Christmas is now in full-swing which gives us the chance to think about styling our homes for the festive season. Create your own Winter Wonderland with these top home styling tips from Home Staging Specialist Natasha Rocca Devine aka “The Interiors NRD”.
Choose a Colour Scheme
Pick a palette that will compliment your own home interiors style to ensure no clashing, then add in various festive colours to your main areas such as your kitchen and entertaining areas. The most common Christmas colour palettes tend to be whites, golds, reds and silvers. You can start with a bright red tablecloth or bows and work your way around the red with shimmer sprays in metallic colours. You can add these to wreaths, garlands and twigs and layer them on your basic décor.
Light It Up
Get layering with bunches of fairy lights above mantles, on doorframes and on windows. Go for the ones with the timers to ensure they use less power. Wrap them around your wreaths and shrubs in the garden. Church candles create a romantic, moody atmosphere in the home. Place different sized candles around various rooms. If you know an electrician, dimmer switches are a great long term investment if you have the budget to allocate to those. Clean out your fireplace and prep for guests- nothing beats the cosiness of the fireside.
Alternative Decorations
If your home is smaller and you don’t have room for a real tree, you can get creative by decorating existing areas such as bookshelves, tableware units and fireplaces with lights, candles and Christmas decorations. Create an alternative, arty Christmas tree display by mapping points on a wall and attaching twinkly fairy lights in a tree shape or even a star using clear tape. Go foraging for mistletoe, holly and ivy, buy an oasis and create your own homemade natural decorations to hang on the door or above your mantlepiece.
The Repetition Rule
Repeating design statements can be impactful in a simple and stylish way. For example, if you add one wreath on a window outside, then add them to each window. Similarly, if there are statues, candles or decorations apply this approach too. Always try to apply only two (or a design rule of three) repeating these decorations in rows or sections throughout your home.
Tablescaping Theme
With the dining table being the focus of many an intimate Christmas gathering, the spotlight is on beautiful tableware. Items such as cutlery, plates, napkins and various bowls, candles and tablecloths can be found on a budget and can be used to create that magical festive feeling. Go with a theme such as golds or racing greens and get creative by dotting pinecones around the table. Tie your napkins with chic ribbon in a bold colour and invest in some bronze or brass candle holders to place on the centre of the table for a really stunning intimate feel.
Scent And Serenity
The magic of Christmas is so focused around nostalgic scents such as pine and fir trees, seasonal cooking with cinnamon and spices, and natural winter scents like the fireplace, burning logs and turf. If you want to amp this nostalgia up, you can curate your home using bespoke Irish candles with natural wax bases made from soya and rapeseed. It’s always lovely to mark the evening with the ritual of lighting a candle. Check out my own lavender-infused candle at www.theinteriorsnrd.com which is ideal for lighting before bedtime to create a sense of relaxation.
Natasha Rocca Devine is an award-winning interior design specialist. She offers interior design staging, styling and project management services direct to estate agents, and residential and commercial clients in Ireland and the UK. She recently launched a new scented candle, “The Secret Garden” candle (€30), a collaboration with La Bougie candles. Buy online at www.theinteriorsnrd.com
