says. Each November, she spends two days finding new ways to display it all. “I’m as surprised as anyone by how it turns out every year!”

Kristie created a color moment on her mantel by setting up a rainbow of bottle brush trees that match the bold artwork by Gina Julian. “Grouping the trees together makes a big impact!” she says. She dressed up the custom red Adrienne Davis Design chairs with holiday pillows, and the built-in shelves are painted Stone Blue by Farrow & Ball. “This is the heart of our home during the holidays.”

To balance the look, she kept the Christmas tree mostly gold, with warm lights and lots of tinsel.

Kristie realized the tops of her ornaments fit perfectly onto the spokes of this Pottery Barn chandelier. “It gives you a jolt of happiness when you see it!” she says. She thrifted the Fabergé plates and used linen napkins as placemats to tie the color scheme together. IKEA sheepskins on the chairs make the room feel extra cozy. "I approach holiday decor like I approach the rest of my home: I buy what I love and then find a place for it. It’s always a fun challenge!"

Window wreaths, a bedazzled deer head and Christmas dish towels make the kitchen festive without changing its functionality. Kristie says she’s grateful for the red knobs on her Wolf range this time of year: “I love that detail!”

This is where the family gathers for meals and homework, so Kristie kept things simple with vintage candleholders and a felt garland. “I never want us to have to move holiday decor out of the way to eat,” she says.

The blue-green tray ceiling (painted Palladian Blue by Benjamin Moore) and floral curtains in Secret Garden fabric by Vervain give this space year-long color. The bed is from Frontgate.

Kristie found a slim tree that fit in the corner of her bedroom, then she decorated it by tying on velvet ribbon from Anthropologie. She crafted the tree skirt using extra fabric from the drapes. “You don’t need any special skills to do most of my holiday DIYs!” she says.

The kids’ bedroom decor is always a surprise: “I do it while they’re at school,” Kristie says. "I’ve put a Christmas tree in both of my kids’ bedrooms for years. I want them to feel the warmth of the holidays everywhere in the house!"

The antique bed and green desk (an estate sale find) make Tristan’s room easy to transform with just a tree, pom pom garland and a Target pillow. The wallpaper on the ceiling is from Drop It Modern.