2020’s Top Outdoor Holiday Decorating Trends Are Bigger, Bolder and Brighter According to Christmas Decor

If holiday enthusiasts ever wanted to unleash their inner Clark Griswold when it comes to lighting up their homes for the holidays, 2020 is the year to do so. That’s because while the pandemic forces people to scale back holiday travel and party plans, it’s having the opposite effect when it comes to outdoor decorations.

“People need cheer this year!” says Brandon Stephens, president of Christmas Decor, an Irving, Texas-based holiday-lighting installation franchise. With more than 20 years of decorating houses in over 300 communities across North America, Stephens says this year is one for the record books. “We’ve never had this much sizzle this early. Our phone started ringing in September and it hasn’t stopped.”

Christmas Decor has already seen a spike in sales. Stephens said the orders for home lighting installations were up 25% in October over the same time last year, and 110% after the first week in November compared to 2019.

Outdoor decoration trends

And like the holiday-crazed hero of “Christmas Vacation,” too much is not enough when it comes to this year’s outdoor decoration trends. According to Stephens, U.S. consumers are going all out on the biggest, brightest decorations they can find in 2020.

The top trends that Christmas Decor is seeing when it comes to outdoor yard decorating are:

This year, Stephens says you’ll see a lot of standalone enormous yard displays of familiar holiday icons. Look for three-dimensional, larger-than-life snowflakes, towering candy canes, six-foot, blindingly bright stars and bows big enough to wrap up your entire house.

Forget monochromatic icy hues and too-cool-for-school muted winter shades. This year’s palette is all about amping up the merriment. Stephens says people are trending toward the nostalgic and classic fun of the holiday season. In addition to lots of colored lights, the brand is seeing classic red and green themes emerge as people look back on treasured memories of past holidays.

Neighborhood light tours

This year, more neighborhoods are planning driving tours of holiday lights as a way to be socially distant while still being together. The trend may explain the desire to supersize everything as neighbors try to outdo each other with dazzling decor and keep passersby entertained.

Once a forgotten area for holiday decorations, this year, the back of the house is getting more attention. With outdoor visits becoming mandatory for your visitors, homeowners want the backyard to feel as festive as the front. Look for garland-entwined bench seating and birch-logs fire pits as homeowners mix form and function with their holiday decor.

Originally created as an off-season supplement to the landscaping business, the Texas-based franchise now brings holiday cheer to over 300 communities across North America, ultimately creating jobs for 3,000-plus seasonal workers that might otherwise be unemployed. Backed by a strong business model and double-digit revenue increase year-over-year for the last 11 years, Christmas Decor is looking to grow in markets across the U.S.