Well, already you would have been bombarded with Christmas flooding through your letterbox in the form of toy catalogues, gift catalogues, hamper catalogues and voluminous strings of tinsel and baubles hanging in your shopping centres and main street lamp-posts.
With so much happening it almost becomes overwhelming when its time to decorate your own home. If all you have is tattered tinsel and a limp tree that has seen better festive seasons the thought of producing something to compete with the ‘street theatre’ you have left outside makes you want to almost give up. Instead of feeling defeated, go for something different.
Create a theme. A theme can give you structure and guide you so you don’t end up with an eclectic mix. This can take the shape in many forms so to get you thinking find below a few suggestions to get you started.
Colour:
Choose one colour as the base for everything, for example choose a festive red or green. Select decorations in all differing shades of one colour to bring bursting life to your interior without producing a clash of visual stimulation.
Subject:
Go quirky and steer from the traditional tree and go for something like this laser-cut Perspex tree. Stand on the dining table and randomly drape decorations that don’t symbolise Christmas. Fairies, animals and teapots create interest and stimulation and as it is in the traditional tree shape you quickly forget jolly Santa isn’t ho-ho-ing!
Traditional:
Do this with class and base on silver and crystal decorations such baby chandeliers and crystal garlands. Most of all keep it simple and classic.
Scent:
If you don’t have the room in your house or flat to support a tree go for the hidden sense of smell. Take a large platter and layer with staggered heights of green pine scented candles and sprigs of holly, or arrange a dish on the coffee table with cinnamon bundles and clove and orange balls. This subtle placement will not hit instantly but when the scent slowly fills the air memories of Christmas will ignite.
Once you have decided on your theme you can extend this from your tree to the stair banister and door wreathes. By starting this way you can add slowly and feel as though you are in control. Next month I will show you the next stage of setting the stage for the dining table. Happy decorating!
Shaynna Blaze-Vaughan
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