Gold and Greenery Christmas Dining Room Inspiration

This year I had so much fun decorating our dining room for Christmas—truly for the first time. Although this is our third Christmas in the house, I’d never decorated this room for the holidays before.

I’m calling the look a Gold & Greenery Christmas dining room because gold accents and lush greenery set the tone. I also added a few nostalgic touches and some plaid, so “Gold, Greenery & Nostalgia” feels like the best description. ✨🌲🎅🏼

In our previous home, the dining room hosted our large nine-foot Christmas tree because the big front window and tall ceilings made it a dramatic focal point. Moving into this cozier Cape Cod-style house changed the scale—our old farmhouse furniture felt too large for the new dining room, so I didn’t decorate it for the holidays for a while.

This year was different: I found antique, right-sized furniture that finally made it feel possible to have a tree and a fully decorated dining room. I decorated with an eye toward next year, when we’ll finish the dining room makeover, choosing pieces that will still work in the updated space.

I began with a tree decision. I first tried a shorter flocked tree to match the office tree across the hall, but it didn’t feel quite right in the dining room. Swapping to a slim 7.5-foot Aspen Fir (non-flocked) solved it—the taller tree fits the room’s proportions and the glow of two window trees in the front of the house is so cozy. I added gold ribbon bows for extra warmth and carried that gold ribbon throughout the room.

For the table, I wanted a simple, festive runner—tartan plaid was the obvious choice. The tartan table runner is a small nod to classic holiday style and helps tie the dining room into other rooms that feature plaid accents. To complete the place settings, I treated myself to nostalgic salad plates featuring Santas and holiday scenes; they’re playful and perfect for seasonal gatherings. I mixed them with white beaded dinner plates and inexpensive gold chargers for a layered, polished look.

I finally upgraded our everyday white dishes after more than a decade—mine were wedding-gift Target plates that had served well but were scratched. The new white dishes feel timeless and give the holiday plates a beautiful backdrop. The gold chargers were an inexpensive find and add just the right festive shimmer beneath each setting.

On the buffet I kept things bold and simple: an oversized greenery wreath and a set of hanging clustered bells provide a dramatic backdrop. A large wooden bowl with gilded edges, filled with candles and pine cones, became a favorite statement piece—its warm gold detail reads beautifully with the rest of the room. I layered in a few tabletop trees I already had to finish the vignette without overcomplicating things.

I also styled the china cabinet with holiday plates, ceramic houses, and a few small figurines. I don’t have an extensive collection of little holiday trinkets yet, so I relied on items I already owned. It was a fun reminder that meaningful decorating can be achieved without buying everything new—curation matters more than quantity.

Christmas Foyer

The foyer sits right next to the dining room, so I carried the festive theme there with a mistletoe swag over the pendant light and a few seasonal accents on the entry table. A new plaid picture frame holding a photo of my girls adds another cheerful hint of tartan.

Across the entryway my office reflects in the mirror, and its holiday styling remains much the same as last year—plaid and brass accents I love and will likely keep using year after year.

Thanks for taking a look at our Gold & Greenery Christmas dining room and the adjoining entry. It brings me joy to see these festive spaces while I work at my desk, and I can’t wait to begin the dining room makeover in January so I can decorate a refreshed space next holiday season.

More Posts You May Enjoy:

• A Neutral Christmas Dining Room
• 7+ Ways to Decorate with Christmas Ribbon {Sources & Ideas!}
• How to Decorate the Kitchen for Christmas