Holiday Lighting Ideas for 2025: Soft Glow, Nostalgic Color, and Cozy Corner Upgrades

Holiday lights are doing a 180 this year. Less “icy blue showroom,” more warm glow, retro shapes, and that slightly over-the-top, movie-living-room feeling. Think vintage-inspired bulbs, soft lamp light, and a couple of corners that feel like you live there, not like you staged them for a catalog.
Below are a few easy ways to get that look using things you can actually buy from a furniture store: lamps, mirrors, small furniture, and a bit of smart color.
Shop all holiday deals: Holiday Deals Hub
You can also find our Christmas Sale for major Christmastime decorating deals

1. Start with the glow: warmer bulbs + layered lamps

The fastest way to make a room feel more like “fireside” and less like “waiting room” is the color of your bulbs. Look for warm white LEDs (around 2700K) or anything labeled “soft white,” “amber,” or “golden” instead of bright/cool white. It’s a tiny swap that changes the whole mood. Then layer in lamps instead of blasting one overhead fixture:

• A table lamp near the sofa or reading chair
• A floor lamp in a dark corner
• A small accent lamp on a console or shelf

You end up with pockets of light instead of one harsh spotlight, which instantly reads cozier and more flattering.

Shop Lighting

2. Bring back nostalgia (without going full tinsel explosion)

Decor trends this year are leaning hard into nostalgia—vintage bulbs, classic shapes, and a “Home Alone living room” level of cozy, just toned down enough to work in a real house.
A few easy ways to nod to that without going overboard:

• Swap at least one strand of lights to retro-style or oversized bulbs (C9, globe shapes, or faux “glass” LEDs).
• Use warm white or soft multi-color instead of cold blue-white.
• Wrap lights around something you already have: a mirror, a console vignette, or the inside of a bookcase.

It feels festive and intentional without requiring a full tree-in-every-room situation.
Shop decor that works with lights: Various Decor - Classics

3. Build a “cozy corner” in three pieces

If you only tweak one thing this year, make yourself (or someone you’re gifting) a proper corner to sit in. You don’t need to redesign the whole room—you just need three things:

1. We love a comfortable chair. Think accent chair, small armchair, or even a padded bench
2. A light source (floor lamp or table lamp at eye level when you’re seated)
3. A small surface (side table, nesting table, or C-table for drinks and books)

Add a throw and a pillow if you want to be extra about it, but those three pieces are enough to turn random empty space into a reading corner, phone-call zone, or “quiet five minutes” spot.
Shop cozy corner staples: Accent Chairs • Side Tables • Throws & Pillows

4. Use mirrors and glass to bounce the light around

If you like the idea of more glow but don’t want your house covered in wires, let mirrors and glass do some of the work.

• Hang a mirror opposite a window or tree, so it doubles the sparkle.
• Add a mirror above a console with a small lamp in front of it.
• Use glass-front cabinets or glass vases to catch and reflect string lights.

For the most part, this is really helpful in apartments and smaller rooms -- you know, places where you might want a cozy effect without taking up floor space in the way.

Shop Favorite Wall Mirrors

5. Small-space lighting that doesn’t eat square footage

Tighter layouts are always tougher to decorate. Casagear’s decor tips team has advice just for you. We say: skip floor lamps that stick out into walkways and go vertical instead. Here are some examples to get you inspired:

• Plug-in wall sconces or wall-mounted lamps near seating.
• Slim floor lamps that tuck behind a chair or console.
• String lights along a window frame, headboard, or open shelving.
• LED candles on a tray or inside a lantern (no wax, no smoke).

With this, you still get that cozy vibe every place wants, but you’re not tripping over any crowded corners or out-sticking power cords during a midnight snack dash.

Shop our small-space-friendly lighting: Wall Lighting • Lanterns & Candleholders

Your tree might be the star, but the rest of the room is what you actually live in. Warm up the bulbs, add one or two nostalgic touches, and claim at least one corner that feels finished.
Shop holiday lighting, decor, and more at our Holiday Deals Hub