Bright lights, festive decorations, boughs and holly – nothing says winter like the aisles and aisles of décor that fill every shelf at the store from October through the end of the year. One of the most revered, timeless traditions for the holiday season is decorating your house – and there’s nothing quite like an elegant, historic home that’s tastefully dressed up for the holiday season.

But if you’re a new historic homeowner and haven’t yet gotten the feel for how to bring holiday cheer to your hearth (literally, in many cases), we have a few tips on how to share the spirit of the season with your guests while staying true to your home’s character.

Clear Out The Clutter

Whether because the times were simpler, money was tighter, or tastes were just different, there’s something common about many of the decorative scenes captured in vintage photos and home histories – the usual abundance of stuff is notably absent. Clearing your home of clutter is a great goal for any homeowner, even if it is a bit lofty with kids, pets, and other guests that come with a wealth of things to be left carelessly around the house.

But one of the keys to mingling the historic fabric of your home with the decorative fabric of your decorating style is all in the openness. Combining the lofty atmosphere of a historic home with some festive cheer allows your elegant décor and the accent features that give your home its personality to work in harmony, creating a stunning display of seasonal pageantry.

Emphasize The Architecture

Along those same lines, the key here is to choose decorative additions that emphasize your home’s architecture, rather than hiding it. Lining your mantel with a single row of white lights and hanging a few stockings, for example, can give that gorgeous antique fireplace the vintage look that we only see in magazines and Hollywood these days.

Similarly, you can use those lofty ceilings to your advantage and decorate a tall, narrow tree (or trees) that acts as an accent piece, rather than a focal point. Allowing the history of your home to shine alongside everything else that decks the halls this time of year opens up lots of doors to combine the historic and the contemporary all season long.

Less Is More

Finally, everyone has their own tastes and style. And even if you own a historic home, you are more than entitled to decorate however you please. But at the end of the day, inflatable reindeer on the lawn, bright multi-point laser lighting, and other contemporary festive décor trends may look warm and inviting on any home – but they won’t set your home apart as a classy, historic work of art that’s been masterfully decorated for the season.