Derek Hough's favorite Christmas decor trend is a nostalgic celebration of fond memories – the grandchildren will love it

The term 'Nostalgic Christmas decor' has skyrocketed in search this year. We've moved past the interest in minimalist and modern decoration for a more memory-filled, history-based ideal. Celebrities are following suit.

Homes & Gardens interviewed Dancing with The Stars Judge Derek Hough about how his top Christmas decorating ideas as part of his partnership with Greenies. For the famous dancer, it's all about family, memory, and love. From trying to be the best dog dad by feeding the best food to his dog Luna to celebrating his wife Hayley Erbert's family traditions, nostalgia wins the game.

What's his favorite Christmas decor trend? A classic Christmas village. Hough tells H&G exclusively: 'Hayley's grandma actually owned a Hallmark store for many, many years. So they had access to all the little townhomes and the little villages that you build on counters and stuff. So, her mom has a whole city in the house. Oh, they’re everywhere. And I’m kind of down for that. I kind of love that.'

He continues on the timeless Christmas decor: 'My fondest memory of being a young boy during Christmastime was having a train track around the tree. And I remember the little smoke coming out of the train. I thought it was the coolest thing ever, so I look forward – I’m going to be that guy where our house is going to look like a little village inside.' It's a reminder that decorating is all about the experience of the holidays instead of just the look.

However, Hough's family hasn't had time to decorate this year. He says: 'This year we are not decorating for the holidays, unfortunately. We’ve been living in the holidays since the beginning of October, so we didn't have time to decorate our house. I put up two trees in October to get us in the Christmas spirit to launch the show. So those will still be up. But other than that, we're going to keep it pretty lowkey and just kind of rest and just enjoy our time.' If this is your approach, you can add the spirit of the Christmas village with a few little trees or a holiday tablescape. Putz houses are a great option.

Furthermore, for Hough, decorating is about making sure every member of the family can celebrate equally. For instance, in addition to buying her Greenies food, he doggy-proofs his decor for his family's pet, Luna. He states: 'We just make sure that if there’s anything that they can get into or if they happen to get in and eat that or bite it or chew on it or something like that, we just double check that it’s not going to be toxic or damage them in any way. Because they can’t be trusted – they’re going to bite, or they’re going to get into something, so we have to make sure that whatever we put in the house is safe and that if they do get into something that they’ll be okay.' Christmas villages are a great idea because they are out of the way of any animals.

No matter the style, bringing nostalgia into your Christmas decor infuses it with charm and warmth. The most personal spaces come from history-inspired design.