Words Katherine Sorrell
It’s all too easy to go overboard at Christmas. This year, why not decorate your home with subtle glamour, creating a sophisticated seasonal backdrop to festive times with friends and family.
BOX: Ideas for elegant festive décor
- Too many colours together tend to look garish. Choose one main colour theme for each room and stick to it. This season, dark backdrops are very on trend, with accents of gold or brass, while white, beige or grey are classics that always look great, with dashes of red or green for that seasonal feel.
- With limited colours, textures come into their own. Think linen, wool, fur (faux if you prefer), wicker and – this year’s must-haves – concrete and velvet.
- For this look, avoid twee animals, anything knitted or made from felt, and all-out glitter (a little sparkle goes a long way).
- Christmas ornaments tend to be collected over the years, and so can look rather haphazard if all displayed in one go. Carefully choose a selection that co-ordinates and – stay strong – put the rest back in the loft for next year.
CAPTIONS
- 1 This living room is welcoming and cosy, but also cool, calm and collected, thanks to a subtle colour scheme of greys and whites, together with touches of texture in the form of wicker, wool and wood. Traditional Nordmann Fir, from £29.99; LED warm white string lights, from £9.99; wool throw, £59.99; Firwood star decoration (set of three), £44.99; Magical Hare cushion, £39.99; tree decorations, from £1.49; all Dobbies.
- Instead of a knitted or hessian sack, how about a pretty, printed fabric design? Night Owl Christmas sack, £5.50, Sophie Allport.
- A simple white backdrop with natural, twining leaves is perfect for offsetting the glow of candles. Large silver-dipped candle holder, £29.99; LED glitter twig wreath, £39.99; medium silver-dipped candle holder, £9.99; reindeer bell ornament, £4.99; decorated glass bauble, £3.99; garland (price and details on application); all Dobbies.
- An intriguing and subtle way to display the twinkle of fairy lights. Bo 80 LED glass-domed cylinder, £13, B&Q.
- Who can resist a delightful Christmas display? This magical woodland scene is dusted with snow, featuring two wooden reindeer silhouettes and warm white backlighting. Aspen forest Christmas scene window light, £14.99, Lights4fun. Photograph: Oliver Perrott
- Set a Christmas table with gorgeous linens and decorate each plate with a simple bauble, pine cone and sprig of eucalyptus. A ribbon finishes it all off. Perth fabric, £49.50 per metre, Ian Mankin.
Stockists Box
B&Q 0333 014 3098
diy.com
Dobbies 0131 561 6406
dobbies.com
Ian Mankin 020 7722 0997
ianmankin.co.uk
Lights4Fun 01423816040
lights4fun.co.uk
Sophie Allport 01778 560256
sophieallport.com