We all want our home to be Instagrammable for Christmas, I know I do! There’s something special about being able to dress up your home that makes us want to show it off in those little Instagram squares. The thing is, sometimes our Christmas decor is not up to scratch that’s why we’ve teamed up with Oldrids & Downtown to give you a guide on how you can change your interior design and make it more magical for the festive season!
The living room
The living room is the heart of the home and it becomes arguably the most important room during Christmas time. With the Christmas tree front and centre (not literally, of course) and Christmas decor scattered throughout it’s no surprise that this room needs the most love and attention. Here are some top tips and tricks you need to know to make your home more visually pleasing for the festive season.
Walls
If you really want to go all out this Christmas and repaint your walls for December, a matt colour, such as a sage green or a traditional royal blue, will make all of your furniture stand out. If painting the living room isn’t your thing, don’t worry as there is a lot of versatility around Christmas decor.
Once your walls are ready then you’ll have to consider what to hang. Cluttering the walls won’t do them justice, but a feature wall with a backdrop would be a great option for taking photos! Another option is to create a feature wall full of family photos. A pre-lit wreath with baubles can make your living room look extra special and you can be adventurous with its placement. If you want to make it a focal point, either hang it independently above your fireplace or let it stand on your mantelpiece and lean it against the wall.
Soft Furnishings
The curtains and drapes can make or break the look and they can easily make your living room look like more like a showroom. This is something that you need to achieve if you’re allowing the world of social media users into your living room through images that are likely to start trending! A subtle colour can emphasise the decor without overpowering it or taking over.
When it comes to sofa cushions there is a balance that you need to strike. Believe it or not, there is such a thing as too little or too much. There are many factors that can influence your decision on how many you need. Consider the size of the cushions, the number of sofas in your room and their sizes. Make sure that the cushions you purchase have some festive features, such as snowflakes or reindeers. Stick to a colour scheme to complement the room. Match your cushions with the walls or the curtains, but never the sofa as this will just make the whole room clash!
Christmas tree
Oh, Christmas tree! Oh, Christmas tree! How lovely are your branches? Putting up the Christmas tree is always an event in itself — the family comes together, you eat nice food and you put on festive tunes. When it comes to picking a tree, artificial trees are the best option to simplify your life. Stress is the last thing you should take on during the holidays so make sure you’re always thinking of ways to make life easy.
Whatever colour you may opt for, there are a few methods you can take to make your tree unlike any other. Once you’ve pieced together your tree and it’s ready to decorate, remember to hang the LED twinkle lights first — spread them out evenly so that your tree can sparkle in all directions.
There are currently quite a few Christmas decor trends, especially when it comes to the tree. The trend that is picking up and would make a killer Insta-pic is letters that hang around the tree spelling out a festive phrase such as “Merry Christmas!” or “Ho! Ho! Ho!”.
When it comes to baubles, go big or go home. Use a mixture of gigantic and tiny baubles to make your tree stand out to any visitor. If you’re using a white tree, do not go with silver coloured baubles and instead opt for a bright and bold colour such as reds and golds. Those using a green Christmas tree, you can’t go wrong with silver!
To top things off, place fake parcels under your tree to give your room that ‘Santa’s Grotto’ sensation. If you have little ones, it might be a nice idea to have a children’s train track loop around the tree to make things extra special.
Christmas dinner
The day we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived and whilst opening presents is most important, Christmas dinner is not far behind! From table covers to dinner sets, everything must be perfect. When it comes to the dining room, you need to make sure that everything is in the right position and that your table design is not lacking in creativity. First, position candles at opposite sides of the table and make sure that they’re in a symmetrical position. Secondly, position your tableware for each person in the right area — don’t make things too tight, people want to stretch freely after stuffing their faces without the fear of nudging someone by accident. It’s important to leave room in the centre of the table for sauces and gravy boats to reduce the amount of running backwards and forwards to the kitchen!
According to psychology experts, those who deck the halls with decorations earlier tend to be happier than those who don’t. Since Christmas is almost here, there’s no reason for you to not start preparing.
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