VISIONS OF SUGAR PLUMS
The latest in holiday decorating
OPEN- CONCEPT LAYOUTS WITH KITCHENS EXPOSED TO LIVING AREAS MEANS HOLIDAY DECOR SHOULD FLOW SEAMLESSLY THROUGHOUT ROO MS OPEN TO ONE ANOT HER, WHETHER IT BE A KITCHEN IN A MODERN CONDO OR A FARMHOUSE STYLE. — KARL LOHNES
This year’s trends in Christmas decorating offer a fresh take on festive decor — perfect whether you’re decorating your first tree or updating older holiday accessories. From fashionable to fun, here’s a rundown of the big trends, new interpretations on the classic red-green-andgold palette, and tips for integrating older Christmas decorations into the mix.
Plum is the new red
Plum is all over the fashion runways and is coming home for the holidays as this year’s most fashionable decorating colour for Christmas. Plum layers beautifully with traditional burgundy, as well as modern millennial pink or blush. It looks especially great with the ontrend grey tones in decor, but it’s also plum perfect for palettes featuring beige or warm neutral colours. Do you have some leftover pink ornaments from the 1990s? It’s time to pull them out and refresh the collection with a few plum- coloured ornaments. Complementary colours: metallic golds or rose golds, greys, blacks, beige and green.
Sage advice
Earthy- warm colours and cool- silvery metallics work with this cool neutral shade of green/ blue. It’s a great colour to help cool down warm wood tones, yet also supports cool, modern interiors of grey or blue. Sage is subtle, so it looks great in monochromatic interiors and layers beautifully with silver metallics ( note that sage is not a colour that blends well with golds). Use sage as a base colour for ornaments on a tree or sprinkle sage into your existing holiday decorating scheme to cool down the overall palette for a serene, cool look. Best colours to complement: grey, green, silver metallics and beige.
Llama fun
I’m not sure what happened to the Grinch or Rudolph this year, but don’t be surprised if you see llamas pulling Santa’s sleigh. Yes, the whimsical llama — a play on South American boho style — is bringing a cheeky and casual vibe to holiday accessories. The motif is playful, rustic and teams well with bright, childlike holiday decor.
Kringle in the kitchen
The one room to spend a little extra time decorating this year is the kitchen. Open- concept layouts with kitchens exposed to living areas means holiday decor should flow seamlessly throughout rooms open to one another, whether it be a kitchen in a modern condo or a farmhouse style. Having a holiday vibe in the kitchen can be creative, fun and as easy as adding a holiday ribbon around a cake or writing a holiday message on the blackboard.
Kitchen tip: Choose kitchen holiday decor that’s useful in some way, like coffee mugs, tea towels and oven mitts. I always say: it’s not countertop clutter if it’s Christmas- y and can be useful throughout the holidays!
Bring new life to your old holiday collections
❚ Opposites attract: Got a lot of one colour in your ornament collection? Look for a few new items in a trendy colour that is also opposite on the colour wheel from your existing ornaments. The new mix will create big impact that’s totally on trend.
❚ Gather together: Create impact by grouping similarly themed or coloured items together for impact. Ways to gather objects: fill a hurricane vase in the foyer, or attach to a twine rope strung across the window.
❚ Host an ornament exchange: You’ve heard of cookie exchanges? Why not invite your decorator friends over and have an ornament trade-off or sell-off party?