Houzz Readers Share Their Christmas Trees

This tree is fully loaded, and the result is beautiful. “Christmas chaos is my theme! Equal opportunity ornament lover over here! I also have six separate garlands, each with a different theme,” Houzz user ebv3377 wrote.

Find an interior designer near you

“Vintage Christmas is my Kryptonite, so the house is full of ‘vintage-y,’ MCM, kitschy, fun decorations that make our hearts happy,” Houzz reader seisenhauer1 wrote. “Lots of estate sale finds, combined with ornaments we’ve picked up on vacation means our large tree has everything from Shiny Brites to spaceships on it.”

Conversely, Houzz reader jeanne1955 decided to simplify this year. “This is the first year we’ve decorated our tree just with balls instead of all the Old World and Christopher Radko ornaments,” she wrote. “It’s a simpler look but I like it!”

Browse holiday lighting in the Houzz Shop

Many Houzz community members went for carefully edited themes on their tree. For example, Houzz user Janece White went coastal this year. “We just moved to our new home on the shore of the Pasquotank River in NC, so I wanted our tree to reflect our beautiful view,” she wrote.

Houzz reader motownmom likes to remember special trips with special ornaments. This year she added some from a bucket list trip to London and Paris.

It’s an owl theme this year for Houzz reader Sandy Harman.

Shop for a Christmas tree

And owls seem to be on trend this Christmas! Houzz user reich1’s woodland-inspired tree also includes a lot of owls.

This gold tinsel tree is decorated with blown glass bird ornaments collected through the years. “I love the way the gold tree plays off the colorful sparkly ornaments,” Houzz reader specialslacks wrote.

Houzz user Lisa Starr has about 15 trees to choose from each year. This year she fashioned a steampunk-themed tree in the library and this rainbow tree in her living room.

In fact, quite a few Houzz readers mentioned that they have multiple trees up. Chad T. shared this lovely symmetrical double tree arrangement in the living room.

Houzz reader Allie has trees all over the house, but this one in the family room is where she shows off the treasured family ornaments collected over the years.

Houzz reader kculbers describes herself as “a nice Jewish girl” who is married to a Christian man. She adores everyone’s holiday decor, and their family tree mixes holiday decorations that represent both faiths.

“I collect chalkware Santas and midcentury Christmas decor,” she wrote. “My favorite holiday piece is my hand-painted porcelain dreidel made in Israel. It was my mom’s and she passed last year in December. I love her and miss her dearly, so the holidays are bittersweet for me.”

Many Houzz users love the memories their ornament collections bring back.

“Our Christmas tree is full of collected ornaments over the years … putting up the tree is a ride down memory lane! I also love blue decorations since my house has a lot of turquoise, teal and aqua,” Houzz reader crgibson01 wrote.

“Many people change their tree theme and ornaments every year or so, but I treasure the ornaments accumulated over a lifetime, as each is personal, special and has a story to tell,” Houzz user 1mrsc wrote. “The angel that sits at the top of my tree was made by my middle son, when he was in third grade. I still remember his dimpled grin on the day he proudly presented it to me. I was amazed at the beauty of what those little hands had created, and after all these years, it is still a treasure to me!” Other treasures on this tree include ornaments handmade by her mother, grandmother and granddaughter.

A lot of Houzz community members opted for small trees this year, whether as their main tree or as an additional one. “Sometimes we get a huge tree and other years we’ll get a little one. There’s something magical about a little tree,” Houzz reader Lydia Perovic wrote. “[This] rustic one is special to me — it carries cherished ornaments that my daughter made when she was 6 (she’s now in her 30s) — a tin candy cane and a dried bean star (bottom left). It’s also adorned with felt ornaments I made in my late teens — little mice in walnut shells and hobby horses (top right). Christmas is such an important time for cherishing all the people we love!”

“I put up a smaller tree this year and pulled out all the red and white ornaments that I could find,” Houzz user Tina Ammann Chesser wrote.

Many readers mentioned that their furry family members influenced their trees this year. “We have a rather young dog this year, so we have opted for a more narrow tree than usual, decorated with twinkle lights, classic red metallic garland and simple red- and white-toned ornaments,” Houzz user chekrei wrote. “An owl is perched near the top, keeping an eye on the dog!”

Houzz reader Maraly Wagner noted that the family cat liked to eat the branches on this family heirloom tree, so they moved it to higher ground.

Houzz user C Kasp wrote in to say, “Just a little tree in the kitchen this year … have crazy cute puppies!”

Houzz user susanmarcoe’s special tree base keeps her adorable dogs out of trouble. “My tree sits upon a drum made and designed by my husband and myself many years ago. He was a big LGB train guy so he wanted the tree to sit high so the trains could go around without interference,” she says. “The trains are no longer a part of the tree, but I continue to use the drum as a reminder of our ingenuity and teamwork!”

“2023 is a good year for my ‘very red’ tree,” Houzz reader chandlercaldwell wrote. “Decorating for any holiday is my passion!”