Can you believe it’s already December? I started making our house festive a few weeks ago but we have accumulated so many things over the last 6 years that it is actually taking me a few days to get all the decorations up. Luckily I am still going for that contemporary/glamorous Christmas look so it’s easy to find items in the shops that match the style.
This year I have gone a bit OTT with gold and our Christmas decorations totally reflect that which I love. I have also fallen in love with wreaths and garlands and I had so much fun decorating our staircase with them. The first sign of Christmas in our household is when we switch our regular hand wash to the Christmas one. It’s such a small change but it definitely doesn’t go unnoticed. My daughter gets widely excited when she sees the red bottle as she knows it’s not long to go now. I love the build-up to Christmas, sometimes I think even more than the actual day, so I thought I’d share my favourite Christmas must-have items with you.
Jo Malone Pine & Eucalyptus Candle
This is my number one Christmas candle. I love the subtle pine smell and it’s a really clever way of making your home smell like a real Christmas tree when in fact you are stuck with an artificial one. I do actually love our artificial tree. It looks prettier than most real trees in my opinion but I miss the pine scent. I think next year we might go for the real deal.
Monochrome decorations
I love contemporary Christmas decorations and for me there is nothing more stunning than a tree decorated with contemporary black and white baubles. I love these black and gold baubles from Rocket St George. They are so chic and stylish! I do like to mix it up with a bit of silver, gold and taupe but overall I like a neutral colour palette. I still consider myself a minimalist when it comes to decorating but I think all the gold details and glamorous wreaths will hopefully make up for that. There’s nothing wrong with going for that minimalist Christmas look either – go for whatever makes you happy!
Nutcrackers
Nutcrackers are just fabulous, aren’t they? I got mine from the famous Nuremberg Christmas Market in Germany few years ago and I think if you want something similar ebay is probably your best bet. I’m still obsessed with our Cox & Cox brass vase which is ideal for some winter foliage. I like to display eucalyptus and pussy willow branches on the window sill and M&S have a great selection this time of year.
Wreaths
I’m a massive fan of wreaths and garlands this Christmas and I might have gone a bit OTT this time. Homebase have a great selection this year and I actually bought 4 garlands and 4 wreaths from them. They are excellent value for money and do tend to sell out pretty quickly so don’t leave it last minute if you are planning to get one. I always get a real pine wreath for our front door too – I just love the pine scent so much!
I really wanted to make our staircase a bit of statement piece this Christmas and it took me 4 garlands to create this look. You could use adhesive hooks but because it’s on a barbwire it’s really easy to bend the wire although you need to be careful so you don’t break the decorations. I absolutely love it! The gold detailing is lovely and they even had a matching wreath to complete the look.
Sheepskin rug
Our white sheepskin rug is our winter rug and it instantly makes the lounge feel wintery. I love the cosy look and sheepskin feels incredibly soft on your feet. It’s like you are wearing your Uggs but your feet still get to breath. Perfect if you ask me!
Giant red wine glasses
I’m normally a white wine kind of girl but during the colder months nothing beats a nice full-bodied red wine. Especially if you are serving it with a nice selection of cheeses! The Riedel Vitis Pinot Noir/Nebbiolo glasses are so unique and beautiful in person that even though they are pricey, they are worth the investment in my opinion. They also make great presents!
Iittala Tsaikka
The Iittala Tsaikka glasses were designed by Timo Sarpaneva in the 1970s in Finland so I guess it’s safe to say that they are an iconic design. I love the vintage look and my mother still has the original vintage ones which look as good as new. These glasses are ideal for serving mulled wine, hot chocolate or lattes. You can even buy replacement glasses if you happen to break them!
Molton Brown Christmas hand wash
My husband actually bought The Molton Brown Frankincense Allspice Hand Wash few years ago and ever since we’ve been hooked. It’s now our favourite Christmas hand wash and my daughter loves using it as it makes her hands smell Christmassy apparently. It’s a limited edition so you will only be able to buy it from October to January I believe. I love the rich aroma and this is definitely one scent I must have in the bathroom/kitchen during the winter months.
How do you make your home look and feel Christmassy?
