Sweet Decorating Ideas for Christmas 2017

It’s that time of year again. Christmas is nearly here (just under two months to go). For some, it’s time to get back into the attic or basement and dig out beloved tried-and-tested decorations (that bauble gifted by a late aunt, for example, or those model reindeer bought on vacation in Europe a decade ago). Meanwhile, for others (those with a keen eye for interior design, for example), Christmas presents itself as a wonderful opportunity to show off skills perhaps hidden during the rest of the year.

For the festive season doesn’t just dictate the careful trimming of a tree, and the inviting laying of a table spread for lunchtime repast on the day itself, but also lends itself to altering aspects of the interior of one’s house, as well. The only question is, what will the color scheme or seasonal theme be this year?

Traditional vs. Modern

Of course, the most established color scheme is made up of the colors, gold and red, and their variants. There is a satisfying opulence that comes from gilded tinsel offset against the berry red of a bauble, just as much as there is a homemaker’s enjoyment to be had in temporarily replacing cushions and throws in the living room, from perhaps more muted tones of modern palette. You could scatter dashes of red and gold tartan furnishings, placing golden candlestick holders on the mantle of a fireplace which sports stockings, hung with care, and offsetting that bright shining gold star adorning the tree.

At the same time, many prefer colder tones, such as blue and silver, channeling the iciness of the winter season. The discerning question is, do you want cozy or do you want chic? As these colors, together with splashes of more outlandish black, bring a wholly different angle to a room, creating a luxurious atmosphere, decadent even, but not necessarily one that encapsulates the familial vibe sought by many. Nonetheless, silver is a color that works well, especially if you want to play on the stellar aspect of Christmas, dangling tinsel off evergreen boughs and placing a sleek argent star atop the tree, perhaps as a hint at that name a star gift you secretly bought through Star Registration which your loved ones don’t know about yet.

From Inside Out

However, festive design is not simply an interior design opportunity, but an exterior one too. Just as one brings the tree into one’s home, so too outside plants can get in on the action of delighting, too. Don’t let your home’s inner, hard worked-at fabulousness be preluded by dead plants and off-color pots on visitors’ path to the front door. Also, these could be hung with a splendid wreath that hints at your choice of color or theme this year. Indeed, make sure to move those plants that won’t survive winter weather inside somewhere discrete and replace them with appropriate miniature evergreens or more colorful living statements of your family’s welcoming seasonal cheer.

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