Christmas Decorating Themes
The quickest way to make a home feel properly festive is to pick one colour scheme and carry it through the tree, the table and the walls. A theme stops the room looking like a jumble and makes even a small budget go further. Here are the schemes that work every year, plus a simple rule for building one that looks considered.
Four schemes that always work
- Traditional red & green with gold and white accents. The classic, warm and family-friendly, and the easiest to top up year to year.
- Modern white & silver with a hint of ice blue. Clean and grown-up, brilliant in a small flat where you want light and space.
- Nordic and Scandi in white, natural green and warm gold. Foliage, wood tones and simple hanging shapes for a calm, cosy look.
- Jewel tones in purple, deep pink, blue and gold. Rich and glamorous, best kept to one or two rooms so it stays a treat.
Build a scheme in three steps
You do not need a stylist, just a bit of order.
- Choose one lead colour and let it take about 60% of the room, on the tree, the tinsel and the big hanging pieces.
- Add one supporting colour for roughly 30%, such as gold with red, or green with white.
- Finish with a 10% accent, usually a metallic, on baubles, ribbon and table details. That last touch is what pulls it all together.
Repeat the same three colours in every room and even mismatched decorations start to look like a set.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make cheap decorations look expensive?
Stick to one tight colour scheme and buy in multiples. A dozen matching baubles in two shades reads as far more designed than lots of odd single pieces. Add a length of the same ribbon on the tree, the banister and the table to tie the whole room together.
What colours go with a real tree?
The green does a lot of the work, so white and gold, red and gold, or a Nordic mix of natural tones and warm lights all sit beautifully against it. Save cooler silver and ice blue for an artificial white or frosted tree where the contrast pops.
Shop the look: Christmas decorations, tree decorations, tinsel and hanging decorations.