Shea McGee knows best when it comes to timeless yet on-trend decorating, so it's hardly a surprise that her home is covered in beautiful and classic holiday decor. It effortlessly blends all the key trends of 2024 and yet remains classic.
Shea's tree is at the heart of her Christmas decorating scheme, and much like the rest of her home's decor, it ticks off every single Christmas trend worth knowing about. Sounds overwelming? All those looks on one tree. But Shea brings them all together in a beautiful, cohesive look that's simple to replicate.
Filled with brown tones, bows, candles, icicles, and more of the ornaments we're loving this season, Shea talks through her Christmas tree look in a step-by-step video, outlining her styling process when creating this show-stopping scheme.
Glass icicles
Icicle ornaments hang delicately on the branches of a Christmas tree, bringing elegance as they reflect the light and twinkle. They've long been a popular decoration choice, but the revival of retro decor means there's been a real hark back to old-school ornaments this year.
Shea has adorned her tree with a variety of glass icicle decorations, spreading them evenly around the branches. Note that Shea has gone for these instead of the Lametta tinsel trend (which she opted for last year). Both hang vertically and create dimension and add a layer of shine. You don't want to overload your tree, so try choosing one statement piece for dramatic effect. These tinsel strands from Amazon are shiny and fine and can bring an eye-catching quality to your tree.
Shea says, 'Last year I did tinsel, but it was very controversial and I loved it and to this day I still love it, but this year I decided to do glass icicles all over the tree and I alternated my garland types.' Tinsel has been deemed retro and tacky, but it can be elegant and enhance your tree's color scheme and bring some interest. If you're unsure about tinsel, icicle ornaments like Shea's are a more paired-back alternative to creating a show-stopping, twinkly tree.
Antique silver ornaments
No matter your tree theme, you really can't go wrong with metallic on a Christmas tree. And if tinsel isn't your thing, silver baubles do a great job to create that all-important festive sparkle.
Shea collects silver glass ornaments and has decorated her tree with layers of different designs. 'Speaking to that beautiful antique silver that I love in the holidays, I have collected mercury glass ornaments over the years and I have a lot of them and I’ve loaded the tree up with those.'
These Silver round ornaments from Pottery Barn have that antique finish whilst bringing that crucial sparkle.
Velvet accents
Chic and understated, velvet ornaments add textural variety and retain elegance. Bows usually spring to mind when it comes to this type of decor, but there's a range of velour-crafted decorations out there.
Shea hangs muted-toned velvet baubles on her tree. The use of a quieter color palette ensures the tree isn't over-embellished and allows the feature pieces to stand out among the others. Shea says, 'I did baubles with two different color palettes, one with the warmer and one with the cooler tone.'
A popular choice this year is velvet bows as they're an easy way to add variety and color while also being on trend. Pottery Barn's clip-on bows are festive in color and couldn't be easier to attach to your tree's branches.
Layered garlands
Antique-style decor has had a big revival this season, harking back to nostalgic styles of past Christmases. It's all about creating a lived-in and inviting look that encompasses the spirit of the holidays.
Shea goes in with gold, delicate Christmas garlands that add a sprinkle of glitter and bring that vintage touch. She layers two together and explains, 'So I did this antique gold garland here and then the sweetest jingle bell garland. Hear that? It sounds like Christmas.’ Charming as they chime, bells are reminiscent of Santa's reindeer soaring through the sky.
Tarnished bell garlands are all the rage as they give your display a worn yet loved feel, making them the perfect accompaniment to any tree or mantel. Etsy's rustic-style bell decoration embraces festivity and exudes a homely feel.
Meaningful nostaglic decor
Christmas is all about spending time with the family, so what better type of decor than one that evokes nostalgic, happy memories? This step is limitless as it draws on your family's own independent traditions. Personal ornaments vary for every household, they could be anything from a family heirloom featured on the tree each year or a handmade bauble made by a family member. Both provide a meaningful and sentimental touch to your tree and represent the importance of family.
Shea says, 'I filled in the tree with our more elevated personal ornaments that I collect as we travel, so one from Alice Beach, and Blackberry Farm, and one I got when we went to London. It’s been really fun to go through and reminisce about all those locations.’
Shop Shea's elegant Christmas tree look at McGee & Co
McGee & Co's Pine Green & White Swirl Baubles are delicate and festive. The best part is they come in a family of 12, perfect for creating a cohesive tree,
A vital part of creating a cohesive tree is using transitional, neutral decorations like these Assorted Flocked Baubles. Using some muted colors allows the statement feature pieces to shine in all their glory.
No tree is complete without some silver or gold. These delicate Metal Foliage Ornaments will sit on your tree elegantly as they're made from finely embossed metal sheets.
McGee & Co is equipped for all your decorating needs including the all-important Christmas tree! This faux Spruce is classically festive and eco-friendly.
This little bell is made from ivory painted ceramic and is a minimal take on a traditional tree ornament.
The crucial final step of tree decorating- the tree topper. This one is rustic in style, made of natural rattan and woven into a star shape.
Creating an elegant and warm tree display couldn't be simpler with Shea's decorating tips and ornament choices that encompass the true spirit of Christmas. Remember to incorporate metallic, velvet, and personal elements for a festive, inviting, and joyous tree.
