When planning on decorating your home for Christmas I think there are two approaches. You can either opt to follow a theme which could be traditional or could be based on a current trend. Alternatively, you could just be completely random and decorate your home with whatever appeals. If you would rather have some structure then here are some suggestions for your scheme.

Traditional

Collage of images of a red berry wreath against a grey door, gold leaf garland, trio of red pillar candles, a red bauble with gold decoration and gold baubles

Red, green and gold are the traditional colours of Christmas and you can never go wrong with this as a colour scheme for your decorations. It is timeless and cosy. In this inspiration I have included an artificial red berry wreath which works equally well indoors as it does on your front door, a garland of gold leaves, baubles in red and gold and red pillar candles. Add in some natural greenery .

Natural

Collage of images of wreath made from pine, eucalyptus and circles of orange, a antler shaped bowl, basket filled with throws, a rustic fox decoration and linen napkin tied with raffia and a sprig of thyme.

The key to this look is to use natural materials such as wood for decorations and bowls filled with fir cones or nuts, linen for napkins and wool for throws and cushions. Consider home made decorations and place settings comprising napkins tied with raffia and a sprig of a herb such as thyme or lavender. Make your own wreath using greenery from the garden and decorated with bundles of cinnamon and slices of orange. Include some cute little wooden animal decorations.

Glamourous Gold

Collage of images of a wreath made of gold and silver baubles, gold cutlery set with black handles, gold rimmed glasses, a candlestick in the shape of a palm tree and a collection of black and gold baubles.

If you are a lover of bling then Christmas is definitely a time when you can indulge yourself. You can be subtle, as illustrated by the gold cutlery and gold rimmed glassware, in this image, or go all out. Gold obviously works with other other metallics such as silver and copper but black with gold is a smart variation. Include fun elements such as the palm tree candlesticks or gold pineapple decoration (perhaps a bit of a cliche these days but I think at Christmas it can be allowed!). Why not create a drinks area. You could invest in a drinks trolley or at least a gold framed tray and add a glamourous cocktail shaker, ice bucket and glassware.

Simple Scandi

Collage of 5 Images. A natural rattan wreath, bed dressed with sheepskin throw, knitted red and white Christmas stockings and grey felt slippers with cut out design in red

If you’ve read any of my previous blogs you’ll know that I do like Scandi style. The key to Christmas decor for this look is to keep it very simple. The colour palette is red and white with grey. Textures to consider are wood, felt and faux fur or sheepskin. The wreath I have included is a rattan frame with checked ribbon wound round and a few fir cones attached so a rustic feel. Give your bed a luxurious feel with a sheepskin throw and cushions and imagine you are in Sweden’s Ice House Hotel. The felt slippers are cosy, fill with a few Christmas baubles and mini cracker as a display. I love the red and white knitted stockings for a homely feel. If you don’t have a mantel piece, hang from the bannister or place under the tree. The wooden skate tree decorations are in keeping with the whole feel of this theme.

Festive Spice

Collage of images of a brightly coloured Christmas wreath with red and gold, leaf shaped gold dinner plate, peacock tree decoration, turquoise fabric with gold embroidery and a Moroccan style lantern

Given that I have been trying out some more dramatic colour schemes recently, I couldn’t resist the idea of a scheme based around jewel and Moroccan colours. This scheme is similar to the glamourous gold theme but together with the gold, it also includes jewel colours. Use brightly coloured baubles in turquoise, purple, pink and orange. Make a simple table in a bold colour embroidered with gold or silver and add gold dinner plates or chargers. Finish with Moroccan style lanterns and tea glasses.

Whatever your choice of decorative scheme the most important thing is to keep it personal. I love to collect Christmas baubles that I have bought or been given, add one each year.

Need help with your decor? Call me on 07745 876182 or e mail judith@homestyle4u.com. I cover the Wirral, Cheshire and the North West.