Right folks. We have held out til now but it’s December 1st and Christmas starts right here. Stay tuned for genius present ideas, the best festive beauty and – drum roll please – some truly fabulous competitions from some of our favourite brands. Oh yes, we’ve cracked open the Buble (sorry…. But we love him. Alex’s oldest son informed me that Michael Buble’s version of ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ is the favourite festive tune in their household), and we are itching to get our trees up and gone crazy for seasonal sparkle.
I am not going to lie: I always dream of a white Christmas. No matter how unrealistic or unfounded on (usually grey) reality. Moreover, White Christmas is my baby boy’s favourite bedtime song, beating even Twinkle Twinkle Little Star into second place. So, whilst we’re not totally limiting our colour palette to white and glass this year in our house (we’ll be ditching the glass (save for a few baubles near the top of the tree), adding silver glitzy pine cones (thanks Tiger), bells and perhaps some flashes of red. