Decorating for the holidays is one of the most exciting times of the year for interior buffs like us. It's the opportunity to go all out, try new color schemes and trends, and adorn your home no holds barred. However, with new trends taking over every year, decorating for Christmas can feel overwhelming, meaning we just often end up simply sticking to what we know.
There's nothing wrong with the traditional look, but there are plenty of Christmas decor ideas that could upgrade your setup. The Livingetc editors spend hours looking at all the latest trends and rounding up the very best to present to you. The question is, which are the ones they're actually using in their own homes this festive season? We find out which trends have made the cut for our very stylish and extremely selective editors so you have an exclusive, streamlined selection of decor ideas to try.
1. Dried orange tree garland
Our Instagram feeds have been dominated by tutorials on how to dry citrus fruits and turn them into decorative garlands for our mantels, railings, and Christmas trees, and Livingetc's Global Editor in Chief Pip Rich is contributing to this stylish frenzy with his own take on the trend.
'I've gone for a palette of metallic sage and burnt orange this year,' Pip says. While the process of drying fruit and creating homemade decorations is charmingly old school, pairing it with more modern elements instantly elevates the trend. 'Blending with nostalgic decorations like ribbons of oranges I dried myself feels both warmingly familiar and brilliantly contemporary,' he says.
2. Trees in pots
There are a variety of ways to stand your Christmas tree and disguise the base, from clever stands to decorative skirts, but pots seem to have taken first place this year. 'There’s a trend towards putting Christmas trees in pots and baskets I’ve definitely noticed this year,' says Hugh Metcalf, Digital Editor of Livingetc.com. Not only do they look the part, but they also make it easier to keep your Christmas tree alive, too.
'I’ve been collecting beautiful pots throughout the year for my home, so I’ve bought some smaller, real Christmas trees to put in them, scattered across my home,' he says. 'I’ll probably still put up my main tree, but I love this idea as an alternative - it feels a little more casual, and makes it easy to dress up small spaces like an entryway for Christmas, too.' We love the thought of spreading the festive cheer into every inch of your home, and using miniature potted trees to decorate your hallway or entryway is a brilliant idea.
3. Wreaths everywhere
Christmas wreaths aren't just for doors, there are actually many alternative places to put your wreath this year and it's a simple trend for anyone to try out. Our Content Editor Oonagh Turner is eager to harness the full potential of the Christmas wreath across her home.
'This festive season, I'm enjoying the trend for mini indoor wreaths as well as on the front door,' Oonagh says. 'Every year, I take my wire wreath frame down from the loft and use garden wire to attach holly, evergreen branches, and ivy to the frame. It creates a beautiful natural front door display and is a fun festive activity to do with family and this year I will be making smaller versions for around the home.'
This trend is incredibly versatile and can be achieved with whatever you have on hand. 'I'm going to be bending spare coat hooks into a circle shape to make mini wreaths for indoors too,' Oonagh says. 'From the headboard of the bed to the kitchen windows, to internal doors that could do with a little extra Christmas cheer, there are so many surfaces that would look instantly more magical with the addition of a mini wreath.'
Oonagh isn't the only one who has been drawn in by the indoor wreath trend this year - Hugh is particularly taken with it as well. 'Early on in the festive period this year, I saw this clever hack on Instagram for a way to attach a wreath to the front of a shelf, or fireplace,' he says. 'It uses these Command Hooks with straps from Amazon, and has meant I can hang a wreath in a whole different way in my home this year, it looked great on the fireplace, but I decided to put it on some shelves in my living room as part of my home’s festive makeover.'
4. Vignettes
'Having just moved into a new flat, with no traditional spots like staircase or mantelpiece to decorate, I’m really embracing the trend for little Christmas vignettes around my home,' says Deputy Editor, Ellen Finch. I'm sure many of you will relate to the thought of having so much Christmas decor that you don't know what to do with it, but curating individual moments around your home is a clever way to properly display these items and give them more of a stage.
'I’m a bit of a collector and have loads of ornaments, trinkets and other festive bits, so I’ll be setting up showpieces on my dining table, kitchen shelves, side tables – any surface I can get my hands on,' Ellen says. 'Curating displays of one-off ornaments, foraged greenery and (my favorite this year) beaded decorations that’ll deliver little moments of joy whenever I spot them.'
5. Rustic decor
'There's a growing love and appreciation for rustic decor, and I'm all for it,' says Aditi Sharma Maheshwari, Livingetc's Content Editor. For her, it's all about natural table settings that add a warm, welcoming touch to festivities. With Christmas decor is traditionally being so shiny and polished, we welcome this new unrefined movement.
'Think a dining table with a burlap runner, woven placemats, porcelain plates, tall white candles placed inside vintage candelabras, and an evergreen runner,' Aditi says. 'A setting like this will remind you of the fresh outdoors, while you sit cozy and comfortable in your warm home.'
6. Party Themed decor
If you really want to turn your traditional decor upside down take note from our digital news editor Lilith Hudson. 'I’m usually a diehard traditional decor fan at Christmas, but after moving into a new place last month I’ve gone wild this festive season,' she says. 'This year, I’m a huge fan of the Christmas party-themed decor that’s cropped up lately.'
Her Christmas living room decor will be embracing the party season head-on, and it's a look that we love. 'Anything refined and restrained is out of the window,' she goes on to explain. 'I’m talking metallic accents, disco ball decorations, streamers, and of course, a bit of sparkle.'
Be inspired by the Livingetc editors this festive season and try something new with your Christmas decor. Whether that's making your own dried orange garland or festooning your space with mini wreaths, there are a multitude of ways you can update your decorations for something a bit different. Channel your inner Livingetc editor, be inspired by their ideas, and try something new.
