If you’ve been following along with Christmas here at Thistlewood, you might have seen this post.
It’s bright.
Extra bright with red and blue and white and gold sprinkles on top.
Today is different.
Today is all about the back of the house.
It’s neutral and light and airy and vintage and farmhouse and white.
You might think I’m confused.
You might think I can’t make up my mind about my Christmas decor.
You might think my Christmas house is all party in the front and business in the back.
And guess what?
You would be right.
Does anyone else have this problem?
Can we discuss?
Would it help if I started with an explanation?
See, I used to live in this farmhouse.
If this is your first time visiting or you’ve been away from the blog or if you googled farmhouse decor and are just finding me today…
….this is the rest of my story.
It’s about a girl named KariAnne who loved a farmhouse.
It’s a tale that started at the end of a country road with hay and cows and barns and it has ups and downs and joy and sorrow.
And then?
Life happened.
She followed her husband her heart and moved back to Texas to take care of family.
But the best part of the story?
She didn’t move back into any old home.
She packed her bags and her farmhouse decor and those white Christmas trees on the kitchen counter.
And moved back to the home that she grew up in.
That’s me.
KariAnne.
Living in my new (old) home with boxes and boxes and boxes of farmhouse Christmas decor.
It’s what I have.
It’s what I know.
I wanted to use what I had.
I didn’t want to start over with new decor.
I love the farmhouse look and the vintage feel and the history of all that has gone before.
The story of all that before.
And so I sorted through all the bins.
Truth?
It was a little overwhelming.
I got rid of six bins of stuff and divided the rest into farmhouse and bright.
Then I decorated the front of the house like this.
And the back of the house?
It looks like this.
I know it’s random.
I get it.
I understand.
You are probably thinking…KARIANNE MAKE UP YOUR CHRISTMAS DECORATING MIND.
That’s me.
A little random.
A little scattered.
A little following bright lights and wooden reindeer.
A little bright and merry.
And a little farmhouse.
I think I have Christmas decorating ADD.
I go in the front rooms and I love it.
I go into the back of the house and I love it, too.
And the funniest part?
It’s all so me.
Sometimes I’m serious and thoughtful and calm and sometimes?
I’m a party waiting to happen.
People ask me my style all the time.
The best way I can describe my Christmas decorating?
It’s like a reverse mullet.
Business in the back.
And a party in the front. 🙂
Merry Christmas friends.
Love it....when you want serenity, head to the back...when you're tired and need a pick me up~ head to the front of the house!!! If you could only have ONE tree~ which style would you choose?
Carrie, Hmmmm. That's like asking me which is my favorite child. :) I can't pick! LOL! Merry Christmas friend! karianne
I adore the your split personality Christmas decor. Just between the two of us, the back of the house has my heart.♥️🎄♥️
Love this dilemma ! I have the same one. I love everything! Love the mullet philosophy! And your joy is contagious!
Have to say, the farmhouse is you. Definitely you. Love everything that you do, however, all that white, neutral stuff is the bomb!
You are speaking my farmhouse language. :) Merry Christmas friend! karianne
And it's all amazing!!
I like both sides of your decorating spectrum. It's certainly better than mine which appears to be "random mismatched stuff I've gathered on the way with no dicernable plan!"
It’s all amazing and beautiful! It’s about what makes you feel complete and comfortable. I can tell it does! Happy Holidays!
Since it is all you- it works perfectly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love both your bright and farmhouse, so I think you did good. Always such a thrill to see what you are up to.
Well, you know a Christmas carol sings “...all call is calm, all is bright.” You got it covered! Merry Christmas early, and thank you for your uplifting spirit!
Where is your upside down tree that reminds me of me? Your home is so beautiful, it makes Christmas so real to me. Merry Christmas.
I love seeing Buddy in your posts! Happy, happy, reverse-mullet!
...and its all simply wonderful 💜
Reverse mullet...I just spit out my coffee laughing at the visual. Thanks for the chuckle. Have a happy day!
You probably hear this a lot but.....I have tears in my eyes while reading this. I read the post on your story about leaving your beautiful farmhouse and moving to the home you grew up in. I'm so excited and so happy for you. Makes me think back to the homes (there were many) that I grew up in. I have often wondered what i would be like to move back into one of them. So fun! Anyways, as for the tears part (I get distracted easily) I could have written this blog post myself. Well, minus all the amazingly beautiful photos! I am the same way, even as a designer. There are several styles that are really ME, and that's okay but so many people don't understand that and want you to put your style into a tiny box with very distinct borders. I like lots of cheerful color but I love the neutral and rustic farmhouse look. I too am realizing that it's okay to feel that way. It's okay even to decorate that way! Thanks for sharing!
Where do you shop for all your neutral colored small trees and decorations? Love the peacefulness of them all!
