Good morning, everyone, and welcome to our flat in Stuttgart, Germany. We just moved here into this space in mid-September so I’m definitely still getting settled, but there’s nothing like decorating for Christmas to make a place feel like home!
Thank you to our tour hostess, Marty at A Stroll Thru Life, for organizing the tour. It’s a tremendous amount of work to pull one of these together and she does it four times a year!
If you’re visiting from Cassie Bustamante, welcome. Her house has the best sink on the internet, in my opinion, and I just love her colorful and quirky style.
The quick background on our family is that we just moved from North Carolina to Stuttgart, Germany this summer. My husband is active-duty Army and so moving frequently is a fact of life for us, but I will say that moving overseas with a high school senior, a dog, and a cat during Covid has not been for the faint of heart! Our oldest just flew back from the States last weekend for the semester break and is currently quarantining in the guest room. We’re just happy that we can all be together as for awhile we weren’t sure if US college students would be allowed to travel to Germany to be reunited with their families.
Since we’re in a flat in the middle of downtown Stuttgart, I don’t have a front porch to decorate this year. Instead, we take the elevator up to the first floor and the doors open right into our foyer.
I love vintage and thrifted pieces, and this repurposed sewing cabinet sits right by the elevator. The basket hides the dog’s collar and leashes.
While our apartment is quite spacious by German standards (about 2200sf), things are very different over here. For example, there are no closets in German homes since they are taxed on how many rooms they have. Instead, everyone buys armoires (or IKEA Pax systems–lol) for every room. I’ve had to get pretty creative with storage, and I really miss having a walk in closet. But living in Europe is a nice tradeoff!
The grey dresser now holds hats, gloves, and scarves in the top drawer and gift wrapping supplies below.
We were lucky enough to visit Tuscany for our anniversary this year, and I bought this beautiful handmade Italian leather bag in Florence. The store also makes jackets, belts, gloves, and more, and they provided a coupon code for our readers that will give you 20% off your purchase (use MAGNOLIA20).
The bedrooms are on one side of our flat and look out on the street. I’m not sharing them in this tour, but you can see a video tour of the entire empty space here.
The white armoire has been repurposed as my linen closet and also holds medications and first aid supplies. I’m also on the lookout for an antique chandelier to hang in this hallway.
I only brought about 2/3 of my furniture and half of my Christmas decorations over; the rest are in storage back in the States. So my Christmas decor isn’t as over the top as it usually is!
The living room, kitchen, powder room, dining room, and terrace all look out over downtown Stuttgart. We have an absolutely amazing view; this is the photo I used for our Christmas card:
I featured the dining room last week in more detail (see it here), but here are a few pictures:
This is actually the little tree that we usually use in my daughter’s room, but we left our huge tree at home because it’s pre-lit and of course the electricity is completely different over here! I think this is a good size for an apartment, though.
The dining room and living room are open concept–this is not the norm in Germany where most rooms are closed off with doors to keep the heat in.
Next stop is Amber at Follow the Yellow Brick Home. We share a love for all things vintage, especially gold mirrors. Don’t miss her beautiful home in Kentucky.
Thanks so much for joining me, and Fröliche Weinachten!
Monday December 7th
A Stroll Thru Life – Worthington Court – Clean and Scentsible – StoneGable – Pink Peppermint Design – Decor To Adore
Tuesday December 8th
Modern Glam – It All Started With Paint – Town and Country Living – Hymns and Verses – Making It In The Mountains – Life On Cedar Lane
Wednesday December 9th
Designing Vibes – Inspiration For Moms – Grace In My Space – The Wood Grain Cottage – Whispering Pines Homestead – Remodelando la Casa
&Thursday December 10th
CitrineLiving – Our Southern Home – Southern State Of Mind – Duke Manor Farm – White Arrows Home – Thrifty and Chic
Friday December 11th
11 Magnolia Lane – Follow The Yellow Brick Home – Delightful Order – Southern Hospitality – Cassie Bustamante
What an exciting move, and I love how cozy you’ve made your new home already!
Thanks so much, Cassie. I’m looking forward to the days when I can go out to the flohmarkts and buy some fabulous antiques to fill the space up!
Christy…I am so impressed with how beautifully you have styled your home (and in such little time!) I think you must have magical super powers. Happy holidays, my friend.
Ha–thank you! There’s so much more to do, but it sure beats the eight weeks we spent in a hotel! XO Christy
I love how you’ve turned your apartment into such a beautiful home in a short time. Your Christmas decor is so pretty. I love the tree and I especially love the dining table decked out for Christmas. That horse for the centerpiece is stunning. Your living room is such a warm and inviting room. You always amaze me how you can move your furniture from room to room and home to home and create such lovely and inviting spaces. Thanks so much for joining the tour again this season and I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas
Your home is truly beautiful! I loved Christmas in Germany. We lived near Ramstein. My son was born in Landstuhl. Such happy memories. Enjoy your time!
Thank you, Laura! I wish the markets were open this year, but at least we have a few booths and some lights downtown. No gluhwein, though, unless you make your own or order it to go. All that being said, a bad day in Europe still beats a good day at home! Take care–Christy
Love the holiday look you’ve created! Remember less is more! =) You all are in my thoughts and wishing you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Thanks so much, my friend! Sorry for the poor communication–this is always our busiest time of year, even from over here. I’m hoping to find a few more treasures once the flohmarkts open up again in the spring so I can fill in some of the blanks.Take care and Merry Christmas!
Everything looks so beautiful! I would never have guessed it was an apartment in Germany! It is so cozy and welcoming for the holidays.
Love that Christmas card too!
Merry Christmas!
Thanks so much, Amber! We’re still getting settled but it’s so nice to finally be moved in. We had to live in a hotel for almost eight weeks after we arrived and it feels absolutely amazing not to be homeless!!
This is a second comment because I am not sure the first one took. Happy Holidays. love the apartment and how you have made it feel like home for you and your family. That view!! I hope you made a wish.
I don’t see your other one so thanks for taking the time to write twice–such a pain! Thanks for the kind words, Laura. We are still getting it the way we want it, but after two months in a hotel, I am just thrilled to have our own place again. Merry Christmas to you!
PS Oh, and I did make a wish. 😉