I’m all about neutrals this year when it comes to Christmas decorations. In the past I’ve been more into monochrome, gold and/or silver but this year white is hands down my favourite colour. Of course there’s a touch of green and metallic in the mix too, but cream and white Christmas decorations just seem to appeal to me most right now. We only put up our (real) Christmas tree last weekend, which is kind of late for us. I’m hoping that this year it will actually drink the water. We didn’t cut enough off the stump last year (we only cut about half an inch) and it didn’t stay looking fresh for long. This year we made sure to cut at least few inches, so I’m hoping it will make a difference. Nothing beats the smell of a real Christmas tree. It’s such a special tradition, and although we’ve been only doing it for the past year or two, I don’t see us ever going back to a faux tree (although ideally I’d like one real and one artificial in the house).
You may notice that I haven’t got as many Christmas decorations out this year. It’s really important for me that the decorations don’t take over the existing decor. They have to blend in nicely with the interiors and should ideally enhance the existing interior scheme more than anything else. That’s why this year I’ve kept it all quite minimal and simple. There are quite a few mini trees, garlands and wreaths dotted around though. I was getting a bit bored with our old pine wreaths and garlands and decided to donate them to our local charity shops just before Christmas. I really wanted our dining room/lounge area to feel fresh and new, especially with the new table and chairs. Often one or two statement pieces are enough to give your home that festive feel. Our living room (or the TV room as we like to call it) is a bit more traditional though. I like that I can escape all the Christmas chaos (as much as I love it) to our lounge which is a bit more laid back and minimal.
I replaced my old pine garlands with these eucaluptus garlands I bought from Sara Raven last year. They are amazing quality and look quite realistic too. They were wrapped around our staircase last year but I decided to bring them down to our dining room. Eucalyptus garlands are such a nice alternative to pine garlands but good ones are quite hard to find. I don’t think they need any glitter or decorations either. They look beautiful and simple on their own.
This year I’m also loving miniature Christmas trees. I love these cream sisal trees on our hall table I got from M&S (available in stores only). I actually wasn’t even looking for these, but the minute I saw them I knew they’d be perfect on the hall table. They kind of match the huge nutcracker too (gifted by Matalan few years ago).
Although I’m loving all things white right now, gold is still a firm favourite of mine too. I’ve been looking for Scandi style dinner candle holders (in gold) for some time and found these metallic candle holders in H&M Home recently. They are amazing value, although if you’re looking to spoil someone special this Christmas you should consider these ILSE candle holders from Georg Jensen as well. I really wanted ones with a little plate too, so my new table doesn’t get covered in candle wax. Oh, and I love the Jo Malone Pine & Eucalyptus candle even more this year thanks to the gold lid. If you want the pine smell without the hassle of a real tree, this candle is a must have.
I really wanted to do a Christmas wreath workshop this year but didn’t have the time. I knew I wanted a pine/eucalyptus wreath with metallic baubles. I’ve never ordered a wreath from Etsy before so it was a bit of a gamble but oh my goodness I love this Eucalyptus Christmas Wreath. It’s a really good size (16 inches) and the quality is just superb. I love a real wreath but if you go for an eucalyptus/pine wreath like I did, remember to spray some water on it every 2-3 days so it stays looking fresh for longer.
I’ve gone for white and silver baubles again this year to keep our tree looking simple and elegant. We got a Nordmann Fir again this year and I just love how big and bushy it is. I didn’t want to use too many baubles. I like to see the greenery more than anything and of course the smell is a nice bonus.
I hope you’re having a lovely run up to Christmas. I’ve still got so much to do before I can switch off and enjoy the Christmas festivities. I’m also hoping to publish my full dining room reveal on the blog by the end of this month.
Happy decorating!
