12 Easy Holiday Decorating Ideas for a Small Apartment
In this post: There’s no reason your limited space should limit your holiday cheer. Here are 12 easy holiday decorating ideas for a small apartment.⇒
Did you ever look around your space and wonder where on earth could you put a tree?
It’s easy to pull out all the stops with your holiday decor when you have a sprawling home with cavernous rooms, high ceilings and front and back yards.
But what happens when you live in a small apartment or home with no private outdoor space?
If approached creatively, there’s no reason your limited space should limit your holiday cheer. I chose to do this post at my son’s apartment to illustrate that point!
Apartment Holiday Decorating Ideas
The apartment is new and modern, in a high rise building with two walls of windows allowing in plenty of light. The kitchen and living room are connected and that is the area I styled for this post. The space is small, but we were still able to utilize these 12 festive ideas.
Here are 12 easy holiday decorating ideas for a small apartment!
1. Tartan Plaid Pillows
The decor in this apartment is normally very neutral, so the infusion of holiday color is probably the single most impactful thing we could do to spice it up for the holidays. The red tartan pillow below works really well with the neutrals and yet is a bold seasonal cue.
2. Faux Pine Garland
With no mantel or even a sideboard to drape a garland over, we used the window sill to display this beautiful snowy garland. It lights up for evening and when placed on the wrap around sill, it envelopes the room in wintery goodness.
3. Bowl of Orbs and Pine Cones
Perhaps the easiest Christmas decor trick ever, a bowl full of glittered ornaments and natural pine cones can be added to even the tiniest room.
4. Faux Fur Throw
Nothing says ‘cozy winter home’ quite like a faux fur throw. Who wouldn’t want to wrap up in one of these as the temperatures plunge, especially in an apartment without a fireplace?
5. Fresh Wreath
With only a bar counter between the galley kitchen and the living room, my son has a bistro table tucked into the corner of the room.
If you have solid walls in your home, you can easily find a place to hang a wreath, but with wall to wall windows, we used the wreath on the dining table.
A faux one would also work, but with no outdoor space, it’s nice to have the smell of fresh greenery in the apartment.
6. Glittered Cone and Bottle Brush Trees
The only wall that’s not windowed is dominated by a large TV.
Flanking the screen with these jovial trees adds holiday cheer to this side of the room, without blocking the viewing screen.
7. Tabletop Tree with Mini Ornaments
A tiny tabletop tree is a brilliant solution for a small home, or even a small room in a larger home.
These glass ball mini ornaments worked perfectly here, with just enough color and a touch of glimmer. (I kept the glimmer to a minimum as this apartment is shared by two guys.)
8. Small Poinsettia
It’s always nice to have live plants at home, and this sweet little poinsettia on the end table is another opportunity to add a pop of seasonal color.
You don’t need a huge front entry lined with stepped poinsettias, when a tiny plant will make the same statement in your interior space.
9. Woolen Plaid Blanket
For another shot of seasonal red, a chunky blanket in a woolen plaid looks great folded on an occasional chair. Toss a few pine cones on top to really drive the point home.
10. Lantern with Ornaments
We used two of these ornament filled lanterns and this one is propped on the marble bar counter. (The other was used on the bistro table centered within the wreath.)
11. Fresh Holiday Greenery
Draped along the counter and stemming from the lantern I placed fresh holiday greens. These could also be used in an arrangement or tucked into any number of spots.
This is one of the easiest and most versatile ways to decorate a small space.
12. Fir Entrance Trees
I saved the best for last! You can in fact have a tree, albeit a smaller one.
Or two.
I’m crazy about these fir entrance trees and they can be placed around a room in a number of ways.
I had originally planned to have them flanking the TV, but I’d forgotten about a new chair that was added there. Instead I preferred seeing them in a more dominant position, facing us as we enter the room.
The key in decorating a small apartment is to use things in ways that work for your unique space and to not worry about what they were intended to be used for.
If you don’t have a large entry way, and you can’t fit a full sized tree, go for the entrance tree and place it anywhere your heart desires!
Thank you for joining me on this tour of my son’s apartment dressed for the holidays!
If you’d like to see the rest of the apartment and what it looks like most of the year, you might be interested in this post: Decorating A Young Man’s Bachelor Pad
Resource Guide
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What a great apartment! Every bit of space so well appointed. I loved how you did his bedroom in a previous post. What a great space and lucky guy! WOW!
Ginger
Thanks so much, Ginger! It’s so easy with a guy because they let you do anything… 😉
Love what you picked for your son’s apartment. In fact I picked the same little ornaments too. Happy Holidays
Thanks, Julia! Can’t wait to see yours!!
Lory, beautiful touches, love the tartan pillow and the lanterns
Cindy
These are great tips! Love the ornaments in the lantern!
I love tartans. They warm up winter Lucky guys to have you to give them such a great space.
Wow, I love it all. Great post!!!
Just enough to feel like Christmas but still manly. Great touches!
You have done a great job of decorating your son’s apartment!
what a great apartment. you have done an amazing job with the furnishings and decor. It’s perfect for your guy.
Beautiful job! Love everything you chose from Home Decorators Collection.
Really love this- I know you both are happy. Well done !!!
What a great looking apartment! I love how you decorated in both a masculine yet festive way for him. Home Decorators really has a lot to choose from. I wish they still had their store open near Maplewood but at least they can still be ordered online.
Shelley
I so agree! I miss that store!! But I think they just included it within the Home Depot. Still, you have to walk all the way back through the store. Way too much effort me me! Lol.. 😉
Beautiful so well put together and still look amazing
I actually really look forward to your comments, Norma!! Thank you, thank you!
You did a beautiful job! Looks cozy not cluttered the way some rooms look. Also it helps that he has gorgeous furniture too. Love it all!
Thanks so much!! He’s pretty neat actually, so it helps keep it uncluttered… 😉
I bet your son’s so happy for a mom who’ll come decorate his apartment! 🙂 Perfect tips for any small space – I can use a lot of those at home! Hope you’re having a lovely holiday weekend Lory!
HA! I think so, but mostly he just rolls his eyes… lol!
Your ideas for decorating a small space are fabulous! I’m new to my apartment complex, and now I don’t feel so overwhelmed about decorating for the holidays!
Thank you.
Looks perfect for a guys decor! The tartan plaid with just right touches of greenery!
Thank you!!