How to Create Ralph Lauren Inspired Christmas Decor for a Timeless, Luxe Holiday
A Ralph Lauren Christmas never looks like it came from one store aisle. It feels like a story about weekends at the stables, ski trips to Aspen, and long breakfasts in a country house. That lived-in warmth is what sets it apart from ordinary holiday decor.
The ideas below go beyond the usual tree and wreath. Each one borrows a piece of that world and places it in a modern home. Together, they help your Ralph Lauren Inspired Christmas feel personal, fresh, and full of character.
The Look at a Glance
Before you start, it helps to know the ingredients. Every Ralph Lauren Inspired Christmas room uses the same short list, just in different amounts. Keep this list handy when shopping, and you’ll avoid buying pieces that don’t fit.
- Colors: hunter green, deep red, navy, camel, cream, and touches of antique gold
- Patterns: tartan first, with houndstooth or herringbone as quiet support
- Materials: leather, wool, cashmere, velvet, brass, silver, and dark wood
- Greenery: cedar, fir, magnolia, holly, and red berries
- Skip: tinsel, neon colors, glitter, and plastic-looking ornaments
Wrap One Wall in Tartan Behind the Tree
Tartan on a throw is lovely. Tartan on a whole wall, with your Christmas tree glowing in front of it, is unforgettable. Choose a wallpaper in muted Black Watch or a deep green and navy plaid.
Use it on only one wall so the room doesn’t feel heavy. Place the tree just in front, and keep its ornaments to brass, red velvet, and cream so they stand out against the pattern. Renting? Peel-and-stick tartan gives you the same effect for the season and comes off cleanly in January.
Hang Stockings on a Tack-Room Wall
Ralph Lauren’s world starts at the stables, so take your cue from the tack room. Mount a row of sturdy brass hooks on a plain wall in a hallway or den. Instead of a mantel, hang your Christmas stockings here, one per hook, in tartan, cable knit, or velvet. Add a leather bridle or riding helmet on the end hooks for that equestrian touch. A small wreath with a red bow in the center pulls it all together. No fireplace? This is the perfect solution.
Create an Aspen Ski-Lodge Christmas Corner
Ralph Lauren’s ski-lodge style is pure Christmas romance. You can capture it in a single corner. Lean a pair of vintage wooden skis against the wall and tie a plaid bow where they cross.
Next to them, set a small potted tree trimmed with red and cream Fair Isle-style knit ornaments. Fill a low basket with chunky knit blankets and drape a sheepskin over a modern chair. Old leather ice skates hanging by their laces finish the scene. Vintage skis and skates turn up at thrift shops and online marketplaces, especially in early autumn.
Dress a Gallery of Dog Portraits for the Holidays
Dogs are everywhere in Ralph Lauren holiday imagery, often in grand oil portraits. Build a small gallery wall of dog paintings in gold or black frames. Then dress each one for Christmas with a tiny boxwood wreath hung from the top of the frame or a slim velvet bow. Add a brass picture light over the largest portrait. A garland along the console below connects the whole wall. It’s witty, personal, and a real conversation starter.
Fill Silver Trophy Cups With Holly
Swap ordinary vases for silver trophy cups this Christmas. These old-school loving cups bring instant country-club polish. Fill them with holly, red berries, and a few white amaryllis or roses.
Group two or three in different heights on a console, dining table, or sideboard. Odd numbers look more natural than pairs. Flea markets often sell them cheaply, and a little tarnish adds charm, so don’t over-polish.
Raise a Tabletop Tree on Vintage Leather Trunks
Short on floor space? Stack two or three vintage leather trunks and set a tabletop tree on top. The trunks lift the tree to eye level and nod to Ralph Lauren’s love of travel. Trim it with brass bells, tartan bows, and a few old luggage tags tied with red string. Tuck wrapped gifts around the base of the stack. When Christmas ends, the trunks stay on as a side table.
Plant an Indoor Christmas Grove in Heritage Urns
Instead of one big tree, try a small Christmas grove. Line up three or five dwarf spruces in aged brass, stone, or terracotta urns. Place them along a window wall or on both sides of a doorway.
