By David Brown
The holidays are nearly here, and with family and friends coming to visit, it is imperative we create a warm and inviting space for our guests to relax, celebrate and make new memories.
Decking the halls for Christmas should invoke the magic of the season. Consider rich colors, soft and cozy textures, and creative ideas that radiate joy and excitement. Creating a general décor theme is a great place to start when planning to pull together decorations in a way that looks coordinated and consistent.
Red and green are the colors that traditionally represent Christmas. If you’re ready for something non-traditional, then Christmas 2022 is your year to choose a new and unique color scheme for your holiday cheer.
Why not turn your home into a winter wonderland with all-white decorations? A neutral all-white palette provides a serene and calm look. Even better, it makes decorating super simple, which many of us need these days. Use white flowers like roses, hydrangeas, chrysanthemums, and gladiolus, perhaps with mini gingerbread houses to add a little contrast.
To add a touch of color to your neutral Christmas décor, add some green. You can frame your doorways with greenery, hang boughs from the stair railings, and incorporate mini potted pines, cedars, and cypress. Best of all, when you decorate with holiday greenery, your home will smell amazing!
Color combinations found in nature, such as brown and green, always look good. Don’t hesitate to take a cue from Mother Nature and use these popular earth tones to decorate your home this Christmas. To maintain simplicity, decorate the green tree with brown and tan ornaments only. When decorating the walls and hallways, stick with several different green shades for a layered and multi-toned look.
Color can also set the mood. When it comes to celebrations in the cold season, something warm and energizing is an excellent choice. From metallics to neutrals to jewel tones, unexpected hues can be just as festive and merry as the classic red and green combination. Metallics in shimmery gold, silver and copper are artistic and stylish Christmas decorating colors that spread warmth.
Combine a metallic hue with one bold and expressive color like deep green, purple, teal, or dark blue for greater dimension. The introduction of metallic items will add extra shine and layered depth to the overall color scheme.
Traditionally, the living room becomes the heart of your home during the holiday season. The living room is home to the Christmas tree and focal point of all your holiday décor. Once you have the Christmas tree trimmed the next project needs to be trimming. The fireplace is where your family gathers to keep warm and enjoy time during cold winter nights. Here are a few ideas to create a cozy mantle and hearth.
First try wooden candlesticks in varying heights, a lush garland, and matching stockings to create a simple, serene, and peaceful mantle. You can also create a unique perspective by utilizing vintage elements. Consider using bottlebrush trees, plenty of greenery, and postcards to add a vintage vibe to your Christmas mantle. If you prefer a more traditional mantle, go on an exploration journey in your backyard for tree trimmings, branches, and bright berries. Bring it all together indoors and arrange it beautifully on your Christmas mantel. Lastly, add simple white string lights set the stage for a warm mood.
Consistency is always key in creating a seamless look throughout your home. Utilize the same type of lighting on the Christmas tree, the fireplace, door frames, and window treatments. Wrapping seasonal faux foliage such as holly, ivy and berry branches around the light cord hides the electrical wiring and brings an outdoor winter element into the space. Loop a velvet ribbon around the ends to secure the look and add a pop of color.
Next place pillar candles in creams and off-whites in a staggered configuration on the hearth, so the string- light-and-branch bundle weaves around them and drapes off each side of the mantle. The rest is up to you, and your options are nearly endless.
Layers add interest and dimension, and they create a warm and cozy environment to encourage friends and family to relax, linger, and reminisce about past celebrations. Christmas themed pillows in soft fabrics encourage snuggling sessions in living rooms and family rooms, so use large solid-colored pillows as a background for smaller decorated pillows on chairs and sofas. Thick throw blankets in deep reds, greens and creams work well too — you can also mix and match in appropriate colors and patterns to create a signature look.
Once you have decorated your living room, it’s time to move on to the other areas of your home. Since it’s easy to overlook powder rooms, kitchens and guest rooms, think
of small-scale ideas for these spaces. Holiday pillows, richly hued throws, fun holiday dish towels, scented candles, glass bowls of Christmas ornaments and various holiday family photos all add a festive touch.
We all spend a decent amount of our time in our bedrooms. For this reason, it’s nice to infuse a tad bit of holiday cheer into the place where you sleep and wake up. Prep the space by draping a pretty garland across your headboard, or spread some red and green throw blankets on your bed. Put up a minimalistic tree decorated with lights, or hang a small Christmas banner. Add a wreath or freshly cut foliage to add a scent of the holidays to your bedroom.
Indulging a person’s sense of smell is another way to wow your family and friends over the holidays. Seasonal scents such as pine, cranberry, spruce, gingerbread, fir and cinnamon are just a few options for candles. Also, grouping cinnamon-scented pinecones in a statement bowl on your coffee table or mantel are great additions that promote the holiday spirit in your home.
We celebrate the holidays in our homes with family and friends and we cherish those traditions. It is essential that we create feelings of warmth, security and tranquility to make new memories from the precious time we spend with our loved ones during these very special times.
