Christmas at Gran’s: Festive Decor Inspired by Nostalgia

fabric trees, felt garland and other flea market finds on Christmastime mantel

Written by Meryl Schoenbaum

Photography by Matt Doudt

Styled by Jen Doudt

A homeowner’s holiday décor is an homage to Christmas at her grandma’s house.

If your vision of holiday décor evokes warm memories of Christmas at gran’s, you will be charmed and inspired by the Noblesville, Indiana, home featured here.

Jen Doudt (@vintageheartandhome on Instagram) decorated her holiday home this year with a nostalgic nod to childhood Christmases visiting her grandmother’s house. “[I have] always wanted my home to make people feel welcome. I loved my granny’s house at Christmastime, so I wanted to recreate that feeling for my family and guests,” Jen says. “If your granny would have had it in her house at Christmas, chances are I will too,” she says with a laugh. “I want to remind others of their joyful childhood memories. I love all the vintage and antique Christmas décor; it just feels happy.”

vintage furniture and collectibles give the living room the nostalgic feeling of Christmas at Gran's — Jen considers this Christmas tree her family-history/storytelling tree. It showcases four generations of ornaments: from her grandmother, her mother, her daughters and herself. The green chippy hutch she found at a local antiques store was love at first sight. For her everyday décor she tops it with vintage tins, but for Christmas she put a red star on top. It was originally brown, but she felt it needed to be red.

Taking her décor from every day to holiday is not a big challenge for Jen, as she always surrounds herself with her favorite colors and collections. “It isn’t a hard transition at all at our house, but it is a lot of work. I throw on the Christmas classics and decorate my heart out,” she says. “Red and green are my favorite colors all year long, so it feels so natural to add all the extra joy and beauty. I have a large vintage-tin collection that I incorporate into my Christmas décor as well as quilts and other vintage treasures. I use lots of my everyday vintage things and fill them with all things Christmas. Red is my favorite color to decorate with; it’s such a happy color.”

vintage tins serve as stands to display Christmas trees and mini houses — opposite: Shop Your Home. Jen repurposes many items she already has at home. “Shop your home for unique Christmas textiles to get fun colors and textures,” she says. The little red suitcase was something she had bought as a photo prop that houses her Shiny Brite collection. A crocheted doily tablecloth gets a new life as a Christmas-tree skirt. She found the green cabinet curbside; it was a tacky brown, so she used green milk paint. She found the cubby

In with the Old: Re-creating Christmas at Gran’s

When it comes to styling, Jen considers the age and architecture of her four-square, 1900-built home. “I would say my style is Granny Chic or Vintage Christmas,” she says. “I have so many fun vintage collectibles that I use throughout the entire house. I always keep in mind that our home is over 100 years old, so I try to only shop at antiques stores or thrift stores for all my décor.”

“I look for old furniture that I can easily paint, add to a room and move around. ”

The home is located in downtown Noblesville, two blocks from the historic square (“We can hear the bells chime every hour from the old courthouse,” Jen says). She lives in the five-bedroom brick home with her husband, Matt, and their beagle, Ruby. Their four adult daughters visit frequently.

living room decorated for holidays with inspiration from Christmas at Gran's — Sitting Pretty. The green velvet sofa in the living room looks vintage but was actually an Ikea find. On the floor in front of the sofa, Jen placed a vinyl floor cloth that’s a vintage reproduction from Hudson and Vine in the Williamsburg Floral design. Gladwell rechargeable mops from amazon.com keep the wood floors looking clean and shiny.

Jen loves to share her home’s joyful holiday spirit with guests during the holidays. “We entertain all Christmas season. Our kids are in and out with holiday baking and dinners,” she says. “I add a Christmas tree to every bedroom and the downstairs bathroom, so everyone gets to enjoy twinkle lights wherever they are in the house. I also burn sugar-cookie candles daily to make the whole house smell good.”

vintage cabinet displaying vintage tins teapots and pitchers — Sentimental Stockings. The homeowners’ grandmothers hand-made these stockings for them when they were born.

“ If your granny would have had it in her house at Christmas, chances are I will too.”

The Collected Look

Jen sprinkles her holiday home with cherished pieces she has collected over the years. “My personal holiday things include old quilts and my large collection of vintage and antique tins,” she says. “I’ve also started collecting the 1950s Napco Christmas figurines. I have a fun collection of Christmas trees of all kinds, many made from old quilts, wood, lighted ceramics and old bottlebrush trees. I have a vintage plaid collection that I added this year and my vintage Shiny Brite ornaments—I can’t get enough of those cute, colorful decorations!”

collection of flea market finds for Christmas vignette featured in Santa Stoppers 2021

vintage tool box displaying singing angel children figurines — : cute collection. Jen’s newest collection is her ‘50s Napco figurines. “I found my first one at Goodwill for $3, and I was hooked!” she says. “There is something so familiar and endearing about them.”

