Gathering Vintage Decor and Cozy Layers for the Season Ahead

From timeworn treasures to coastal touches, I’m gathering vintage decor and cozy layers to create a holiday home that’s uniquely mine — inspired by Maine and filled with meaning.

Setting the Stage for the Season Ahead

I had a realization the other day — and it sent me straight into action.

Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away. Then December 1st is just a few days after that.

How did that happen?! Here I was, quietly savoring fall, thinking I had plenty of time to pull everything together for the holidays. Apparently not!

But here’s the twist: I’m leaving for Maryland the Sunday before Thanksgiving and won’t return until the Monday after. Yes, that would be December 1 — the official start of the Christmas season in my book.

So, I’ve decided I’d like to have the house mostly decorated before I leave. That way, when I return, I can settle right into the season — and be ready to share it all with you.

Think of this post as the vegetarian version of “how the sausage is made” — a behind-the-scenes look at the planning and early work that happens before the holiday glow comes together.

At this point I’m not feeling stressed or panicked, but I’m definitely in holiday prep mode now. I already have my new small Christmas tree and plans for how I’ll style it. (If you missed it, I shared all the details last Saturday.)

This week, I started thoughtfully collecting meaningful pieces and adding cozy layers to set the tone for my holiday home. I paid a visit to my “buoy guy,” went to my favorite antiques barn (twice!), and made a few changes to the living room so I’ll be ready to easily flip to Christmas when I get back from Maryland.

A very special painting arrived in the mail recently that I can’t wait to share with you today. I know you’ll love it too — hint: it involves everyone’s favorite furry decor pieces.

There’s a lot going on here. Let’s jump right in!

Vintage Finds with a Story to Tell

In addition to my new small tree, I’m taking the living room mantel in a different direction this year. Last season it featured Captain Ward, a dramatic swag with bells, and a cluster of tall candlesticks.

This year, the sweet ship diorama I’ve had on the fireplace since summer will stay, and the whole mantel will take on a simpler, more relaxed feel — in keeping with the quieter holiday I’m planning. I have an idea in mind, but not the full picture yet. Looking for a few pieces — and a bit of inspiration — I headed off to Elmer’s Barn, my favorite spot for digging through timeworn pieces and unexpected finds.

I often find that places like this are full of inspiration — packed with things you didn’t know you wanted — but not always the best when you’re searching for something specific. This visit, though, I managed to find plenty of both. In fact, I was so inspired by a few serendipitous finds that I made a second trip back a few days later. Sometimes that’s just how it goes!

What I came home with on my first visit

These were all things I was specifically hunting for:

• A nautical brass lantern to add a warm glow to the mantel. (Though for now, I’m enjoying it on the coffee table.)
• A length of vintage rope with two weathered wooden block pulleys — the kind used on old boats. I plan to mix it with greenery on the mantel.
• A vintage frame for my new piece of artwork — more on that next!

What I went back for

The things I wasn’t looking for, but decided I couldn’t leave behind:

• A sweet vintage wooden child’s pull sled with red metal runners. It sparked the idea to move the small tree with the felted Maine-themed ornaments from the guest cottage to the snug this year. Without the big tree, it will be nice to have an extra bit of twinkle in the snug for cozy evenings. I’ll style the tree on top of the sled to give it more presence.
• A set of vintage dishes featuring Currier and Ives winter scenes. The designs are worn and faded, which is exactly what I find so charming about them. I’ll display them in the big hutch — either for Christmas or through the winter months.
• An old wicker-covered bottle lamp stenciled Mr. Boston Distillery Dry Gin across the front. It’s a perfect fit on top of the drinks cabinet in the dining area — the gin bottle makes a playful nod to the cabinet’s purpose, while the wicker ties in beautifully with the other woven textures in the room.

There’s something so satisfying about finding one-of-a-kind pieces instead of filling a cart at a big-box store. Every vintage treasure adds a layer of personality and a bit of story — the kind of warmth you simply can’t buy new.

Seasonal Front Door Decor — Maine Style

On Saturday, I went to pick out buoys for this season’s front door decor — a relatively new tradition of mine. I rotate them through the year: blue and yellow for spring and summer; orange and yellow with touches of blue, green, and brown for fall; and my signature holiday combination of blue and green through the winter.