Wrap each in warm lights and tie a single tartan bow at the top. That’s all. The repetition looks clean and modern, while the urns keep it classic.
Host a Country-House Christmas Breakfast
A Ralph Lauren Inspired Christmas morning deserves a proper country-house breakfast. Turn your sideboard or kitchen island into a buffet so everyone can help themselves while gifts are opened. It keeps the morning relaxed and the table free.
Use silver trays, glass cloches over pastries, and a polished coffee pot. Lay a tartan runner underneath with low greenery tucked between dishes. Bowls of clementines and a crock of jam make it feel generous.
Set it up the night before, minus the food. In the morning, all you’ll need to do is fill the trays.
Set Up a Christmas Library Den
Every Ralph Lauren home seems to have one wood-lined room made for winter evenings. If you have a study or a wall of shelves, turn it into your Christmas library. Tuck small potted evergreens and brass candleholders between stacks of leather-spined books. Place a slim tree in the corner and a leather armchair with a tartan throw beside it. Dark-stained shelves or painted green walls deepen the cozy effect. This becomes the quiet spot for reading, wrapping gifts, or simply hiding from the holiday rush.
Bring a Western Ranch Christmas Home
Ralph Lauren’s Western side makes for a warmer, earthier Christmas. Think worn leather, rich wood, and wool blankets with bold stripes in red, cream, and black. Drape one over a leather sofa and lay a cowhide rug on the floor.
Hang a cedar wreath tied with leather or suede cord instead of ribbon. Trim the tree with red wooden beads, small brass stars, and plaid flannel bows. Black iron lanterns and pine cones finish the look. It suits modern farmhouses and anyone who wants Christmas to feel a little more rugged.
Choose a Coastal New England Christmas
Love a crisp seaside feel? Borrow from Ralph Lauren’s coastal style. Swap red and green for navy, white, and natural rope, with greenery as the only green. Hang a wreath tied with navy-and-white striped ribbon and trim the tree with brass bells and white ornaments. Brass ship lanterns and a rope basket for gifts finish it. It’s fresh, calm, and still feels like Christmas.
Deck Out a Country Boot Room
A mudroom or back entry is where a country house really lives in December. Hang waxed barn coats and tartan scarves on a row of pegs. Line up wellies and leather boots on a tray below.
Then make it festive. Drape a cedar garland along the peg rail and hang a wreath above the bench. Fill a wicker basket with wool blankets for sledding days or walks in the cold. Even a narrow hallway can pull this off.
Give Your Furniture a Christmas Wardrobe
You switch to wool coats for winter, and your furniture can too. Slip tweed or houndstooth covers onto dining chairs and tie a velvet bow with a sprig of holly on each chair back. Add a red herringbone throw to the sofa and swap linen pillows for velvet and cashmere. A sheepskin on a bench softens everything. These textures make a modern room feel festive without adding more ornaments. Come January, simply pack them away.
Monogram Your Christmas
Monograms are a quiet Ralph Lauren signature, and Christmas is the perfect time to use them. Have initials stitched onto stockings, linen napkins, and a velvet pillow or two. Stamp gift tags with a wax seal of your initial.
Stick to one thread color, like gold or cream, so it feels cohesive. Keep the letters classic, never curly or cartoonish. These pieces become heirlooms you’ll pull out every year.
Make a Christmas Corner for Your Dog
Pets belong in every Ralph Lauren holiday scene, so give yours a festive spot of its own. Set a tartan or quilted dog bed near the fire or tree. Hang a small stocking above it with your pet’s name stitched on. Add a leather collar with a brass tag and a little tartan bandana. A wooden bowl of treats completes it. It’s one of the sweetest photo spots in the house.
Start Small and Let It Grow
You don’t need every idea this year. Pick the two or three that suit your home and your story, then add more next December. That slow, collected approach is exactly what gives a Ralph Lauren Inspired Christmas its charm. In a few years, your home will look like it has always been this way.