Once again, and very fast it seems, Christmas is upon us and as usual it catches us by surprise. Who to spend it with, what to cook, what gifts to make or buy, plus, it's time to get the decorations out of storage! Yes, the good old tinsel and baubles... Well, are your decorations a mismatch of trinkets which seem to clutter more than decorate? Are you considering a new look this Christmas? Are family or friends coming to your place to celebrate and you want to decorate to impress? Well, here are a few tips that might help to easily create good looking and effective decoration, whilst remaining stress free!
1- LIMIT YOUR COLOUR PALETTE. When collecting decorations year after year, you'll have probably accumulated many different shapes, themes and probably colours. To avoid the cluttering effect of mixing everything together, based on your home furnishing and personal style, select a main colour you'll use for the Christmas table settings and stick to it. Blue, for example, or red or purple? The choice is yours. Next, choose the bling to go with it, (gold or silver?) and bring out of that overflowing box of decorations, only those items which fit with these two choices for your décor! The images you see in this page were taken last year in a display home by Eden Brae, when we filmed a short Festive video for their clients. I chose white and gold, for an effective décor that would not clash with the existing furnishing & styling but still add some colourful style and impact!
2 - SPREAD THE DECOR AROUND. Because it is the strongest piece of decoration at this time, the Christmas Tree should be placed in a position that can be seen from every angle of the living area, and possibly from the front door, for a welcoming first impression as you enter the house. Staying with your chosen colour palette, make sure your decorations are applied not only to the Tree and the living room, but also, to help spread the mood and Christmas cheer, to the front door, in the hallway, out in the garden and of course in the bathroom, a room your guests are most likely to visit.
3 - HAVE FUN AS YOU DO IT! Christmas is about gathering in the jolly company of those you care for the most, but the setting of the mood starts well before Christmas lunch. Start by setting an afternoon or evening aside just to decorate, play your favourite festive Christmas Holiday music and sing along, prepare a cup of tea (or if you're like me, anything stronger is good for the mood ;) and gather your family or friends. Teach the kids why you chose the colours you did, let them place things around, and count to ten when things are dropped on the floor, as these things happen! And finally let's remember that Joy is more important than Style ;)
Yes, if this celebration is important for you and your family, decorating for the Holy Season is truly an exercise worth the effort, as Christmas feels more real when the decorations are out...
Merry Christmas.
James Treble is an ambassador for Planet Ark and firmly believes in sensible purchasing, recycling and creative re-purposing. James has 3 decades of accumulated experience in the Building Industry, Real Estate and Interior Design and regularly shares his knowledge and experience in adding value to homes through clever design & styling. Watch his free videos on YouTube, and follow him on Facebook and Instagram for more free information.
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