Christmas can be a magical season, and for luxury interior designers it’s a time to flex a bit of extra creative muscle and even decadence! It’s the time of year when pretty much anything goes from fun and funky to naturally Scandi, although creating a beautiful Christmas interior scheme that works well, takes skill. Popular themes this year include metallic along bold and natural, but there are some looks that will never, thankfully, go out of date.
Vintage
Timeless and classic, Vintage is a skill of mixing old and new. Adding ornaments and decorations from generations gone by evoke a sense of family and continuity, which is all part of the spiritual element of the season.
Traditionally glass blown ornaments, which have been popular in the UK since the 1850, have never gone out of fashion, and mixing vintage designs with more modern versions can work extremely effectively.
In addition, classically made decorations crafted from wood include motifs such rocking horses, birds, bells, lanterns, or candle holders, all nod towards a traditional, almost Dickensian feel.
Bold
The use of bold decorations is evocative of the Art Deco trends of the 1920s and can create a dramatic effect. Deep hues such as burgundy, indigo, forest green and rich purple can all help evoke a sense of luxury and sophistication. When teamed with royal blue, turquoise or even black, the feel will be elevated to that of stunning decadence.
As motifs and accents, peacocks and golden deer work particularly well as do feathers. Meanwhile hints of silver and gold will provide the perfect touches of bright, but reflective richness to lift the scheme.
Natural
It could be argued that no truly festive and stylish Christmas is complete without natural elements, which can be used in a pretty much any room.
With the popularity of sustainability reflected in this year’s festive trends, branches, pinecones, berries are all popular choices to decorate surfaces. Meanwhile fragrant sprigs of eucalyptus, evergreen and spruce can create the perfect garland choice for mantelpieces and bannisters.
Teamed with candles of varying sizes, natural foliage creates a beautiful and elegant Christmas scheme. Animal motifs such as deer, polar bears and snowy owls can be incorporated too, but as is many things in life, less is more.
Metallic
According to leading interior designers, metal hues and materials are a continuing theme. This year though, it seems the shine has gone in preference for a more agéd glow – patina, rust and oxygenic iron providing a warmer, textural feel.
Scandi
Boasting a freshness of simplicity and purity, the contemporary Nordic and Scandinavian style has been a popular choice for decades, and is still going strong.
Allowing a scheme to breathe, decorations are carefully crafted and sparingly selected, with an emphasis on an atmosphere of comfort (think sheepskin fleeces, natural wood and chunky knitwear) entwined with a nostalgia.
Christmas Wreath
The tradition of having a Christmas wreath dates back to 16th century. It was adopted by Christians who used a circle of evergreens such as holly or ivy, decorated with red berries to symbolise eternal life. They look particularly impressive on a front door, but can also be used as a centrepiece for a dining table and, taken a step further; look stunning when the centre is filled with atmospheric candles.
Red and white
With influences from Germany and America, the predominant colours for many are red, white and green. This can be seen particularly through decorations that include wooden figurines, rosy apples, hearts, tinsel, garlands and of course striped red and white candy canes.
This colour combination is key to an American household and although feels ancient, actually only dates back to the 1930s when, during a marketing campaign, a certain drinks giant replaced the green cloak Santa Claus traditionally wore with a red and white one. Whatever he’s dressed in, for many Americans and Europeans, hanging a Christmas stocking in front of the fireplace is a must for Santa.
A big fan of the festive season is Dolly Parton: "No matter what, I always make it back for Christmas. I love to go to my Tennessee Mountain Home and invite all of my nieces, nephews, their spouses and kids to eat, laugh, trade presents and just enjoy each other…sometimes I even dress up like Santa Claus!” Now, there’s a thought, Merry Christmas!