30 Can't-Miss Maximalist Holiday Decorating Ideas From Designers

Given that holiday "gatherings" look very different this year, it’s tempting to throw in the (reindeer-printed) towel on decorating for the season. Frontgate Brand Manager Kate Beebe — whose love of Christmas decor runs so deep that she decked the halls in her Cincinnati loft back in August this year — couldn’t disagree more.

“I’d say this year is the year — of all years — to decorate,” she says. “We all need a little joy right now. I can’t tell you how happy it’s made me to look at my tree when I wake up in the morning. There’s a reason I put it up in August this year!”

The one-of-a-kind rainbow wreath adorning Kate’s bar happens to be very on-trend, but it has very particular meaning for her. “I made it!” she exclaims. “I inherited a lot of antique costume jewelry and baubles from my Nonnie, and couldn’t quite find the right thing to do with all of it. I was inspired by Parker Kennedy Living’s custom wreaths, and decided to make my own, while incorporating all her jewelry. That way, I could enjoy the beauty of her treasures always — instead of having them tucked away in boxes.“

If Kate’s symmetrical, glitzy-garlanded display of antique plates strikes you as the sort of arrangement that would look lovely in the background of a video chat, you’re not wrong. “While not a soul has stepped through my apartment door since February, my space has been loved and enjoyed by all my friends and family via Instagram posts and virtual happy hours,” Kate says. “Joy is not cancelled. We just need to accept the challenge to find different ways to spread it.”

Decorating with a lot of things doesn’t mean settling for any old thing. Kate’s flamingo-focused tropical holiday aesthetic calls for some very specific touches, like the accent pillow on her sofa that features three Santa-clad birds. It suits her space perfectly because, well, she commissioned it. “A majority of my pillows are from Henry Dry Goods — an artisan-owned business, specializing in custom textile goods,” she says. “I approached the owner, Sherri, about my love of flamingos, and she understood what I wanted/needed instantly.”