A DIYer TURNED BLOGGER TRANSFORMS HER HOME INTO A WINTER WONDERLAND FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

BY Autumn Krause

Feathered trees are distinctly vintage, and Emily is continually on the search for one. But until she finds it, this one from Walmart is home to her carefully curated collection of vintage ornaments. She highlights the gilded nature of her ornaments with twinkle lights that reflect their beautiful finishes. “Magical” is one keyword for her seasonal décor, and her vintage-meet sglittering approach to her tree embodies it.

OPPOSITE • Emily DIYed her way to an Old World fireplace that’s become the crown jewel of the living room. Of course, such a mantel wouldn’t be complete without stockings during the holiday months, and Emily found neutral lace stockings from Free People. “Although I adore the traditional holiday colors of red and green, I tend to like them in small doses in my home,” she says. “The ornaments on the tree add just enough color, so when I found these neutral colored stockings, I knew they were perfect.”

Emily Traxler has a full heart and a full house-she’s a stay-at-home mom to four boys ranging in ages from five to eleven and the fur mom to a Labradoodle puppy.

So you might think that her holiday décor for her family’s modern Craftsman style house in Saratoga Springs, Utah, would be minimal in order to accommodate her active brood, but nothing could be further from the truth.

The self-taught DIYer turned blogger (you can find her blog at lecultivateur. com and her Instagram at @le.cultivateur) loves decorating and adding character and charm to her home, which is a basic build constructed in 2016. And, when the holidays come, she goes full-blown festive and gives her vintage farmhouse meets- French romance décor a Yuletide makeover. “Whenever I DIY something in my home, I’m thinking about what it will be like during the holidays,” she says. “For example, I created a faux fireplace in my living room because who doesn’t want a mantel to decorate, especially during the holidays?” Her neutral yet magical styling makes their basic build home anything but basic. She fills it with personalized Christmas beauty that leaves a lasting impression on any who are lucky enough to cross the threshold.