21 Holiday Decorating Ideas We Love From Design Tastemakers

Whether your visions of merriment are glitz and glam or more muted, these holiday decorating ideas from design tastemakers are sure to delight—and inspire. This winter, Auberge Resorts Collection has partnered with leading designers and brands to infuse its portfolio of properties with some seasonal spirit. As part of Wonderland by Auberge, creatives including Bronson Van Wyck, Ken Fulk, Nathan Turner, and Lela Rose drew inspiration from each of the properties’ surroundings and histories while putting their own signature spin on seasonal decor. Below, find six trends and more than 20 holiday decorating ideas that emerged from their merry-making—and can seamlessly transfer to at-home decorating.

Coastal Glam

At the Vanderbilt in Newport, Rhode Island, Van Wyck channeled Gilded Age opulence with sumptuous Brunschwig & Fils textiles and showstopping trees. One tree is enveloped in metallic tinsel and crowned with a sparkling monogrammed topper, while the other offers a whimsical tribute to the seaside setting with lacquered coral branches, messages in bottles, shells, and glitter-encrusted crustaceans. “I couldn’t resist Alfred Vanderbilt’s story, a life brimming with drama, affairs, and infamy,” says the event planner. “Newport’s rich nautical past, combined with Vanderbilt’s brushes with history—narrowly escaping the Titanic, only to meet his untimely end aboard the Lusitania—served as inspiration for the marine-themed tree standing proudly in The Vanderbilt’s grand foyer.” Houses & Parties founder Rebecca Gardner also took a glamorous approach to coastal decor for the tree at the Dunlin, near Charleston, South Carolina, which features sea-green ornaments, faux coral branches, garlands of pearls, feathered accents, and a bird’s nest on top.

Handicraft Moments

Several designers went for an artisanal feel with handcrafted trees and decorations. French firm Pierre Frey created life-size paper trees, which offered a minimalist contrast to the elegant surroundings at Domaine des Etangs in the French countryside. Presents at the base of the trees are wrapped in the company’s wallpaper, perfectly matching the surrounding interiors. Meanwhile, in Costa Rica, artist Daniela Monge of Entre Nudos wove macramé decorations and installations for the festivities at Hacienda Altagracia, including a towering macramé tree. Lela Rose added a handcrafted touch to her tree at Bowie House in Fort Worth, Texas, incorporating paper star ornaments. The designer accented the tree with a reversible tree skirt featuring the designer’s Reyrosa toile (with a black gingham backside) and packages wrapped in neutral paper and tied up in black satin ribbon. The romantically draped ribbons and bows continue at Auberge’s Wildflower Farms in Hudson Valley, New York, and Primland in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. At Wildflower Farms, landscape designer Lily Kwong created an installation of native evergreens with cascading green and gold ribbons, evoking the custom of Wishing Trees. Leather goods company Ghurka incorporated chestnut and red leather bows in the tree, wreaths, and garlands in Primland’s Great Hall.

Merry and Bright

While some designers kept it classic with red and green color schemes, some of the tastemakers chose less traditional palettes. Mexican art and design studio Mestiz collaborated with three of Auberge’s luxury resorts in Mexico—Chileno Bay Resort, Etéreo, and Susurros del Corazón—creating vibrant woven-wicker installations unique to each property. “As a whole and individually, the installations celebrate the unexpected yet deeply symbiotic connection between Mexico’s three seas—the Sea of Cortez, the Pacific Ocean, and the Caribbean Sea—and a singular native flora distinct to each property: Pink Bougainvillea for Chileno Bay Resort, Purple Trumpet for Etéreo, and Red Tabachín for Susurros del Corazón,” says Daniel Valero, founder of Mestiz. Colorful installations can also be found at Solage in Napa Valley, where Bay Area artist Angela Johal created a rainbow-hued “tree” of glassware by Estelle Colored Glass.

All Buttoned Up

Cozy textiles are a focal point at properties across the country. Heather Taylor Home evoked tradition with gingham stockings and plaid chain garlands hung by the fire at The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern in Los Olivos, California. Bishop’s Lodge in Santa Fe, New Mexico, partnered with luxury fashion house Zazi on the redesign of the property’s Valley View Suite, which showcases the company’s handwoven textiles. And over on the East Coast, Turner put a Scandinavian twist on holiday style at Kennebunk, Maine’s White Barn Inn. The designer decked the hotel’s halls with whimsical table linens and stockings printed with woodland creatures.

Forest Fancies

Turner wasn’t the only designer to draw inspiration from nature. Fulk created an eye-catching pine-cone garland over the arched entrance to the Commodore Perry Estate in Austin, Texas. Inside, the AD100 designer used dried citrus in the garlands, wreaths, and tree that decorate the Mansion Living Room. And Markarian designer Alexandra O’Neill incorporated citrus, pomegranates, and dried flowers into the beautifully textured garlands that adorn the mantles at the Mayflower Inn & Spa in Washington, Connecticut. Terracotta pots of paperwhites and amaryllis greet guests in the lobby and the cozy Tap Room.

Open-Air Festivities

The festive decor isn’t limited to the interiors. Several collaborations brought the holiday spirit outdoors for celebrations in the snow or by the surf. Max Mara partnered with Aspen’s historic Hotel Jerome to devise a winter wonderland inside and out, including the Max Mara Holiday Café in the Winter Garden. Guests can sip hot chocolate and cozy up in the seating area furnished with fire pits and seating topped with the fashion label’s luxe pillows and throws. After a day on the slopes, guests at Goldener Hirsch in Deer Valley, Utah, can enjoy an apres ski cocktail on the hotel’s patio, which has been outfitted by skiwear brand Perfect Moment with cozy pillows and red Adirondack chairs—a nod to the resort’s bright red front door. And at Esperanza in Cabo San Lucas, design collective Onora brings the festivities to the beach with an outdoor dining and lounge area furnished with pieces by local artisans.