If you love Christmas but you’re not a red-and-green girl, this one’s for you.

Think less “Santa at the mall” and more “Chanel boutique at midnight.”
Soft lights, black and cream gift boxes, velvet ribbon, pearls, and just enough sparkle to feel expensive—not loud.

The good news? You don’t need designer decor or a brand-new tree. You can create this Chanel / old-money glam look with a few key colors and some styling tricks.

Let’s break it down step by step.

1. Start With the Color Palette

Chanel-inspired + old money = quiet, rich neutrals.

Use this simple palette:

• Deep espresso / black – boxes, ribbon, accents
• Cream / ivory – fabric, candles, paper
• Metallics – champagne gold, soft silver, a touch of mirror or crystal
• Evergreen – garland, tree branches, wreaths
• Optional: pearls or soft white “jewelry” details

If something is bright red, lime green, or super shiny plastic, set it aside for another area. Here we stay calm, neutral, and intentional.

2. Choose Your “Runway” Spot

This look is perfect for:

• A long dresser or buffet
• An entry console
• A fireplace mantel

You want a flat surface with a little wall space above it. In my house, I used a dark wood dresser with a big sunburst mirror and two crystal lamps on each side.

Tip: Keep the background simple so your decor can shine. If you have a mirror or artwork above, that’s a bonus—it reflects the lights and doubles the sparkle.

3. Lay the Foundation: Fabric, Greenery, and Lights

Step 1: Soft base

Lay down a neutral runner or piece of fabric:

• Cream, ivory, or soft champagne
• A tiny bit of shimmer or beading is welcome, but not required

This gives your decor a “stage” and protects the furniture.

Step 2: Green garland

Run a faux evergreen garland along the back edge, from lamp to lamp (or end to end).

• Fluff the branches so it looks full and soft
• Let a few tips spill forward over the runner

Step 3: Warm lights

Weave in a strand of warm white fairy lights:

• Hide the cord under the garland
• Tuck the bulbs in and out of the branches for a dotted glow

Already feeling fancy, right?

4. Wrap Like Chanel: Gift Boxes as Decor

The secret to this look is elevating simple boxes into decor.

Use any boxes you have—shoe boxes, Amazon boxes, little jewelry boxes.

1. Wrap some in deep brown/black paper (or the darkest neutral you have).
2. Wrap others in cream or soft metallic.
3. Add simple satin ribbon:
   • Light ribbon on dark paper
   • Dark ribbon on light paper
   • Clean bows, long tails, nothing fussy

Now style them:

• Create one tall stack on one side (3 boxes, biggest on bottom).
• Place one or two flatter boxes on the other side.
• Angle them slightly toward the center so it feels intentional.

They should look like Chanel gift boxes that just happen to be lounging on your dresser.

5. Add a Glam Centerpiece

Next, you need one focal piece in the middle.

Choose one of these:

• A glass cloche filled with metallic ornaments
• A footed bowl or compote piled with champagne and pearl ornaments
• A tall silver or glass hurricane with a chunky candle and ornaments tucked around the base

Keep it in the center but not too tall—you don’t want to block your mirror or art.

Designer trick: If your centerpiece is too short, set it on a wrapped box or a stack of pretty books with the dust jackets removed. Instant “old town library” vibe.

6. Details That Make It “Old Money”

This is where the magic happens. Small, quiet touches make it feel expensive.

Velvet ribbon on the mirror

If you have a mirror above your console:

• Tie a black velvet bow at the top.
• Hang one simple ornament (gold, champagne, or pearl) from the center so it floats in front of the glass.

It’s such a small detail and it changes the whole mood.

Pearls and jewelry

Use what you already own:

• A faux pearl necklace, gold bead strand, or soft metallic garland
• Drape it loosely around the base of your centerpiece or along the front of a gift stack

Think “I just tossed my necklace here for a second,” not “carefully staged pearl shrine.”

A small, framed photo

Old money decor almost always has family somewhere in the mix.

• Add one small black-and-white photo in a gold or silver frame.
• Tuck it beside your gift stack or next to the cloche.

Instant history.

7. Edit Like a Stylist

Once everything is on the surface:

1. Step back a few feet.
2. Squint slightly and look at shapes, not objects.

You’re looking for:

• Symmetry in height – lamps on each side, medium-height decor, then lower items in the front
• Breathing room – a little open space in the center so your eye can rest
• Repeating colors – black or dark brown in at least three spots, metallic in at least three, greenery flowing behind it all

If an object feels random or steals attention, remove it. Old money style is less about “more stuff” and more about a few beautiful things, well-placed.

8. Bring It Into the Rest of the Room

Once your console looks ready for a Vogue Christmas shoot, echo the look in small ways:

• Add one black-and-cream gift box under the tree
• Swap bright tree ribbons for velvet or satin neutrals
• Use matching gift wrap on presents so everything feels cohesive
• Pop a little piece of greenery and a black ribbon on a stack of coffee table books

You don’t have to change your entire house—just repeat the same language: cream, deep brown/black, metallic, greenery, and clean lines.

Want a Step-by-Step Checklist?

If you’d like a printable Chanel / Old-Money Glam Decorating Checklist and a simple shopping list you can take to the store, I’ve put one together for you.

👉 Join the Home Reset

Light your candles, turn on the fairy lights, and enjoy that quiet, luxurious glow. You absolutely can create a high-end holiday look with what you already have—one bow, one box, and one little detail at a time.

January is right around the corner!

I’ll be teaching you how to put all of your holiday decor away so it comes out next year looking just as beautiful as it does today—while also protecting it, simplifying next year, and keeping the whole process calm and doable.