How to make your living room feel festive
The living room is at the heart of most Christmas festivities, and many of us have decorating traditions that we collected in childhood. Yet there are so many ways and ideas for decorating beyond the usual red and gold Christmas tree that can feel more modern and relevant today.
Scent sets the mood
The scent of the season is always evocative – warming cinnamon and orange, and fresh pine needles are unmistakably festive.When using essential oils, the obvious, overwhelming whack of clove can be softened and blended with bay, orange, and ylang-ylang to create a more personal, festive aroma. The oil blend can be burned as you wish over a candle in a ceramic burner.
Get creative with foliage
Traditional, winter-season floristry includes lots of green foliage for a reason. Set the mood; there are options like eucalyptus and even berried eucalyptus for a lighter more modern look.
Pine is also great and it smells gorgeous, it will create a lovely warm, cosy feel. For a darker, rather more traditional result you can go for Ruscus, or of course ivy. You can always just go for it and mix up the light and the dark, it’s often a good way to highlight just how beautiful something is.
Scandi reigns
Whilst Scandinavian design influences are prevalent year-round, they come into their own at Christmas, when we would all ideally retreat to snow-tipped wooden cabins complete with roaring fire, sheepskin rugs and oodles of hot chocolate.
Everyone’s favourite Scandi interiors trend is back, this festive take on hygge is ready to wrap us up in the comfort and nostalgia of Christmasses gone by. For Eco-Cosy, think comfortable conviviality, this trend will make you think of a cosy country gathering, one that embraces planet-friendly sustainability. We’re talking warm textures, lots of natural floristry and sustainable materials. Perfect for snuggling up in front of the fire for a Christmas movie with a nice warm blanket.
Get creative with your displays
Wrapping up empty boxes in colourful paper and ribbons has to be one of the cheapest and most impactful decorating details – and we love the creative ways in which homeowners are choosing to display them.
Mantelscaping
Not just for mince pies – the fireplace has become the centrepiece of Christmas design schemes in many homes. A natural place for your winter foliage, and equally, a great spot for a faux garland wrapped in a string of warm LED lights, a group of mismatched pillar candles, or lightweight decorations like paper baubles.
Dress your sofa
We're big fans of switching out soft accessories with the seasons, and whilst there are plenty of cushion covers and throws adorned with Santa motifs and ribbons, a simple change in the colour palette to warmer burgundies or even metallics would make sufficient difference.
There is nothing better than cosying up on the sofa and putting on your favourite Christmas film. Adding an extra blanket and switching up your soft furnishings seasonally is a great way to refresh your interior décor. To bring some winter tones and festive spirit to your living room, add some Christmas cushions to your sofa. These can then be stored away after the festive season, ready for next year.
Repurpose Christmas cards
Christmas cards lining windowsills and shelves is a timely decorating trick, bu