I LOVE the holidays. The traditions, the food, having everyone together, the decorations, the chaos… all of it!!

But can we talk about how quickly this time of year gets BUSY?!

Between four boys, running a business, family plans, shopping, and everything else that somehow needs to happen before Christmas, it can feel like the second November hits, we’re all racing to get a million things done.

And somewhere in the middle of all that, we start looking around our homes thinking about everything we want to change before people come over.

The dining room needs something. We need more seating. That corner still isn’t finished. Should we get a new table? What about the entryway?!

Trust me, even as an interior designer, I GET IT!! 😂

But here’s what I’ve been thinking about lately. Our homes should make this season easier, not give us another list of things to stress about.

So this year, I’m keeping a few things simple.

1. I’m not rearranging my entire house for one dinner.

Listen, I love a beautiful dining room. I LOVE a good table setting. And I will absolutely find an excuse to bring home another chair.

But I’m not about to completely rearrange my house just because we’re hosting Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Instead, I’m thinking about how our spaces actually work.

Can people move around comfortably? Is there somewhere to put a drink? Do we have enough places for everyone to sit?

Sometimes the answer isn’t buying a whole new dining set. Maybe it’s finding two really great chairs that work in your dining room but can also move into the living room when you need them.

That’s one thing I love about vintage furniture. You can find pieces with so much character that don’t have to serve just one purpose or stay in one room forever.

The goal isn’t to make your house look like it’s ready for a photo shoot.

It’s to make sure everyone has somewhere to sit when dessert comes out!

2. I’m making my furniture work a little harder.

If there’s one thing I appreciate more and more, it’s furniture that’s beautiful AND actually useful.

Especially this time of year.

That vintage dresser you’ve been eyeing? It doesn’t have to go in a bedroom!

It could be the perfect piece in your dining room for storing table linens, candles, serving dishes, and all those things you only seem to need when you’re hosting.

A buffet can become a drink station. A cabinet can hold extra dishes. A little vintage chest in the entryway can hide the things that always seem to collect by the front door.

And the best part? When the holidays are over, those pieces are still useful!

This is honestly one of my favorite things about what we do at MegMade.

We have so many vintage pieces available that can work in different rooms and serve different purposes. And I LOVE helping people see the possibilities in a piece they might have walked right past!

Maybe you love the shape of a dresser but want it painted a beautiful green. Maybe you want a darker stain or different hardware.

You can take a vintage piece with so much character and make it completely your own.

And when that piece also solves a problem in your house? EVEN BETTER!!

Take a peek at our available vintage furniture!

3. I’m not decorating every single corner.

I know. Coming from someone who LOVES decorating, this might sound a little surprising.

But I really don’t think every surface in your home needs a Christmas decoration.

Sometimes one beautiful moment is enough.

A dining table with greenery and candles. A festive entryway. A few meaningful things on the mantel.

Done!

I’d much rather have a handful of decorations I genuinely love than spend the entire month moving things around just so we can put our coffee cups down.

And I think this is where having furniture you already love makes such a difference.

A beautiful vintage cabinet, a great dining table, or a dresser in a color you adore doesn’t need a ton of decorations to feel special.

It already brings something to the room!

Sometimes all it needs is a little greenery, a ribbon, or a bowl filled with ornaments.

And sometimes it doesn’t need anything at all.

4. I’m thinking about where everyone is actually going to sit.

You know what happens when you have people over?

Everyone ends up in the same room anyway!! 😂

It doesn’t matter how many spaces you’ve decorated. Somehow, everybody ends up gathered around the kitchen or squeezed into the living room.

So instead of worrying about whether every room looks perfect, I think it’s worth paying attention to the places people naturally gather.

Do you have a chair you can pull into the conversation? A little stool that can double as extra seating? A side table that can move wherever someone needs it?

These are the kinds of things I think about constantly when designing homes.

And I love using vintage pieces for this because they can add so much personality without making a room feel like everything was purchased together.

A pair of vintage chairs can be beautiful in a bedroom all year long, then come downstairs when the whole family is over.

We have some really fun vintage seating options at MegMade, and I love that these are pieces you can enjoy long after the holiday guests leave.

Plus, if you’ve ever hosted a big family gathering, you know an extra chair is basically GOLD.

5. I’m choosing things I’ll still love in January.

I think it’s so easy to get caught up in wanting everything to look beautiful before the holidays.

And there’s nothing wrong with wanting your home to feel special!

But if you’re considering buying furniture right now, here’s what I’d encourage you to think about:

Will I still love this when the Christmas decorations come down?

Because the holidays are only a few weeks. Your home is where you live the rest of the year.

If you’ve been wanting a new dining table, a vintage buffet, or a pair of chairs, those can be wonderful additions. Just make sure you’re choosing them because they work for your everyday life, too.

That’s also why I love finding and customizing vintage furniture.

You’re not limited to whatever color or finish happens to be sitting on a showroom floor.

At MegMade, we have so many vintage pieces with beautiful shapes and details, and you can choose how you want them to look in your home.

And if you’re looking for something you can bring home sooner, we have finished pieces available to shop, too!

I love the idea of buying something that becomes part of your family’s holiday memories, but is just as special on a random Tuesday in March.

That’s when you know you’ve found a good piece.

Shop our available furniture at MegMade!

6. I’m remembering what people actually come over for.

This might be the most important one.

Nobody is coming to your house because your dining chairs match perfectly or because you finally finished decorating that one corner.

They’re coming to spend time with YOU.

They’re coming for the food, the conversations, the kids running around, the stories you’ve all heard a hundred times, and hopefully a whole lot of laughter.

Some of my favorite memories have happened in rooms that were anything but perfect.

And I think that’s something I want to remember more often.

I spend so much of my life thinking about how to make homes beautiful. I absolutely love that part of my job.

But what I love even more is thinking about what happens in those homes after we’re done.

The birthdays. The holidays. The ordinary dinners. The kids growing up. The people gathered around the table.

That’s the good stuff.

And if a vintage dresser that we refinished ends up holding someone’s holiday dishes for the next 20 years, or a dining table becomes the place where their family gathers every Christmas, that’s pretty special to me.

Because the furniture is never really the whole story.

It’s what happens around it.

A little reminder before the holiday craziness begins…

You don’t have to finish every room.

You don’t need all new furniture.

And you definitely don’t need to make your house look like someone else’s holiday Pinterest board.

Make the spaces you use most feel comfortable. Find pieces that make your everyday life easier. Bring in a little personality. And leave plenty of room for the people you love.

And if you’ve been searching for a vintage piece that could make your home a little more functional AND a lot more you, come see us at MegMade!

We have so many vintage pieces available to shop, whether you’re looking for something finished or want to customize a piece with a color and finish you love.

But most importantly, don’t let the pressure to make everything beautiful keep you from enjoying the beautiful things already happening right in front of you.

Here’s to a holiday season with less pressure, more laughter, and a whole lot of good memories. ❤️

Love,

Meg

P.S. If you’re near Chicago or Northwest Indiana, come visit us at our Chicago or Munster showroom! We’d love to help you find something special for your home.

Explore MegMade’s furniture collection