Prepare your home for Christmas

Lily Cichanowicz Lily Cichanowicz
CHEISLONG MOD. BRANDO (BY GAMAMOBEL), LA CANTARERIA MUEBLES Y DECORACION LA CANTARERIA MUEBLES Y DECORACION Modern living room
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Christmas is known as the most wonderful time of year, largely because we make it that way. We prepare our most special, decadent recipes to share with loved ones, exchange heartfelt gifts with friends and partake in traditions maintained in our families and cultures for generations. It’s hard to resist the warming, uplifting series of events that make up the holiday season once it’s in full swing, but many of us can attest to having some difficulty stepping into the holiday spirit. We at homify, believe that playing some Christmas tunes and taking a little extra time decorating our homes is the perfect means of adding some festiveness to your daily life. What’s more is that beautifully decorated spaces are fundamental elements of any Christmas. Looking back on your memories of Christmas, you’re likely to find that the backdrop consists of twinkling lights, evergreen pine, and specific colour schemes that bring them to life. Today, we will be covering some of our favourite ways to decorate the home in accordance to the holiday fervour.

The timeless importance of candlelight

As we have mentioned earlier, light has an important place in many Christmas traditions along with other religious and cultural holidays that are celebrated around this time of year. Advent and Chanukah are two well-known examples of this. Those living in Nordic countries that experience a tremendous amount of darkness during the winter months, tend to fill their homes with candlelight in order to culminate ambiances of cultural significance. It’s no wonder that we’ve been bringing some fire and spark into our homes to warm and illuminate them when the sun is on hiatus. Christmastime is a great period to add to your candle repertoire, in fact, the more the merrier! You can get scented candles to create a festive atmosphere, especially in the absence of a Christmas tree. Candles come in many styles and colours, but traditionally candles associated with the Christmas season are white like the ones depicted here.

Create a festive exterior

Today there are a multitude of lights, figurines, and other decorations on the market designated for sprucing up your home’s exterior. While this slew of options can be fun and even a bit silly, be warned: too much embellishment can not only make the exterior look tacky, but they might also blow a fuse leaving the entire street out of electricity! We advice that you stick with the classics, using simplicity to culminate an organic sense of timeless holiday cheer. We love this example because it works with the natural environment to culminate a sense of festivity. Specifically, opting for simple white Christmas lights will keep the exterior from looking too busy. String them around pine trees to accentuate the existing features of your front yard in a Christmassy way. Add some candles in the windows or incorporate string lights into the façade to finish off the look. To get the kids involved, build a friendly snowman together in the front yard. 

And a Christmas tree, of course

The Christmas tree is certainly a quintessential element of any Christmas aesthetic. They represent among other things everlasting life and vivacity in the midst of the coldest and darkest time of year. Christmas trees bear cultural significance in many parts of the world, too. No matter what the Christmas tree means for you and your family, having one in your home will create a memorable experience for you and your little ones in particular. They add a fresh pine scent throughout an interior, and are lovely palettes for decoration. We love the rustic feel of this tree as it adds to the timelessness of the holiday season. Decorate with ornaments that have meaning in your family and top the tree with a star or an angel as tradition dictates. Decorating the tree is another outstanding way to get the kids involved in bringing Christmas cheer to your hearth and home. Of course, the final decorative touch comes when Santa Clause stows beautifully rapped gifts beneath the tree.

Setting the tone for your holiday spread

A big part of the holiday season is centred around enjoying rich meals with family and friends. It’s a time to honour the cultural traditions of our forebears and to make new memories by gathering and bonding with those loved ones who are present. As important as the food itself, are the table settings we use of its presentation. This is the time to break out your best linens. Use richly dyed tablecloths, napkins, and placemats in red, green, gold, and white colour schemes. Layer these with your finest silverware and plating. Next, it’s time to consider the table decorations. Because Christmas falls at the shortest days of the year, light plays an important role in the festivities. Add lots of candles, and a touch of evergreen to tie the table in with the rest of your holiday décor. You can also go for a modern variation like studioReskos did in this Christmas table setting by choosing a more personalised plant accent. The repetition of the tea candles adds a cheerful glow to the look as well.

