MARK WINSTANLEY, creative director of The White Company
‘For me, selecting and then dressing a tree signals the excitement of what’s to come,’ says Mark Winstanley, the creative lead at much-loved British brand The White Company. ‘If a faux tree is looked after carefully, it will last many years – and it’s one less thing to think about when Christmas comes around.’ Going faux also means you avoid dropped needles and wilting branches. This year, The White Company has an offering of 10 trees, from a one-and-a-half-foot miniature style to the nine-foot grand spruce. ‘My favourite has to be our Symons tree, inspired by a Nordmann fir,’ says Mark. ‘It has densely covered branches and a really bushy appearance, which makes it the closest you can get to the real thing.’
But how do you choose? Mark suggests three main considerations: ‘Size is the first – not only when thinking of the room it’s going into, but also how practical it will be to store after the festive period.’ Secondly, you need to decide whether or not to go for a pre-lit style. ‘Personally, I like the ritual of hanging a string of lights around my tree,’ he says, adding that, perhaps unsurprisingly, he prefers warm-toned white lights to colourful ones. His final consideration is its fullness. A bushy style will give a very different effect to a lighter, more open design, for example. ‘It’s a case of deciding what will work best in your space.’ When his tree is decorated, Mark adds an insider’s flourish. ‘I spritz it with The White Company’s Fir Tree room spray, which I use throughout the season,’ he says. ‘It’s the perfect finishing touch.’