christmas lights mid-century modern style

I think if I had to pick my absolutely favorite thing about Christmas decorations, I would have to pick the lights. Christmas lights on homes are just so darn pleasant.

But in Southern California (and I assume Florida and Hawaii), light wrapped palm trees kick off the holiday decorating season and are particularly awe inspiring.

Nothing says Christmas more to me than light wrapped Palm Trees. What is not to love?

You think I am kidding? We live in a community called Irvine Terrace. It is one of the original communities in Corona del Mar, alongside Pacific Coast Highway and was constructed in the 1950's and the early 1960's. We pay a nominal Home Owner's Association fee of $490 annually. And what do we get for our $490? A fourteen foot roof limit (view protection) AND Christmas lights.

I love our lights.

These are the lights at the back entrance to the housing tract. Equally stupendous.

Cool tree on the hill that a nearly original resident wraps every year. I couldn't get a good picture so I had to do a weird effect. It is actually quite beautiful. Maybe I'll crawl up the hill in a week and try to get a closer picture actually in focus.

The Fashion Island entrance takes on kind of a Stonehenge look at Christmas. Fashion Island is across the street from Irvine Terrace and is your basic, average, widely upscale shopping mall.

Fashion Island was in the news last weekend. We were sitting home exhausted after a long afternoon spent at Costco and Target and started hearing just a TON of sirens and helicopters. Christmas can be a very sad and desperate time for some.

Just like any neighborhood, we have a few people who really go all out with lights.

He looks a little embarrassed, doesn't he?

The all red house is one of my annual favorites.

The neighbor's next to the all red house do lots of green. Lovely.

The prior three homes (lion, red, and green) all line a cliff and have magnificent views of Newport Bay and Balboa Island. Because Irvine Terrace has fourteen foot roof limits, we have views of these homes' garages and, consequently, we could actually afford to buy in this housing tract many years ago. I just want to clear that up.

The house next door to ours scraped their mid-century and did sort of a Tuscan one story. Frankly, their mid-century needed to be scraped due to many, many poor remodels.

Their lights are awesome! Yay!

And the house across the street has a children's choir! How sweet.

And our house? What could be more mid-century then a charming scene of Santa dashing to the rooftop with his reindeer?

My dad made this years ago in his wood shop. It became too big of a project for him to put it out so Albert gladly took it over.

We love our Santa. And our wrapped Palm Trees.


For more beautiful Christmas decorations go check out The Inspired Room and The Cottage Magpie.

Related Posts:

• Mid-Century Minimalist Christmas Decorations
• Christmas Begins in Corona del Mar
• Christmas in October: Roger's Gardens