For many, the Christmas tree takes center stage around the holiday season. Whether it’s a nostalgic masterpiece made of handmade ornaments from your childhood or it follows a subtle and modern theme, the Christmas tree easily becomes the focal point this time of year.
With such an iconic holiday staple gaining the attention in your living room, family room or whatever area of your home it resides, it can feel difficult to make sure the rest of the room is up to par. To ensure you make the Christmas spirit flow throughout the room, we have a few tips for decorating around the tree.
Make the mantel the star of the show
The mantel is the perfect place to set the tone for Christmas — a blank slate can help you set the foundation for more holiday decorations without taking up any floor space. Living in Florida, many of us don’t have a fireplace so try other spaces to set up some Christmas cheer like the living room above. Mini decorative trees, holiday ceramics, lights and candles are simple objects you can use to spruce up this space and help the eye wander around the room instead of focusing solely on the tree.
Be merry and bright twinkling lights
What’s Christmas without an array of lights? Decorating with string lights may be the most popular for the exterior of your home, but you can create your own living winter wonderland in the living room with the right amount of twinkling lights. We recommend white lights, as this is a timeless option that can go with nearly any color scheme.
Go festive with a red and green theme
When the red and green décor comes out, you know it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. The tree will surely take precedence when it comes to laying the foundation for this color scheme, but a collection of red and green décor surrounding the tree can make the room feel more complete. Consider red and green accessories such as:
- Accent pillows and blankets
- Area rugs
- Tableside accessories
- The Christmas tree skirt
- Picture and artwork frames
- Candleholders
- Coffee table décor
- Window treatments
With the right mixture of holiday hues throughout your living space, the Christmas tree will become more of a single piece of the puzzle than the entire masterpiece.
Play the Christmas classics all season long
As soon as the room is filled to the brim with holiday decorations, there’s a simple finishing touch you can add to ensure you achieve the holiday atmosphere to its full potential: Christmas music or movies. You can play your favorite Christmas songs in the background while baking cookies, wrapping presents or reading Christmas stories to the children. Likewise, a Christmas movie marathon offers the perfect opportunity to embrace the decorations and settle into the Christmas vibe to its fullest extent.
Happy Holidays from interior designer Barbara Hayman and her team.