Dave, my “buoy guy,” is a true Maine character — a former lobsterman once featured in Down East Magazine for his glass bottle collection. These days he sells old lobster buoys and creates folk art and hand-painted signs out of a barn beside his home. His jumble of collectibles spills from the barn into the yard, and if you’re lucky when you visit, you might catch one of the chipmunks he’s tamed to eat right out of his hand. Picking out my buoys is always an experience.

I group the buoys on each side of the front door, with a couple on the door itself. For the holidays, I plan to mix in faux greenery and, instead of my usual lobster-rope bows, tie them with “scarves” I cut from an old blue-and-green plaid blanket.

This simple decoration feels directly tied to the fishing village I call home, where buoys dot the harbor in summer and hang from garages, mailboxes, and sheds all year long. I’ll leave these up through the winter — a cheerful alternative to the usual wreath.

If you’d like to see how this little tradition began, you can read about my spring buoys here and my fall version here.

Shifting the Palette for the Season Ahead

The shades of blue and green that brighten my front door for the season set the tone for the holidays inside too.

Some think of blue as a summer color, but in my home it feels right all year long. During the cooler months, though, I like to swap in softer tones — sky and medium blues instead of navy, warm tans in place of crisp white. The blues brighten the space during these dark months, while the tans keep things cozy.

This week, in preparation for my holiday decorating, I switched to a new light blue slipcover on the living room loveseat — and I love how it looks! The fabric has a subtle stripe that gives it a bit of texture. I also layered a lighter Persian rug over the sisal and swapped out the throw pillow covers that had navy in them.

This stage is all about laying the foundation for the festive touches to come. After Thanksgiving, I’ll add a few pillows in soft greens, some greenery, and holiday accents. These small changes already make the house feel ready for what’s next — I can’t wait to start decorating when I get back from Maryland.

Note: I often get questions about where I purchase my slipcovers. The loveseat and sofa are both from Four Seasons Furniture. Their furniture comes with prewashed slipcovers. Over the years, I’ve added a few extra covers in different fabrics to keep things fresh. I’ve bought almost all of my soft furniture pieces from Frantz Furniture in Warren, Maine. Deana and Garth have a wonderful selection of home furnishings and are always a pleasure to work with — I inevitably end up lingering there for a chat before I leave.

A Portrait of the Pups

A very special package arrived in the mail recently. Many of you probably follow Marian Parsons — Miss Mustard Seed — on Instagram or her blog. She’s so incredibly talented: a gifted writer, crafter, home stylist, and artist. When she began taking commissions for pet portraits, I signed up right away. I knew exactly the scene I wanted — Maddie and Cisco in the woods along the river where I take them to run.

I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. Marian captured them perfectly — M & C in their happy Maine place. It’s a deeply personal piece of art that I’ll treasure always.

She sized the painting to fit a standard antique or vintage frame. Marian offers a few one-of-a-kind frames herself, but none quite suited the portrait, so finding the right one was high on my list when I went to Elmer’s Barn. I passed up several that were the correct size but too ornate. Then I spotted one tucked into a hard-to-reach corner — gilt, with no adornment. Simple, refined, and beautifully aged. It makes the new painting feel like something that’s been in the family for years — a blend of new memories and old pieces, just like the rest of my home.

Learn more about Marian’s pet portrait commissions: Miss Mustard Seed – Commissioned Painting.

This Week Into Next

It was another busy week with two board meetings, my usual volunteer work at the pantry, and content creation for Instagram and this blog. Add to all that my sudden realization that I need to get hopping on my holiday decorating, and it has me wondering if I really am retired.

Then last night Maddie was up asking to go out multiple times. Maddie and Cisco are usually content to sleep through the night and then lounge in bed in the morning, so when one of them scratches at the door in the middle of the night, I know something’s up. Maddie seems fine, so I’m not sure what was going on — but I’m definitely dragging today after all the ups and downs and outs and ins.

To top it off, something is up with my back — muscular tightness and pain across my ribcage — so I haven’t been feeling my best today. I’m hoping it eases soon — there’s no recovery time built into this weekend. I’ve got plenty to do and no time to baby my back.

For now, though, it’s time to wrap things up.

I hope this post inspires you to look beyond trends and think about how your own home, story, and surroundings can shape your holiday decor.

I’ll be sharing more as I pull everything together — thoughtfully, simply, and in a way that feels true to me and to the season.

Until then, take care and enjoy these November days — whatever you are up to!