Jen, who works part-time for local antiques store Thistle & Thyme, keeps her décor in mind as she’s thrifting for Christmas items. “When I shop, I am looking for things that will flow together in my color scheme and design,” she says. “I look for old furniture that I can easily paint, add to a room and move around. I love history and things from the past, things that can tell a story. And I love color—I love warm tones and all things rusty and chippy. I have also fallen in love with peel-and-stick wallpaper! My husband helped me put it up the first time, and I told him, ‘Now I want to wallpaper everything!’ He is a really good sport about it. I believe he really appreciates my love for history and making our home a beautiful place. He regularly features our home in photo shoots and as backgrounds for clients, so I figure we both win making our old home something we can be proud of.”

flea market figurines and tins on display at bottom of staircase in home featured in Santa Stoppers 2021 gallery — A Step Up. The original staircase sealed the deal for Jen. Sometimes the sunlight streams through the cutouts. Also shown: Jen’s vintage angel choir collection and a little accordian hanger that displays mostly vintage needlepoint prints.

Vintage Heart and Home Evokes Christmas at Gran’s

Displaying family heirlooms and sentimental keepsakes is Jen’s favorite way to decorate her holiday home. “I have many Christmas ornaments that belonged to my Granny Keefe. They are one of my favorite things to unwrap and hang on our tree,” she says. “I have several beautiful, beaded ones we made together when I was a little girl. There is a big sparkly purple one that’s my absolute favorite. My husband and I both have our Christmas stockings from childhood that our grandmas hand-made for us!”

vintage tins on display on kitchen counter with fabric valence — Bowling for Counters. These countertops were taken from old bowling-alley lanes the previous owner’s father bought. The window garland was made from torn-up vintage and salvaged fabric, adding interest and Christmastime whimsy to the room. (Visit Jen’s Instagram page at @vintageheartandhome for a DIY on how to make your own fabric garland).

“I loved my granny’s house at Christmastime, so I wanted to re-create that feeling for my family and guests.”
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Jen says the living room is the star of her home at the holidays. “It’s the room you walk right into from the front door, where I have my treasured green-velvet sofa; two large trees covered in vintage and heirloom ornaments; and vintage treasures carefully displayed on hutches, tables and cubbies,” she says. “The fireplace mantel is filled with my favorite vintage and handmade quilt trees and our family’s handmade Christmas stockings.”

vintage holiday vignette with vintage kitchenalia and white bottlebrush trees — Pretty and Practical. Jen adores her vintage red-handled cookie-cutter collection. “They’re fun to decorate with and, of course, practical to use to make Christmas cookies, which are stored in the Longaberger 1999 Little Market Basket,” she says.

The dining room showcases Jen’s vintage treasures placed on top of shelves, her red-glass collection displayed in a large hutch and fresh holly draped around the chandelier.

The kitchen is where Jen’s vintage heart shines in abundance, with Christmas signs, wreaths and vintage kitchen items. There are vintage tins filled with homemade cookies, old cookie cutters and recipe books galore.

vintage thermos and kitchenalia on display in kitchen inspired by Christmas at Gran's — The red shelf belonged to Jen’s husband’s grandmother, who left it to Jen as a family heirloom. The muffin tins were found at Goodwill.

Everything has come together to achieve the ambience Jen envisioned for her holiday home this year. “My Christmas décor makes me feel joyful and so nostalgic,” she says. “Surrounded by twinkly lights, family treasures and laughter, my heart is so full. I love family and making memories together. I love the history we share and the stories we tell. It feels like for a short season the whole world is united in hope and peace.”

vintage inspired kitchen with yellow cabinets and red and white check flooring — Affordable Accents. Jen added small wreaths from the Dollar Store to the kitchen cabinets to make them festive on a budget. The antique yellow cabinet paint color is from Sherwin-Williams in Ecru. The vinyl floor cloth is a vintage red check from Hudson and Vine.

vintage quilt and floral wallpaper with trees for holiday accents — Inspiration Piece. Jen wanted a red and white bedroom and designed the entire room using the vintage chenille bedspread she found at an antiques store for $25 as an inspiration piece. (Far right): “I used a vintage floral tablecloth as a valance to add a fresh pattern and texture to the room,” Jen says. (Left window wall): The wallpaper is Pioneer Woman Peel and Stick wallpaper in Vintage Rose that Jen purchased online at walmart.com. She designed it with an old-fashioned dollhouse feel with her future grandchildren in mind.

bedroom with four poster bed and vintage accents for holidays — Meaningful Master Bedroom. The antique four-poster bed was a wedding gift from Jen’s in-laws. (Left page): The trunk was a thrift-store find and the patchwork quilt belonged to Jen’s dad’s mother. Another toolbox from Jen’s collection is displayed here. (Right page): Jen embroidered the Silent Night pillow. “A handmade gift is so much more meaningful than anything you can buy in a store,” she says. “Hand-embroidered Christmas pillows make wonderful gifts.” The set of drawers was $5 at a garage sale and Jen painted it green. The white lacy coverlet is actually an antique tablecloth Jen had at home that adds an antique layer of texture to the bedroom.

vintage green chest serves as coffee table in this home featured in Santa Stoppers 2021 — Radiant in Red. The family room is affectionately called the “Red Room.” The red rug is one of Jen’s favorite purchases ever. “It pulls the whole room together,” she says. “It’s the coziest family room and a great gathering place.”

If you’re also looking to re-create Christmas at Gran’s, find more vintage decor ideas in this year’s upcoming holiday special issue! You’ll be able to order your copy here. Meanwhile, you can get to work on some holiday DIY crafts such as DIY Wine Glass Cloche and Upcycled Paper Scrap Gift Tags. Of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for more updates and flea market inspiration.