Decoration Living Room

Holiday Decorating Like a True Maximalist: 8 Zany Ways to Deck the Halls This Season

The holidays are right around the corner, which is when all the fun really begins: namely, decorating the house. If you’re short on holiday decorating ideas this year and ready to start unpacking the same old boxes plus putting all the lights up in their usual places, may we suggest a bright idea? Kick it up a notch or two. Yes, you heard that right. Instead of leaning into traditions (yours or someone else’s), thinking outside the box with a little maximalist flair can help you approach the coming weeks with a little more holiday spirit.

“When it comes to decorating for the holidays, I really think more is more,” San Francisco–based designer Noz Nozawa of Noz Design tells us. “Going all-out with holiday decor and festooning with abandon amplifies the magic and warmth of the season in the best way.”

For designer John McClain—whose studio has offices in LA and Orlando—it’s also about fun and leaning into the design elements that make you happy. “These next few weeks go by quickly, so be bold and fearless with your choices,” he says. “It’s time to bring in what makes you smile and pull out all the stops. And just when you think you have gone too far, go a little further.”

Below, we tapped a handful of designers for taking your holiday decorations over the top plus getting into the swing of the season with some daring more-is-more attitude.

Justina Blakeney mixes up her festive table settings with cheerful felted ornaments.

Photo: Jenna Ohnemus Peffley/Jungalow

Rethink ornaments

Loaded up with so many ornaments—whether collected or given as gifts over the years—that you hardly know what to do with them? Though holiday baubles and trinkets might seem like they belong strictly in the boughs of the Christmas tree, there are plenty of places to display them around the house rather than let them gather dust in the garage. Jungalow founder and LA-based designer Justina Blakeney loves using ornaments to decorate the tabletop, which adds a whimsical touch to dinner party spreads. “Plus they make cute keepsakes for guests at the end of a holiday meal,” Blakeney adds.

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