4 Glamorous Holiday Decorating Ideas from Stephen featured in Veranda

The most elegant gift wrapping is often the simplest
Sills wraps many of the gifts under his tree in newsprint, a move inspired by childhood memories. “It’s something I remember doing as a kid with my parents,” he says. “Usually, I’ll use metallic foil or something equally as simple to wrap gifts. I also like using just plain old brown craft paper, and then tying the gift with a pretty ribbon.”

A little sparkle elevates an ordinary wreath
Sills prefers natural holiday decorations with an added dash of flair—“just green and white and gold and pinecones,” he jokes. For the wreaths throughout his home, he started with a golden woodland lacquer wreath from the Magnolia Company, then added pinecones shipped from Oklahoma, which had been gathered from his parents’ front yard.

Think beyond red and green
“I grew up with red, green, a million different colors at Christmas, and in other peoples’ houses, I love red and green for Christmas decorations,” says Sills. “It’s very joyous and appropriate for the season, but I could never imagine putting that color scheme in my interior—I don’t like a lot of bright colors in my own house.” Instead, Sills opts for glittering metallics, eucalyptus branches, and seasonal blooms such as white amaryllis or calla lilies.

Choose ornaments that reflect who you are and how you live
When it comes time to decorate the tree, carved wooden birds and metal stars are Sills’s favorite ornaments. “That’s the fun of collecting them—they’re a reflection of your taste,” he says. Many of his tree decorations hail from New Mexico or Europe. “Nothing commercial-looking,” Sills insists. “You don’t need overly expensive ornaments to have a great tree.”