Christmas colour palette from year to year is going to prove costly, so a great idea is to invest in some beautiful white lights. They can be used with any colour scheme, and can help enhance the colours that you’ve decided on. Even better, they can be used all year round (twinkling white lights work especially well for an outdoor summer party. It would be a shame to spoil your overall colour scheme with a garish helping of flashing (and clashing) coloured lights. Because families and tradition are such an important part of Christmas, consider starting a collection of a single decorative item – something that can grow through the years, be added to by friends and family, and can be passed on to the next generation. For instance, many people collect snow globes, and place them together on a windowsill or shelf. They look wonderful, and as long as they’re all displayed together in one place they won’t interfere with a strict colour palette or theme. What they do very well is encourage conversation and memories about where (or who) each snow globe came from. Remember to take your Christmas celebrations into every room – kitchens and bathrooms are great places to put scented candles (in safe locations!) and smaller seasonal decorations, and there’s no reason to be ignoring the bedrooms either. It has become quite fashionable in some interior design circles to promote the ‘less is more’ approach – but if there’s one time when that definitely doesn’t apply, then it’s Christmas. It’s a big, fun, family-based celebration, so your home should reflect that in its decor – big, fun, and family-based. With a little thought and planning in advance, you can easily create a wonderful festive home that adds a real touch of magic to the season – but still manages to be friendly and fun.
Once decorated, the best place to enjoy your Christmas home is in front of a cosy fireplace, curled up with a mug of hot chocolate. The warmth and mesmeric flame of a fireplace is the cherry on the cake – or holly on the pudding! – especially as Jack Frost sets in outside. An enchanting fireplace can be the centrepiece of anyone’s home, all year round. – COASTAL STOVES Morsø Viking wood burning stove COASTAL STOVES 01263 711593 The Contemporary Home have a lovely range of products for Christmas in a range of colour-matching themes. This is the Frosted White & Metallic collection – others include the Scandi, Homespun, Rustic, and Jewel Bright. For local stockists, contact 02392 469400
Add a touch of light relief with this marvellous star shaped Brussels sprout wreath by The Contemporary Home (£31). For local stockists, call 02392 469400
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KLmagazine November 2013