Getting started
First and foremost look to complement your décor and avoid colour clashes.
Here, at Woodford Garden Village, in Cheshire, the warm, muted tones of the Highgrove Show Home are the perfect backdrop for the gold, copper and brass metallic baubles we’ve chosen to adorn our tree. In a different setting you could choose soft silver but, just as we’ve predicted for 2019 home furnishing trends, metallics are a stellar choice.
Frosted, opaque and milky glass finishes are also very on-trend in interior design and we’ve incorporated some beautiful antique glass decorations to reflect this style, while also adding a hint of amber for extra warmth and colour.
Combined with the soft twinkling lights – always choose warm bulbs – this simple approach creates a stunning focal point for the Highgrove’s lounge. We’ve opted to leave the top of our tree ‘bare’ and let the decorations speak for themselves, but if you do want to top yours off, choose an antique glass or mirrored star with a brass or zinc trim (try Not on the High Street).
Be sure to carry your decorating theme throughout your home; for example, introduce a good quality faux garland over your mantelpiece - enrich it with pine cones, dried fruits, eucalyptus and cinnamon sticks – and add some of your spare Christmas tree baubles; introduce the same colours in a beautiful winter bouquet; and don’t forget to create a stunning centerpiece for your dining table.
Here are a few more of our tips:
- Invest in the best tree you can afford, preferably real for that authentic festive smell; but if it must be artificial for practical reasons, choose a traditional shaped green faux tree with no sprayed edges or built in cones or lights.
- When choosing a real tree it’s all about the shape. Take time to find the perfect one and, if it’s not quite right, ask the seller to trim it for you. And don’t forget to take a slice off the bottom before standing in water for longevity.
- Don’t miss out on those lovely Christmassy scents just because you opted for a faux tree. Use reed diffusers or introduce oranges, cloves, eucalyptus and cinnamon sticks to your décor.
- Always use plenty of Christmas tree lights and consider using more than one set; you may think a large set of lights will go the distance but, trust us, it’s worth putting up more. And make sure you wrap them right around your tree to create a lovely back glow. You really want your whole tree to shine!
- For simple and sensuous Christmas decorations add pine cones and delicate lights to a terrarium or fill a rustic metal bowl with scented pine cones and homemade festive potpourri.
- Match your Christmas wrapping to the colour scheme and have fun using dried orange slices, pine cones, eucalyptus and spice sticks to embellish. They’ll smell lovely and look just perfect stacked around the base of your Christmas tree.
- Look after your festive decorations. Go for quality and longevity. Once you’ve chosen your theme, stick with it and keep adding to it each year so it changes gradually. Don’t just throw all your baubles in a box when Twelfth Night comes – wrap each one carefully before you put them away.