Sofia Coppola decorates her stairs with garlands, poinsettias, and bows for a Christmas aesthetic that will look just as good in 100 years – it's replicable from $8

The filmmaker's entryway perfects an ageless, festive style thanks to its red and green color scheme – and it's so easy to get the look

Sofia Coppola
(Image credit: Photo by John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images)

The holidays are right around the corner, and with the festive season fast approaching, we are beginning to decorate our homes with boughs of holly (among other jubilant accessories).

For some inspiration, we're taking cues from someone who is no stranger to making a space look visually appealing; The Virgin Suicides and Marie Antoninette director Sofia Coppola. The filmmaker shared a photo of her decked-out, holiday stairwell to her Instagram page, and we love how she's kept her Christmas decor so effortlessly timeless.

Coppola has incorporated red in abundance – from the velvet curtains to the carefully placed ribbon and a classic pine berry garland lining the banister. She also adored each step with the most classic Christmas plant of all: the poinsettia. The best part is that getting the look is simple – in fact, it begins at only $8.

While for the majority of the year, the stairwell is often an undecorated area of the home, the holidays are the perfect opportunity to spruce up this part of the home.

One of my favorite stair decor ideas are garlands. Not only do they add beautiful color to the most neutral or minimal of staircases, but they drape beautifully and are easy to place.

I particularly love Coppola's take on the garland – the deep forest green color beautifully contrasts the red pine berries, and adds color to the neutral entryway. The pine needles also add texture and dimension to the space.

Wooden traditional staircase decorated with a foliage garland

(Image credit: Jon Day Photography | Designers Guild | Trenoweth House)

Ribbons and bows are also some of my favorite holiday accessories – not just for wrapped gifts, tied ribbons add volume and visual interest to any surface it is featured on, from a banister to a mantelpiece. Safe to say, I adore the large ribbon on Coppola's handrail and believe it's the perfect accent for the holiday season.

To further enhance the delight of ribbon decor, try using materials such as silk or velvet; they add an element of glamour and make any area of the home feel more luxurious (and festive). You can also try mixing and matching two different ribbon colors together, such as red and gold or red and green.

The individual planters, meanwhile, create visual interest thanks to their repetition and beautiful leaves. Their placement on the stairs leads the eye upwards, though its proximity to the wall allows for a clear path. Safety is a consideration when placing objects directly onto a staircase's steps – ensure that there is plenty of room to walk on the stairs, and keep items like planters as close to the wall as possible. Additionally, when decorating a staircase, a woven planter is more ideal than ceramic, just in case anything gets knocked over. I promise it'll look just as good in 100 Christmasses ahead.


Hannah Ziegler
News Editor

Hannah is Homes & Gardens’ News Editor, with a focus on celebrity style and entertainment content. She got her start in media as a digital editorial assistant at ELLE Canada, and has since written about lifestyle and culture for publications such as Nylon and i-D.

Her love of film is rivalled only by one with a great soundtrack, and she hopes to someday decorate a Nancy Meyers-worthy kitchen.