When is too early to decorate for Christmas? Design experts tell us

It seems like each year, the holiday decorations go up earlier and earlier.

Stores stock their shelves with sparkly bows and Santa wrapping paper before kids even don their costumes and collect their Halloween candy. Social media feeds are filled with this year’s trending decor theme and ideas for DIY projects before the weather cools. And rows of homes are filled with bright twinkling lights, stockings and vibrant evergreens the minute the clock strikes midnight on Nov. 1.

It may seem excessive, and in some cases it is, but there’s a reason why Christmas decorations have extended well beyond December: It gives people a feeling of magic that they don’t get anywhere else.

“When things are going on in the world, people are looking for that feeling of Christmas magic, of nostalgia, of whatever they can get that is positive out of a holiday,” said Ashley Pizzichillo, owner of Soul Tree Decor. “And I’ve noticed over the years, seeing the ups and downs of things going on in the world, that people lean on the holiday season as a beacon of hope and excitement and a way to wrap the year up in a positive way.”

While there has always been a select group of people that have religiously decorated well before the holidays, Pizzichillo said that ever since the pandemic, she’s had more and more clients want to decorate as early as possible. This is because it became a lifeline for people who needed something to look forward to.

Francesco Bilotto, television designer and entertaining expert, said the growing presence of social media has also played a role. With early marketing campaigns, faster trend cycles and just consuming so much content on a daily basis, people have been getting into the spirit much sooner.

“We didn’t have Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and all of those things 15 years ago, so when you start seeing content rolled out, it gets you in the mood, ” he said, “Paired with that, e-commerce, online retailers and brick-and-mortar retailers are pushing as much as they can with holiday stuff. So you’re inundated with holiday stuff very early.”

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When should you really decorate for the holidays?

Unless you live in an HOA community with specific rules about holiday decorations, when you choose to decorate is entirely up to you.

“It’s whatever your mood, your spirit and your joy is,” Bilotto said. “It’s definitely a personal preference, and I don’t want to yuck someone else’s yum,”

But when you choose to do so may also depend on how elaborate your decor is, what the goal is when decorating and how long you plan to leave your decorations up after the holiday season.

When she chooses to decorate for the holidays varies each year, but Pizzichillo said this year she decorated her home for Christmas before Halloween. She did this to avoid having to decorate during the busy season, when she is working to decorate for others, but also because she wanted to embrace the holiday cheer as soon as possible.

“We have a lot going on in this world. I need something beautiful to look at,” she said. “We need something shiny and happy and cozy, so I decorated before Halloween.”

On the other hand, Bilotto said he pulled out all of his holiday decorations before Halloween to take inventory of what he has and to start planning his vision for each space. But he doesn’t plan to entirely deck out his home until closer to Christmas.

Instead, he said he likes to take a layered approach to decorating by slowing incorporating cozy and festive elements throughout his home that he can add to over time. This way, he’s slowly implementing decorations that feel appropriate for the time of year.

“If you hold off on the sparkle and shine until closer to Christmas, it’s also a great opportunity to let your home be celebrated in different looks,” he said. “It’s really nice to have that layering experience with the winter and then Christmas because then you get to see your home through a different lens and you get to be part of its transition. It gives you more time to play with different things you own and purchase other things; have artisans create things for you; or find different treasures thrifting.”

He said he’s even hosted holiday barter parties, where people have swapped decorations that they didn’t want with others. He said this creates another way to celebrate the season with friends and family that you wouldn’t have if you decorated too early.

Similarly, he said it’s hard to decorate too early if you use a lot of live greenery because it may not look as nice once the holidays actually arrive.

Tips for slowing decorating for the holidays

If you feel like it’s a bit too early to fully transform your home into the North Pole, there’s still ways that you can decorate to get into the cozy spirit.

As part of Bilotto’s layered approach, he recommends decorating generally for the fall and winter within the first few weeks of November. This includes adding in textures through throw pillows, blankets and other accents; incorporating more greenery; and embracing colors like brown, green, rust and burgundy.

Then in mid-November, he said you can start bringing in metallic decorations — think gold and silver pieces — as well as some lights and evergreens. And after Thanksgiving, you can start to incorporate your holiday accent color, like bright red, followed by classic decorations like candy canes, ornaments, stockings and snowmen.

Plus, ornaments have grown into treasured family heirlooms for many, Bilotto said. So being intentional about when you put them up for the holiday season, rather than rushing to get them up, will help make them feel even more special.

“Just doing the evergreens and lights and some of the smells satisfies the palette a little bit. Perhaps even change out the throw pillows and blankets or remerchandise your home. Florals, whether it’s faux or fresh, are also a great way to bring in the holiday spirit without committing full-on,” he said. “I think if you go full on Santa’s workshop right now, by the time Christmas comes, it tends to feel a little chaotic and overwhelmed. And a lot of that stuff too doesn’t stay clean for too long where they will get elements on it or dust.”

Through Soul Tree Decor, Pizzichillo said she also likes to incorporate big trees that are sparkling with warm white lights, but don’t include any ornaments yet. She said you can also add other things into the tree, such as faux leaves or flowers to make it feel more seasonal decor rather than holiday decor.

And like Bilotto, she also recommends adding in more greenery and cozy accents with lots of texture.

“Christmas is about what feels right for you as an individual or as a family. So whatever that looks like for you, do it. Run with it. Because it’s your holiday, and from Nov. 1 to New Year’s Eve, you have a very short eight week time period,” Pizzichillo said. “And I think whatever is going to make you happy make life a little bit easier, go ahead and do it.”

Maddie McGay is the real estate reporter for NorthJersey.com and The Record, covering all things worth celebrating about living in North Jersey. Find her on Instagram @maddiemcgay, on X @maddiemcgayy, and sign up for her North Jersey Living newsletter. Do you have a tip, trend or terrific house she should know about? Email her at [email protected].

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