Decorating your home for Christmas
Getting Christmas ready!
There’s no denying it; Christmas is creeping up fast! The next few weeks will be full of preparations, buying gifts, family outings, school plays, and planning get togethers with your nearest and dearest.
Bringing family and friends into your home is one of the great joys of Christmas time, and a perfect opportunity to show off your festive décor too. Whether you’ve got a large spacious home or a cosy flat, whether you prefer tinsel or something more tasteful, there are plenty of options for everyone.
Let’s start with the most obvious one; the tree. The practice of bringing a tree inside started hundreds of years ago and is based around the idea of bringing greenery into your home during the bare winter months, to brighten the spirits and remind us that spring will return. Fast forward to 2019 and we obviously go much further than just a tree but the same concept is true today; with shorter days and bitter temperatures, the brightness of Christmas gives us something to celebrate and enjoy together.
Decorated greenery
Every year we see different trends in Christmas decorations. In recent years the traditional red and green based combinations are moving aside for more creative options, such as pastel tones, floral garlands, rainbows and brightly coloured trees. Dan Cooper, who has the enviable job of working as Christmas buyer for John Lewis and Partners, notes that shoppers are now going for something as different as possible, with the most unusual decorations flying off the shelves first.
People are also looking more widely than just the tree, and considering the festive decoration of the whole space rather than just a single tree. I’ve written in a previous post https://www.hiltingburyinteriors.co.uk/beccis-blog/2019/2/28/matching-your-christmas-decorations-to-your-home-decor , about my hints and tips for tree decoration, and you can expand your ideas and themes into different living spaces and rooms to create a wonderfully cosy feel that runs throughout the house.
When decorating your home for Christmas there are so many different things you can consider, such as table dressing. Add layers of colour and texture with place mats, napkins, and place names, and you can also create some height with candles or vases. Putting some greenery around your centrepiece and on each place setting always makes an eye-catching feature and can bring together the whole arrangement.
Personalise your place settings.
A few finishing touches can leave your home feeling warm and festive without too much effort. Arrange some foliage such as fir, with pinecones and a few sprigs of holly over the fireplace (but not too close to the fire!), add a few candles and put some extra blankets and throws on the seating and you’ll quickly transform the feel of a room.
If you like a bit of sparkle, you can buy a few sets of battery operated fairy lights to bring a warm glow. I have a set that I weave into the log basket by the fire, which is simple but with great effect. These little bits and pieces make it cosy for you and your visitors and add a bit of oomph to your style, which is what we all look for when decorating for the festive season.
When planning for social events and gatherings in your home, there are a number of small changes you can make that will have a big impact on the feel of the room and the experience for you and your guests. Think about creating a drinks trolley or drinks corner like you might see in a chic boutique hotel, perhaps with a cocktail shaker, some garnishes and attractive glasses where people can mix their drinks. Add a few extra side tables around the room where you can put some nibbles and people can put their drinks down, and with just a few extra touches the room is made for socialising!
However you choose to decorate this Christmas, whether it’s bright and shiny tinsel in every corner and multicoloured tree decorations, or elegant understated neutral tones, the same rules of interior design apply - go with what suits you best. What you see on Instagram or Pinterest or even in your neighbour’s windows may look fabulous, but your decoration has to suit you and your home, so choose the colours and styles that feel natural for you.
My two favourite places for decorations are very different, but both wonderful for festive inspiration. I may be a little biased as I used to work with Dan and the design team at John Lewis, but I really think they get trends spot on, with new ideas and something for everyone year after year. You can look through their different Christmas themes for 2019 here, https://www.johnlewis.com/content/home/christmas-decorating-ideas-and-trends?intcmp=ic_20191107_baublestrends_gp_xma_, My favourites this year are Campfire and Garden Retreat themes, which one are you drawn too?!
My other go to is the Garden Society, (photographed above ) https://www.thegardensociety.co.uk , a fantastic independent retailer local to me in Hampshire. They put so much effort into their Christmas range and have a great eye for style. It’s a lovely place to visit as well as to shop for gorgeous decorations and homeware, and they also put on excellent immersive themed events throughout the year.
Above all else, make sure that decorating your home for Christmas is something you enjoy. We all have enough on our to do lists, so whatever you plan, make sure it fits with you and your family, and make it a group event! Pop on some festive tunes and get everyone involved, so that the finished product is something you can all be proud of.
Wishing you happy decorating and all the best for a fabulous Christmas and New Year x