Kaelyn Guerin’s career path might not look typical for an interior designer but has uniquely enhanced her ability to understand how to make a house a home. She started her journey as a United States Marine Officer and later as a military spouse, moving coast to coast and transforming each new place into a stylish sanctuary. She now calls Hawaii Kai home, but last year, she celebrated Christmas at her Eastern Mississippi residence. Below, she shares her decorating tips for bringing holiday cheer to your space, no matter where you live.

Add a Bow
For most, the nostalgia of Christmas is wrapped up neatly in a feeling. The last two holiday seasons were a flashback to youthful innocence represented by pretty bows tied sweetly on nearly every surface. To continue the magic the Haus Guerin way, tie bows in a lux fabric or patterned ribbon and string onto floral wire, tucking the bow-garland loosely around your tree.

Give Your Advent a Home
With thrifting reaching near Olympic-sport status on socials, some finds are more medal-worthy than others. This wooden Advent calendar house could be easily replicated with a vintage find and spruced up with acrylic paints to match your interiors.

Sprinkle in Shades of Red
Without question, a good meal completes the puzzle for merriment for a Guerin Christmas.  Add traditional Christmas-red to your tablescape with bright tomatoes in a deconstructed caprese or fresh cranberries used as vase filler. 

Think Outside of the Box
Increased online shopping for the holidays means there is no shortage of boxes being delivered to your doorstep. I like to borrow from the Japanese method of wrapping gifts in fabric—Furoshiki—to add personality and texture to oversized cardboard boxes. Bonus: The fabric can be reused and the boxes recycled!

Go Old-School
Hoarding a collection of glass ornaments too fragile to hang on the tree?  What about those old ice-skates with the dull blade? You can easily create a joyful moment of cherished patina with antiques. I like to make vignettes throughout our home by placing similarly themed glass ornaments in a large dish and leaning a sleigh by the entry with fresh greenery.