Over the past two weeks, we have been giving our top tips when decorating your home for the festive season. We have compiled together our top twelve decorative tips below.

 

Festive Arrivals & First Impressions

I always recommend people create a sensorial experience in the entrance hall. Why not introduce some fresh garlands, eucalyptus or the off cuts of the Christmas tree? I’d also add a scented candle. Cinnamon or bitter orange will really set the tone for your festive interiors.

The Dining Table

This is a real opportunity to express yourself and create a beautiful centerpiece in your home. I would encourage lots of natural material, foliage and ivy. Introduce some baubles and integrate some candles to create a warm and natural centerpiece.

Christmas Lighting

I am a huge fan of layered lighting and Christmas is the perfect opportunity to do that. Through the use of candles, Christmas lighting, if possible dim your overhead lights to create a lovely atmospheric tone. And if you are lucky enough to have a wood-burning stove or a fireplace feature point it’s to get that on it just adds to the beautiful ambient glow of a room.

It’s all about the Wreath

We’ve already spoken about first impressions but actually, before you get into arrival the front door can set the tone. If you follow us on social media I’m sure you’ve seen we got a beautiful wreath from the foliage florist. We asked her to add some pink to it and she added some beautiful dried flowers all sustainable and biodegradable. The minute you arrive home you get the festive feels with that evocative scent of eucalyptus.

The Christmas Tree

The most important thing if you have a real Christmas tree is to keep the base submerged in water, it keeps them fresher for longer. Also, remember to turn off any radiators close to the tree. It’s going to last much longer especially seeing as we all seem to be decorating much earlier these days it will help to keep until the new year. I always say to change things up and have a bit of fun. I have a base scheme of baubles on my tree and then I decide each year what way I’m going to change things up. I have a couple of different sets so I can choose to have a cooler coloured scheme or I can create a warmer look and it always adds a bit of freshness and fun.

Festive Traditions

One of my favourite festive traditions is collecting baubles. It just means when decorating the tree not only am I enjoying creating something beautiful but there is a lot of memory and sentiment involved. This was inspired by my good friend Siobhán when we were much younger no matter where we were if there was a Christmas decoration she’d buy one and I’ve really just copied her and it really is lovely when it comes to putting your Christmas tree look together at the end of the year.

Bows

Bows are having a moment in terms of decoration and design. They are really fun and whimsical and are a lovely way to add a bit of glitz and glamour to a tree.

Tablescapes

As we all know the tablescape itself is having a moment. It’s such a fun and fabulous way to create a really gorgeous centerpiece. We’ve already talked about the importance of the dining table but the tablescape itself can really be personalised and activated in a fun way. Simple things like tying up your napkins with a sprig of rosemary, bringing in dried desiccated fruits mixed in with dried ivy, eucalyptus, and candles, or even introducing some Christmas baubles it’s just a really gorgeous way to activate your dining experience.

Keep Things Natural

I’m such a believer in as much natural decoration as possible. They just really grid a depth and add a lovely scent often to a room. So I would be a big believer in offcuts from the Christmas tree, ivy, eucalyptus, etc I would use these to dress my fireplace. A favourite of mine has to be beeswax candles, they can be a bit messy when they melt but they are absolutely natural and they are beautiful looking and scented.

Don’t Forget Your Windows

I love to activate my windows at Christmas. They are gorgeous for passersby and they just create a warm and welcoming feel when coming home on those dark winter evenings. Candle bridges or candle arches are a gorgeous way to do it and you can plug them in they create a warmth and welcoming tone. Another thing that I love and do myself is, I have paper stars with LED lights in between and they just twinkle in the evening time.

Warmth & Glow

I’m such a great believer in the Scandinavian concept of hygge and creating warmth in the home in winter months and that is best done by using candles. So at Christmas time, I love to have grouped collections of candles, large, small, and medium brought together. I choose a colour, red or maybe dark evergreen and it just creates a gorgeous center point and then wrapped around with ivy. It obviously goes without saying don’t leave candles unattended but they can add a beautiful warmth and glow to any festive interior.

Have Fun

Fun, it’s the most important part of any festive look. After we have created our beautiful Christmas tablescapes, trees etc the most important thing is to forget about it, have fun and enjoy yourself.