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7 Holiday Decor Trends That’ll Be Everywhere This Year

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The 2022 holiday season really falls into two themes: bright, bold and glam or sophisticated and subdued. There is no in-between (though we’d be delighted to find someone who can carefully bridge these very Harry Styles and Nancy Meyers-esque aesthetics). Whether your tastes skew more retro rockstar or coastal grandma, we’ve got you covered. Here are the top holiday decor trends of 2022, so you can stay ahead of the curve—whether you choose to adopt any of these ideas or not.

1. Chinoiserie Christmas

The delicate floral patterns found in classic chinoiserie are making their way into holiday decor, with the designs appearing on ornaments, stockings and porcelain trees alike. Pinterest has seen searches for “Chinoiserie Christmas” rise 50 percent, and the most popular pins tend to feature the most hallowed of interior color combinations: blue and white.

2. Paper Trees

When it comes to decorating the table, ditch the florals and winter wonderland villages—one dies all too quickly, the other can get pricey, fast—and consider neutral paper trees instead. They add a whimsical-yet-modern touch to the room, and best of all, when the holidays are over, you can flatten them, so they take up hardly any storage space. (It’s another item pinners have been searching for already this season, with inquiries up 80 percent.)

3. Classy Nods to Pop Culture

Certain holiday movies become as much a part of your family traditions as leaving out milk and cookies for Santa or arguing through your meticulously planned Christmas card photo shoot. All of the major films seem to have licensing collabs these days, but we have to hand it to Pottery Barn for making references to National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation seem—dare we say it?—borderline chic.

4. Vintage-Inspired Pink Accents

You could blame it on Barbiecore, but our collective obsession with a bolder, brighter pink extends into the holidays. (If there were ever a time for dopamine decorating, ‘tis the season, right?) Etsy has seen rising interest in all things pink, as has Pinterest, with the inspiration-sharing site seeing a 40 percent increase in searches for “vintage pink Christmas.” Overall, throwback styles are particularly popular: Pinterest searches for “retro Christmas” have tripled year over year, and “nostalgic Christmas” is up 90 percent. Lean into the vibe with a bubblegum-hued ceramic tree, wrap gifts in retro pink Santa paper and light an “I’m Dreamin’ of a Pink Christmas” candle, while you’re at it.

5. Mirror Ball & Iridescent Finishes

Reflective, iridescent ornaments are the new sequins, at least if you’re on all about bringing the glam this holiday season. Disco ball ornaments are popping up everywhere from Crate & Barrel to Kohl’s, and Etsy noted that searches for disco ball decor in general are up 346 percent year over year. Mirrored mosaics may not be your thing, but if you still like a little shimmer to your holiday decorations, look out for iridescent and pearlized ornaments, which seem to be an emerging trend this season.

6. Modern Menorahs

Yes, we shared this in our overarching holiday trends roundup, but these sculptural menorahs are worth a second shoutout. Many designs double as art; so much so, you’ll want to keep these on display long after the Festival of Lights has ended.

DMF87/Getty Images

7. Smaller Clusters of Trees

As both a space-saving and cost-cutting move, smaller Christmas trees are also on the rise, according to the pros at decor company Riverbend Home. Picture 2- to 4-foot-tall trees that can fit in empty corners or atop tables, creating a taste of the holidays without totally taking over a room. However, if you prefer a bit more drama, you may want to lean into one of Etsy’s top holiday trends—the enchanted forest vibe—replacing one large tree with three smaller ones of varying sizes.


Candace Davison

VP of editorial, recipe developer, kitsch-lover

Candace Davison oversees PureWow's food and home content, as well as its franchises, like the PureWow100 review series and the Happy Kid Awards. She’s covered all things lifestyle...
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