I'm Ditching Wreaths for Zooey Deschanel and Jonathan Scott's Simple Christmas Bush – It Instantly Transforms Their Backyard Into a Festive Oasis
Outdoor decorating just got interesting with Zooey Deschanel and Jonathan Scott's understated ornament-covered evergreen bush – here's how to recreate it
When it comes to outdoor decorating, it feels there are just a few options; a wreath on the front door or adding Christmas lights to the exterior of your home. This year, however, Zooey Deschanel and Jonathan Scott are reinventing the wheel with a playful Christmas bush in their backyard.
The couple took to Instagram to share a swoon-worthy expression of excitement about spending yet another holiday together, but we were more taken with the background. Their stunning outdoor Christmas decor idea centers on an evergreen bush decked with felted red and green ornaments. The decor is traditional, while the effect is anything but.
This year, I'm taking a page out of Deschanel and Scott's book and considering the entire backyard my Christmas canvas. Luckily, their Christmas decor is exceedingly easy to recreate. To start, all you need is an evergreen shrub, like these classic Boxwoods from Amazon.
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Recreate Jonathan and Zooey's Look at Home
Red, gold and green have been holiday classics for centuries, so why start anywhere else? This pack of 100 ornaments is a must-have for every Christmas tree, whether you’re styling an entryway or a timeless living space.
Felted and fabric ornaments are a huge part of Zooey and Jonathan's Christmas bush, and these tiny tigers are extra adorable. Each is decorated for the holiday season – one with a hat, another with string lights, and a third with a scarf.
This classic palette has been tied to Christmas for centuries, so it makes sense to start with the classics. These pretty frosted ornaments give the sense of having been snowed on, offering an additional festive touch.
With its bright yellow body and colorful pellets at the tip of each point, this star-shaped tree topper is quite the sight. Made from felt, it has a charmingly homemade quality to its design. It can act as a delightfully whimsical detail to add to the top of your Christmas bush this holiday season.
I just love the classic, timeless look of this string of felt garland. Designed as a holly berry garland with white leaves, this garland has a sophisticated and elegant look to it. If you're looking to create a refined holiday decor display in your home, this felt garland could certainly help you in doing so.
The varied styles of ornaments are perfect for layering several on top of each other. They are a wonderful complement to gold and green, and would be perfect for tying a Christmas bush together.
So, what works so well about Zooey and Jonathan's choice to upgrade their Christmas foliage? First, they have chosen color-coordinated ornaments, which creates a stylishly cohesive finished look. Second, they have opted to decorate without Christmas lights which not only makes the design easier to execute, but creates a prettily provincial effect.
To emulate the family's decor, I'm starting with a grouping of traditional ornaments. They opted for a red and white design, and I am going for a similarly classic red and green. Following their lead, I am skipping on Christmas lights and outfitting my backyard bushes in ornaments alone. This choice has the effect of making the design feel festive without looking over the top. I can't wait to show my neighbors.
This year, we are looking for creative solutions that add festive flair to parts of the home you would never expect. From the backyard to the flower bed, nowhere is too obscure to become a simple nod to the holidays. A Christmas bush is a great place to start.
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Sophie is a writer and News Editor on the Celebrity Style team at Homes & Gardens. She is fascinated by the intersection of design and popular culture and is particularly passionate about researching trends and interior history. She is an avid pop culture fan and has interviewed Martha Stewart and Hillary Duff.
In her free time, Sophie freelances on design news for Westport Magazine and Livingetc. She also has a newsletter, My Friend's Art, in which she covers music, culture, and fine art through a personal lens. Her fiction has appeared in Love & Squalor and The Isis Magazine.
Before joining Future, Sophie worked in editorial at Fig Linens and Home, a boutique luxury linens brand. She has an MSc from Oxford University and a BA in Creative Writing and Sociology from Sarah Lawrence College.