Keep your Christmas decorations on-trend
THIS YEAR DITCH THE TIRED OLD RED AND GREEN ACCESSORIES AND TRY SOMETHING NEW
IF YOU have been decorating for Christmas with the same red and green accessories year after year, then this festive season is the perfect opportunity to shake things up with some on-trend colours and design ideas.
While some features are perennial – think glitter, holly and mistletoe, verdant garlands and tartan – here are some of the latest big ideas to make your interior spaces scream ‘’ Tis the season!’
WHITE WITH LIME GREEN
Easily the most eye-popping trend this year, a white and lime green colour scheme is definitely one that will command attention this Christmas. This trend works great if you have a minimalist or Scandi vibe already going in your home. The centrepiece of this styling is the crisp white base provided by your glimmering white Christmas tree.
Give it a modern feel by popping it into a sleek white-gloss holder at the bottom, or go for a more classical look with an ornate, sculpted holder, or seek the Scandi look with cable-knit textiles loosely arranged underneath.
For the pops of colour, you can use a peppering of matt or glossy lime green baubles, complemented by a muted gold accessory (as long as it’s not too brassy, it will match nicely). The overall effect brings out the magic and wonder of winter, while still being far from boring!
PERSONALISED
Adults and children alike love to see their own names worked in as part of the decorations – after all, who doesn’t love to see their name in lights? You could add the first letter of everyone’s name to your mantle display, as light-up letters are available in high street bargain shops and garden centres across the country. If you’re feeling a bit crafty, there are dozens of DIY bunting and garland tutorials online, so that you can hang your partner’s, your children’s or grandchildren’s names right alongside the tinsel on your tree. It’s a beautiful and unique look each and every time, especially when the letters are dressed up with a bit of glitter or a multicoloured string.
And if you like crafting as a family, you can get the kids involved in decorating their own name garland. Sounds like a great Christmas Eve activity to us.
NATURAL MATERIALS
One trend we are very excited about this year is the natural materials trend. You may already own a fair few ornaments made from wood, especially if you have dabbled with a woodland theme in the past. Simple shapes work best, and these shapes should be carved from natural materials, such as wood, marble and granite, in order to give your tree, mantel or entryway an original, modern look.
Vibrant agate in jewel-tone shades can give your tree the wow factor, especially when used to complement a simple white-light motif. This particular styling looks truly impressive when used to dress up a dining room table.
Use agate and ribbon for glam napkin holders, or hanging from a simple birch bough suspended over your dining room table to complete the look.
These festive decorations will last you all the way through New Year’s – in fact, you may never want to take them down.
SUSTAINABLE
Go sustainable this year by using plastic-free wrapping on your under-the-tree gifts. The great part about going down the environmentally friendly route is how striking it looks in your home – although DIY solutions always come with a word of caution not to leave it all until the last minute.
Slapdash and self-made don’t usually go well together unless you have a lot of practice or get lucky!
To begin with, forage your home for interesting old papers you have stored away in a cupboard, but you can live without – for example, old calendars and maps (perhaps left over from that mid-90s road trip) can look fantastic when repurposed as wrapping paper. Newspaper and paper bags can be given a new use too. Or why not get creative and draw or paint your own on plain white or brown paper?
For a homely, old-fashioned look, ditch the cello tape and opt for twine or coloured string, which you can glam up with your own metallic paints if you like a little bit of pizzazz. Not only will these gifts look the part, the person you are giving them to will feel that bit more special knowing you took the time to make it yourself. Win-win.
No matter which style you choose this Christmas, you can give boring the heave ho-ho-ho and achieve an amazing interior space in which to enjoy your bestever festive season.