Baubles at the ready
Which Christmas style tribe are you?
The minute Buster the Boxer burst into our consciousness by way of the John Lewis ad last Friday, the Christmas starting gun was fired. And if you were Selfridges you were getting into the mood even before that – this year, it unveiled its Christmas windows in October. With one in 10 people reportedly having already put up their decorations, the message is loud and clear: Christmas really has come early this year.
But if you have dragged your decorations out of hibernation and they’re looking a little tired, read on. Here, tastemakers from four main style tribes share their tips and tricks for decking the halls fashionably. Holly not (always) required.
The ‘Kondo’ Christmas
If you thought that Christmas had to be all about excess, think again. Decluttering was one of the biggest trends of the year, and the Japanese self-proclaimed enemy of stuff, Marie Kondo, would surely approve of the vogue for pared-back yuletide decorating, with “statement” decorations taking precedence over cascades of kitsch tat.
“We’re all about being understated and don’t like to be too showy,” says Emma Sims-Hilditch, creative director of Neptune, a contemporary design brand. “Be disciplined about what you put on the tree and pare it back. Use half the decorations you think you need and do something really restrained and beautiful.”
John Lewis’s Helsinki range is inspired by contemporary Finnish simplicity, combining natural materials with navy-blue and copper accents. “It’s perfect if you don’t want a very heavily dressed, formal Christmas tree because the individual decorations are interesting, geometric shapes and come in on-trend finishes so you don’t have to use that many,” says Dan Cooper, head of seasonal buying for the store.
Or you could ditch the tree altogether: Sims-Hilditch recommends putting fir branches in a tall glass jar, with battery-operated lights, as an alternative. But does purging the halls set the right tone for merry-making?
“You don’t want to be too puritanical about it,” says the interior designer Nina Campbell. “You are looking to create a magical, memorable atmosphere. However contemporary a person’s tastes, they go a few degrees more traditional at Christmas.”
The Hygge holiday
Hygge became so ubiquitous in 2016 that it made it onto the Oxford Dictionaries’ word of the year shortlist. But this Danish trend for living cosily is something we Brits have been doing for years. Especially at Christmas, which is the perfect time to hunker down in a pair of cashmere socks in front of the television surrounded by candles, sweet-smelling foliage and a selection box or two.
“Traditionally, Christmas was the time of year when people brought greenery inside,” says the artist Bridie Hall. “There are lots of berries and evergreens in the garden. Greenery indoors is a really nice, effective way to lift one’s spirits.’’
Hall, co-founder of Pentreath & Hall in Bloomsbury, uses a mixture of evergreen shrubs such as box, bay, pittosporum, rosemary and rowan, plus climbers such as ivy, to decorate her mantelpiece. She also recommends putting potted cyclamens or bulbs on tables, and using lots of candles in any shape or colour. Add to the cosy mood by using natural textures – linen, sheepskins and woollen throws.
Tradition with a twist
It’s not only John Lewis that has used animals as a Christmas motif this year. Liz Silvester, head of creative identity at Liberty, says: “Animals are always popular, especially dogs, and there’s a woodland thing going on this year with foxes, deer and pheasant motifs. We have sold hundreds of animal decorations.”
Another of Silvester’s style “obsessions” is tartan. She suggests adding tartan accents to seating in the form of cushions and throws.
The tree at her house in east London, she says, will be “huge” and decorated with a mix of ribbons, fabrics, baubles and fresh foliage. “I always use eucalyptus at Christmas for its aromatic scent,” she adds.
Cooper sticks to a trusted “white Christmas” formula for his tree. “I have hundreds of baubles but they are mainly silver, clear glass or frosty white,” he says.
Hip hedonists
In a year that has been dominated by bad news and political earthquakes, we are all in the mood to unleash our inner hedonist.
“It’s a moment to go mad,” says Nina Campbell. In her home, there will be glitter logs in the fireplace, a herd of reindeer and elks in the hall, a red and gold sari tablecloth in the dining room, Austrian crystal balls on the tree inside and a huge tree outdoors, too, complete with lights and weather-proof baubles.
And for a really more-is-more look, check out the rainforest-inspired Christmas. The hipsters at House of Hackney have been championing this exotically glamorous look for some time, festooning trees and tables with gilded pineapples and glittering beetles. The trend has filtered down to the high street, with peacocks, parakeets and lavish jewel colours filling the shelves at Debenhams and Harrods.