December arrives, and we’re eager for the simple, happy days our favourite time of year brings. The global pandemic can’t take away our traditions, the gifts that warm our hearts, home cooking and “cozy” houses. At a time when social gatherings are limited, the outlook doesn’t have to be gloomy, and we can still find joy and new ways to share the festive spirit. If there’s one thing we can’t lose this year, it’s decorating our homes, so we can end 2020 with plenty of love and cheer — something we all need this year.
1 GO NATURAL
After this past year we appreciate nature as never before, and our love for it carries on into the Christmas decorations. Natural foliage combined with raw wood and dried garlands is a “must have” in the current look. We can gather wood (branches and stems), visit a local florist or buy an arrangement: it’s a simple, sustainable idea for making your home more festive. Eucalyptus leaves are still very much in fashion, so combining them with pine cones or mistletoe is an easy, affordable option.
2 LIGHT IT UP
Colourful, white, twinkling and musical. We can all agree that one of the things that makes Christmas so magical are the lights that surround it. There’s something calming and peaceful about sitting in a quiet, dark living room surrounded by the soft glow of Christmas lights. It’s without doubt the perfect way to light up our Christmas spirit without limiting ourselves to the living room or the tree. Start a new Christmas tradition and create magic in your home with unexpected lighting in several places — the kitchen, the hallways, the windows, or by hanging a string of lights in the bedrooms. We can always combine silver and white decorations for a “frosty” style, or copper and gold for a warmer, more luxurious feel.
3 MINIMAL
The minimalist trend is characterised by simple, clean design, and it’s very much on the rise. It isn’t about laziness, but about focusing Christmas on what really matters to each of us. Hanging a simple pine wreath on the door can be enough. Isolated ornaments, for instance, can be used as focal points for table centrepieces or the mantelpiece. You can also take a simpler approach to the Christmas tree, just hanging a few lights with no other decorations and letting the beauty of the tree stand out. For a minimal, simple style that conveys comfort and warmth, we can use a rustic look: fewer decorations and plenty of natural textures.
4 POPS OF BLACK
Black isn’t a colour that instantly reminds us of Christmas, since we tend to prefer brighter themes for our decorations, so black is often seen negatively at this time of year. We think it’s not a colour to ignore, though. We love the modern, elegant touch it gives traditional decoration. Adding a black Christmas tree, or small black details, to a home with a neutral background or white walls creates a striking visual contrast. These details not only have a big visual impact, they also fit perfectly into a wide variety of house styles: from minimalism to contemporary, by way of Scandinavian, rustic and even Victorian.
5 CREATIVE TREES
Let’s not kid ourselves: we’ll always prefer a traditional Christmas tree, because there’s nothing like choosing the most special one to take pride of place in the living room. Just because classic trees are always in fashion doesn’t mean we can’t break the rules and add creativity and personality to our spaces. These trees are fantastic alternatives, since they take up no room and can have whatever look suits us best, so we can mix them or add them in various parts of the house. Why not try something different and give the fir trees a rest? We hope you find it useful.
!! MERRY CHRISTMAS !!