Joanna Gaines' festive decorations offer a lesson in timeless Christmas style

Joanna Gaines is known for her distinct contemporary farmhouse style and beautifully layered, neutral-toned color palettes. When it comes to the holidays, however, the designer indulges in a traditional color scheme, just like the majority of us. And unsurprisingly, the way she does it is exemplary. 

Reds and greens have been the go-to colors for Christmas decor for centuries – and often dominate the White House Christmas decorating scheme and that of British royal residences. However, Joanna Gaines' scheme reminds us that this timeless color combination will always have a place in an ordinary domestic setting, too. 

The Magnolia founder and Fixer Upper star shared a glimpse of her Christmas living room decor, which featured her Christmas tree, beautifully decorated in eclectic ornaments, and stockings by the fire (as seen below). 

'My favorite kind of Sunday with my sis,' Joanna says, as she documents a moment with her sister, who is sharing the cream fabric sofa with the designer. The red and green decorations complement the otherwise natural color scheme, creating an aesthetic that is festive but unmistakably Joanna Gaines. 

Decorating a Christmas tree is very personal, though design experts will tell you that keeping the ornament styles and colors consistent will give you the cleanest look. Joanna's tree, however, offers reassurance that eclectic ornaments are acceptable – showing that you can incorporate collected, treasured and homemade decor into your holiday scheme. 

In keeping with the red and green theme, Joanna has hung three stockings to the left of the fireplace. A pine garland that wraps around a candle finishes the mantelpiece, a nod to the more natural decor she favors over traditional, glittery finishes. 

Jess Martin, a Christmas trend expert at Ginger Ray, is not surprised by Joanna Gaines' somewhat time-honored color scheme. She explains that 'festive nostalgia,' as exhibited by Joanna, is in demand this year as we look to revisit pre-pandemic holiday traditions. 

'While last year was the first "normal" Christmas we’d seen in a while, it seems that we are still craving that sense of traditional festivity; in fact, searches for "traditional Christmas decorations" were 30% higher this year which is why festive nostalgia is set to be a trend for 2022,' she says. 

'Expect to see classic red, white, and green color schemes paired with classic patterns like tartan and Christmas characters like Santa and his reindeer appearing in patterns – this theme is sure to see you living out your Home Alone fantasies and reminiscing back to the late '90s.'