If you’ve tired of sad beige holidays, with Christmas decorations stuck in muted neutral tones and minimalist greenery, it might be time to give maximalism a try.
That’s what Sophie Erazo did this year. Inspired by a photo she found on Pinterest, Ms. Erazo, 26, said she bought a new, fake Christmas tree and covered it with “funky ornaments” and handmade velvet bows to bring her festive vision to life. She described her tree as an “Anthropologie dupe” — a nod to the clothing and home goods store known for its bright colors, rich textiles and generally not-subtle aesthetic.
“I just had a baby this year, so I’m definitely in the Christmas spirit,” said Ms. Erazo, who owns a salon in Delaware. “I want to give the magical, almost nostalgic, Christmas vibes to my son.”
She’s not the only one. Plenty of people are going all out this December, many motivated, like Ms. Erazo, by social media content.
Erika Kikola, better known by her Instagram handle @whilefloriansleeps, is one such creator whose outrageously decorated home has inspired plenty of copycats.
In 2023, Ms. Kikola, a 33-year-old mother who lives in York, Pa., said she gained 20,000 followers just in December, doubling her audience over the course of a few weeks.
Like last year, her tree’s branches this year are difficult to see beneath layers and layers of glittering accouterments. Ms. Kikola said she began decorating in October and estimated there are 1,500 ornaments on the faux evergreen, a majority of them purchased secondhand. She was particularly pleased with a copper set she found wrapped in tissue paper at a yard sale over the summer, which she bought for $2.
Maximalist Christmas, Ms Kikola stressed, does not mean going out and buying only new items that will end up in a landfill in a few years.
“I really try to encourage using your own materials at home,” Ms. Kikola said, suggesting that those interested in testing the maximalist waters make snowflakes and chains out of recyclable paper. She has several smaller trees throughout her home, including a vintage aluminum model in her bedroom.
Ms. Kikola also makes garlands out of popcorn and cranberries and reuses ribbon year after year to make bows for the boughs. This year, her tree is covered in red ribbons, a nod to a “tacky” tree of her great-grandmother’s that Ms. Kikola remembered fondly from her childhood.
She’s glad to see her style gaining popularity online.
“It’s just so happy,” she said. “I want everyone to have that happiness in their homes. I have no problem with it as someone who is usually kind of anti-trend.”
Chelsea Reagan, a home décor and DIY content creator, said that opting for a less-curated Christmas can feel freeing as opposed to more a sterile and rigid design ethos, like the so-called “clean girl” aesthetic that has been popularized on Instagram and TikTok.
“It takes the pressure off,” said Ms. Reagan, 34, who lives in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn. “If you have to maintain this clean image, that can be hard to do. It’s not to say that maximalism is dirty, but it allows for more clutter. It allows for more fun.
“You can add in little pops of fun and different quirks in your décor that are more personal to you,” she added. “And you can add them as you please, instead of feeling like you have to fit into this mold.”
In the off-season, Ms. Reagan’s home is still full of color and quirk. For those who are not quite ready to take the plunge year-round, a tree offers a nice, temporary option.
“Your tree doesn’t have to be something that’s perfect,” she said.
The post If You Can See the Tree, There Is Room for More Decorations appeared first on New York Times.
