How to Bring Vintage Holiday Charm to Your Home, According to Interior Design Expert Brady Tolbert

The holidays have a way of taking us back in time to the seasons we spent enjoying the festivities with loved ones — the classic movie nights tucked away from the winter weather, the full-day-of-preparation family meals, and the little dance parties that break out when the radio finally plays the family faves. When we’re decorating for the holidays, we're often guided by that nostalgia, hoping to re-create the joy and awe we experienced growing up. It can be tricky to nail down what lives so vividly in our memory. Luckily, expert interior designer Brady Tolbert shares how Govee’s Christmas lights make it easy to add vintage flair to your holiday decor, combining nostalgic aesthetics with the convenience of modern technology.

Start With the Christmas Tree to Set a Vintage Holiday Mood

For the holidays, the Christmas tree is a natural starting point. Combining different colors and light textures can help give the tree more texture and shape depth. And your choice of lighting is key to the retro ambiance. For the vintage charm, Tolbert has found that Govee’s Christmas 2-in-1 String Lights help set the mood.

With customizable vintage colors and adjustable warmth, the lights complement classic holiday accents like velvet ribbons and aged brass, making it easy to create a cohesive, nostalgic look. Whether you prefer the familiar warmth of classic red and green, the playful charm of retro pink, or a richly layered vintage aesthetic, these lighting presets bring cherished holiday memories to life in your own home.

'They get you a complete look with one tap, which I love. Classic Christmas is that Christmas movie–inspired red and green; Hot Pink is a playful, retro-style pink and white; and Maximalism is a rich, layered look inspired by a classic aesthetic. These are just starting points, and they can all be tweaked to fit your home and your own style,' he says. This style of lighting is ideal for the focal points of your decoration.

Extend Retro Charm Beyond the Tree

To complete the look, Tolbert suggests thinking beyond just the tree to work in layers.

'Light at three levels: eye level, low level, and architectural highlights. Don’t just light the tree! Frame an archway with garland and a warm backlit glow, add some accent lighting along a credenza or piece of furniture to create depth, and finish with soft ambient light on the mantel. Layering light adds dimension and helps the space feel so much more inviting and cozy,' Tolbert says.

For architectural wrapping, flexibility and clean lines are key to creating that classic, tailored look. Use the Govee Christmas String Lights 2 to offer an ultra-flexible design that molds effortlessly around indoor banisters, fireplace garlands, or outdoor porch pillars, giving key focal points a crisp, wrapped retro glow.

For a more cohesive look, Tolbert suggests repeating a few elements and colors as you go from the focal point to the lower layer and architectural accents. This continuity gets a lot easier with modern smart lighting. 'With Govee’s DreamView, I can sync lighting across different products in the house, to a specific theme or color palette, or even to my favorite Christmas songs. It makes pulling together a rich, unified vintage vibe across the whole room super easy,' Tolbert suggests.

Imagine the family gathered for a favorite Christmas movie, the room glowing in nostalgic holiday colors. From quiet moments by the tree to joyful celebrations with loved ones, synchronized lighting helps turn the entire home into a setting for the laughter, traditions, and memories that make the holidays unforgettable.

Light Up Your Backdrop

Even the plainest portions of your space can prove an opportunity to elevate the vintage vibe. By decorating behind your focal points, you can create more interactive looks. 'I’d use the Govee Smart Curtain Lights Pro to create a glowing backdrop on a window or wall, then carry the same look out to the banister, the mantel, or even the porch,' Talbert recommends. The Govee Curtain Lights Pro offers an easy way to transform large surfaces into festive focal points, bringing nostalgic holiday artwork and retro-inspired visuals to windows and walls. With real-time Music Sync, familiar Christmas carols come to life through dynamic light shows, recreating the joy and wonder of holidays past while bringing family and friends together to make new memories that will last for years to come.

Extend the Retro Glow Outdoors

The vintage-inspired holiday look doesn't have to stop at your front door. Govee’s Cone Tree Lights create a welcoming outdoor centerpiece and can be paired with other Govee outdoor string lights to carry the same warm, nostalgic holiday aesthetic from your living room to your yard. With coordinated lighting across indoor and outdoor spaces, you can create a festive atmosphere that feels cohesive throughout your home.

To get it right, Tolbert suggests ditching bright, cool white lighting. 'Keep it warm, with soft candle tones around 2200K to 2700K. Warm light makes rich colors like green and burgundy look deeper, and it makes a home feel lived-in, welcoming, and wrapped in holiday nostalgia.'

Bring Vintage Charm to Life

With the latest lighting technologies, getting the vintage charm you’re after doesn’t mean hunting down as many old string lights as you can, troubleshooting dead bulbs, and overloading your power outlets to run them all.

Govee’s smart Christmas lights lets you dial in the color and whitepoints you need to nail your retro aesthetic vision, whether you’re lighting up a single area or transforming your entire home. Built-in festive-themed presets make classic vintage looks a snap, while customizable colors and interactive capabilities help you create lighting that complements your holiday decor and brings your vintage vision to life. With the ability to tweak and change the look on a moment's notice, you won’t even have to settle for one look and can enjoy the nostalgia some nights while experimenting and forming new memories on other nights.

You can find Govee’s Christmas Collection here and start building out your dream vintage holiday decor now.