Tinsel has been making a slow and steady comeback. I noticed it a few Christmases ago, and last year it was really obvious this old-school trend was having a resurgence. But this year, there's an even more specific take on this nostalgic look.
As a child of the 90s, tinsel was everywhere over the holidays. I can literally remember the vivid smell of the box of very-used tinsel we kept in the loft, coming out year after year and being reused until it resembled a sparkly road kill. It was far from glamorous.
But come 2024 and tinsel has had a huge glow up, with many interior designers using a very refined version of it to create an elegant, elevated, and very effective look. Icicle tinsel, lametta tinsel, tinsel strands, however, you remember it, these fine strings of tinsel popular from the 1960s right up to the 90s are looking to be a huge Christmas decorating trend this year. And designer Amber Lewis has used it to perfection to create a subtly sparkly, slightly rustic Christmas tree.
I have seen some lovely examples of lametta tinsel being used, but so far they have all very much leaned into that very colorful, kitschy Christmas trend. And while I love that look and it's so joyful, I am a traditionalist and I like a simple approach to my Christmas tree decor with a neutral color scheme and hints of gold and silver.
Amber's tree has inspired me, proving that tinsel can work with a more pared-back scheme too. Layered beneath her tinsel, Amber uses deep browns and golds to give the lametta tinsel a whole different, more sophisticated feel. And there's so much texture going on here to, that adds plenty of interest despite the neutral scheme.
The rest of her home has an equally chic, slightly rustic feel to it. The tree is definitely the star of the show, but in other rooms, Amber has added simple green garlands above cabinets and doorways and hung a green wreath above the bed to create this lovely festive thread through her home.
I have already put in my order of lametta tinsel on Amazon, it's so affordable yet so effective and if you store it properly you can use it year after year. I am also going to add a few more decorations to my collection to replicate Amber's soft brown color scheme.
Inspired by Amber's color scheme silver, brown and gold is going to be my go to this year. I love the luxury that velvet adds to a tree and these decorations are the perfect tone of soft brown I am after.
I have a few vintage etched ornaments and these are perfect for expanding my collection. Although they are described as 'silver' these ornaments have more of a champagne tone which is what I also look for to blend my gold and silver scheme together.
You could create a similar effect to the lametta tinsel trend, but more subtle with a collection of these ornaments from Anthropologie. They are available in silver too, so I will be mixing and matching.
Amber's tree decorations perfectly balance the trend for kitschy Christmas decor, with a more liveable, laid back rustic look that's totally timeless. She's definitely inspired me to try something new this year.