Oh, that Merry Christmas pillow .... sigh. Like so many others, your reverse mullet visual made me laugh out loud. And ya know what??? I get it! Overall, I love a vintage-ey look (yay back of the house) but sometimes I wanna try something new and fun (both with Christmas decor as well as an everyday look). The beauty of it is, your house is large enough to do both! What a blessing for you!!!
I love that you have the space to have it both ways! It’s all beautiful. And it’s lovely that after the party in the front you have a calm place to rest your eyes in the back. Your home embodies “...all is calm (and) all is bright”.
That has to be the most surreal feeling to move back into the home you grew up in. I still have dreams of walking through my childhood home. When I've been back in Oklahoma, we've driven past it and they have built a room where the porch used to be. Yuck! Anyway, I'm glad someone gets to live where their lives started. It's got to be a full circle, wonderful sentimental feelingn-especially at Christmastime. We also went to where my grandparent's home used to be. We spent every Thanksgiving there. The house has burned down, but it was such a feeling to stand there with my husband and children. Only the front steps remain and we all stood on them;) I loved this post!
It's really spectacular as usual..I wish that I was feeling well enough to decorate my house. I was in a car accident on November 7th and I just can't find the strength to get it done!
I'm totally laughing because I have SUCH second guessing about my Christmas decor every year! I do the neutrals, but then I see the reds on IG and think I should have done those! And of course, when I do the reds, the exact opposite happens, lol! You solved my problem - I'll just do a little of both from now on;) But seriously, I am SO glad you could join us today Karianne! It means so much that you could be with us. And by the way, your farmhouse decor is gorgeous - especially your tree! It's truly stunning. (oh, and the bright, too...) Merry Christmas! Sheila xo
I get it. I truly do...sometimes each room looks like a new designer walked in! But it all looks beautiful, my dear. And I love that sweet buddy is perfectly posing in just the right spot. Now bring on the festivities and let the parties begin!!
KariAnne, where is your rug in the front family room from? Thank you!! Melanie
Melanie, It's so affordable! I love it! I bought the 12 x 15 for this room on overstock. Here's the affiliate link: https://bit.ly/2Rnq1ZJ You can also see the rest of the room on my Shop My House page here: https://thistlewoodfarms.com/shop-my-house/ Hope this helps! Happy day friend! karianne
It’s all lovely Hohoho! But oh those white Christmas trees! How do you do it?!
I am still stuck between holidays! Trying to put all the autumn decor away,cleaning each Room and planing my Christmas theme to be done when the spirit moves me. My better half is nursing a pulled muscle in his back and this really slows down the process of carrying bins up and down from the attic. I will be glad just to get the first part done. Love your neutral decor but that may just be my mood and need to rest! I think I will take a nap and continue packing up fall later today.. Love reading your blog. You are brilliant.
Oh my I am crying and rolling! A mullet Decorating style? Oh my I need this today haha. As bins sit.. trees have lights but topless and not adorned..love you so sweet friend.
It's perfect and beautiful!!
There is no rule saying you must use only one Christmas decorating style per house. I love using different themes in different areas. Ideally the two styles aren't situated where you see both at the same time, but otherwise it seems like a good way to satisfy multiple members of a household. Your choices seem to fit each of the areas perfectly. I'd be pretty happy to spend time in either of them. So lovely!
I love, love, love both styles! It would be hard for me to choose :). And, I, too, love that Merry Christmas pillow!
I do the same thing in a one-bedroom apartment! Talk about the need for vignettes! I like different styles...traditional with a touch of romance, but country, because that's where I grew up. Christmas provides the perfect opportunity to enjoy everything I love. I do country in the kitchen, more traditional in the living room and romantic in the bedroom. What fun! P.S. I really like your country farmhouse look the best still.
I love it Karianne!! You just do you. It's all so gorgeous, the front and the back!
Love it, love it, love it!! Times infinity. And then again. I love your farmhouse, the beautiful new/old story you are living out and the people in it. You are as bright as the light that shines in the windows! I’m so happy to know you!! ❤️
When did we decide everything must be one style? I love that you house and decorating express different sides of you and where you are in your life. It is all beautiful and I am glad you decided to share in your perfectly humorous way.
I love what you have done with the new house and the color. But my favorite, and what I think of when I think of Thistlewood Farms is this look. Can you come to my house and please make it look like this! lol! Anything you touch turns to gold KariAnne!
My all-time favorite, Karianne! I don't think it's random at all. Thank you for sharing!
This is so me! I love the neutral decorations with whites, golds and silver, but it isn't really Christmas decor without red! I've just given into the season after all these years and there is something red in almost all of my Christmas decor.
Looks beautiful, decorating ADD describes most of us sometimes.🤪 And I do love the vintage farmhouse decor, you said it so well, represents all that has gone before, all that history, all that love 💕 xo Pat
Lovely, as always!! I just adore Christmas at Thistlewood in any fashion!!! xoxoxo