Chelsea and Cole DeBoer's Christmas-Ready Home is a Cabin-Cozy Wonderland

When Christmas-decorating day descends upon Down Home Fab co-host Cole DeBoer, he wakes up and starts stretching out his body. “Because I know it’s going to be a workout,” he says. Cole’s wife and co-host Chelsea DeBoer always has a vision. This year, she wanted to bring the outside in — and, of course, the design duo delivered. Rustic touches, natural finishes and classic Chelsea-DeBoer-edge come together in the couple’s modern-and-minimal Christmas-cabin wonderland. (Cole’s stretching definitely paid off.) Let’s take a look around.

“I like a more minimal look for Christmas,” says Chelsea. “But we all need a major centerpiece on our dining room tables.” This one boasts an oversized wooden bowl filled with faux garland and pinecones. Strings of coastal wooden beads from Sweet Harvest Designs add modern charm, as do the pair of bronze-finished reindeer candle holders from Pottery Barn.

Christmas Day is busy for the DeBoers. “We bop around and visit my family and Cole’s,” says Chelsea. “But Christmas Eve is the one night we sit at the dining table — just us and the kids — and enjoy quality family time together.” They don their Christmas pajamas, make cookies and eat soup. (Last year it was chicken wild rice in a bread bowl. This year they’re trying out a new recipe: prime rib.)

The high-ceilinged pinnacle of the DeBoer Christmas camp boasts two towering faux trees; wickless taper candles displayed on brass holders; reindeer motifs; and a thoughtful layering of various fuzzy fabrics (velvets, faux fur, wood and marble). The final space is a moody, warm and inviting haven. “This is where it all goes down,” says Cole. “I can’t wait to get the presents under the tree."

That’s right, the living room shows off not just one but two frosted Charlie Brown Christmas trees — as Chelsea calls them — from Balsam Hill. “They aren’t your [traditional] full trees,” says Chelsea. “I love that they’re sparse.” Cole agrees, “I love that they’re fake.” The round pots the trees sit in were an idea dreamed up by Chelsea. With a little creativity, Cole was able to create a hidden tree stand inside the pots using an old mailbox post and lots of spray foam.

There’s one accessory woven into every decked-out space in the DeBoers' holiday-ready home: bells. Chelsea dropped them into bowls and plants and layered them into her dining room centerpiece. “If we hear a bell ringing during the holidays, we assume Santa’s here or a cow wandered into the house," says Cole. Here, Chelsea draped rustic bells from her line of home goods, Aubree Says, over the living room fireplace with garland.

“I love mixing and matching our stockings [with different colors and textures],” Chelsea says. Knitted, fuzzy and striped stockings in deep greens, browns and creams gather at one end of the mantel, hanging from a Birch Lane antler stocking holder. “I’m all about the antlers and natural elements in here,” says Chelsea.

Neutral hues cloak the entire main floor in a cohesive and curated color palette, except in the home's entry where Chelsea lets the kids get creative — no theme necessary. At the foot of the stairs near the home's front door, mini evergreens in leather pots act as blank canvases for artistic creation. “My favorite part of this one is [my son] Watson’s homemade ornament,” says Chelsea. “He went into the pantry, got a paper bowl, colored it and hung it on the tree with a little hook.” His ornament, alongside a decorative bull skull (a gift from Chelsea's step mom), greets guests and family as they step inside.

Chelsea prefers to keep the kitchen countertops mostly bare. Of course, this changes once the hot chocolate and accompanying treats come out. “They never last long, because the kids get in there,” says Chelsea. Here, Chelsea and Cole serve up hot chocolate toppings on an Aubree Says cheese board made of wood and marble.

The DeBoers prefer the ease of faux trees and garlands. (Check out that pinecone-laden Aubree Says wreath hanging from the sleek hood vent.) However, they recreate classic Christmas scents with candles. In the kitchen, a five-wick Noble Fir candle from Voluspa dominates the island.

Around the rest of the house, Chelsea alternates between her favorite faux-leather-bound Aubree Says Down Home candle (a mix of citrus, jasmine and cinnamon scents) and a Candlelight Carols candle (cranberry), also by Aubree Says.