Deck the halls with a Christmas lease

The Christmas lease is another embodiment of the symbolic significance of the evergreen during Christmastime. The lease can supplement the evergreen garlands or Christmas tree. It can also add the right hint of seasonal cheer in the absence of these things. Typically, you might see the lease on the front door of an exterior, something that goes beautifully with snowy surroundings but can also add some holiday charm in places that are too hot for snow. The lease can also go well indoors. Artificial leases are advisable in this case as they won’t leave as much of a mess of pine needles. These artificial leases depict just some of the many styles and varieties there are to choose from. Add clip on ornaments or colourful balls and string lights to boost their festive appeal. You can even pair multiple wreaths together in a corridor order to amplify the look.

Don't forget socks for the present!

Although the Christmas tree and the presents arranged beneath it tend to be the focal point of Christmas excitement in the living area, we mustn’t forget the Christmas stockings, also known as socks for the present. The socks for the present tend to hold smaller trinkets, and we all know that good things come in small packages. So be sure to give these stockings some attention. For instance, try personalising each stocking for those who will be present at your Christmas celebration. Also you may consider going with a colour that tastefully deviates from the usual red and green stocking schemes. These grey stockings replete with intricate, unique embellishments are a wonderful take on socks for the present. Hanging them from the wall with some decorative stocking holders is certainly a possibility for those who don’t have a fireplace.

Snuggling up and staying warm

There’s nothing like snuggling up and staying toasty with loved ones during the holiday season with a warm beverage and a full belly. The perfect supplement to a warm fire or even a well heated home comes in the form of some cosy blankets. They make wonderful gifts that add both aesthetic appeal and practical benefits to the home. Wool blankets like these ones will certainly do the trick. Luxurious cashmere or tried-and-true fleece will keep you and your loved ones warm and close together as well. Going with a set of multiple throw blankets can help to mitigate disputes about who is hogging all the covers when your family sits down for bonding time in front of the fire. Therefore, purchasing a few blankets might just be worth the peace of mind this holiday season. Alternatively, sharing is caring!  

Making light in non-traditional ways this Christmas

When light isn’t readily available in the usual way—through the sun, we have to make our own. That is a major part of the Christmas aesthetic. Whether or not you decide to go with candles or a cosy fireplace, there are other ways to enhance the light in your home during the holidays in a festive way. In addition to using Christmas lights, try adding a Christmas themed light to your decorative scheme this Christmas. These light-up stars are ideal for anyone looking to do something more non-traditional this year in their Christmas theme.  They certainly fit the bill for creating Christmas cheer in combination with the red colour accents. The start lights would look perfect propped on the mantel in a living room, for instance. If the idea of a more contemporary Christmas look appeals to you, try using blue or purple hues at accents in your decorative scheme too.

Big comfy couch

The holidays are usually filled with family gatherings and entertaining friends. This can be difficult if there isn’t enough comfortable seating. If you’ve been thinking about buying a new sofa, doing so before the holidays might be a smart plan. A large, modular or a corner sofa are best for accommodating extra guests. A pull out sofa, or a sofa that can in some way be converted to a bed is especially useful if you plan on hosting guests from out of town. The sofa is a great spot for gathering to open presents, enjoy a fire in the fireplace, or cuddle up to watch a favourite Christmas movie. A plush sofa like this one is a cosy fit for just about any living room, and your guests will certainly want to stick around. The right sofa really can enhance those holiday gatherings and promote holiday cheer.

If you found this Ideabook inspiring, check out these 6 fun Christmas DIY projects. Happy decorating!    

What is the most important thing to consider when intending to capture the Christmas spirit in your holiday decorations? We'd love to hear your ide...

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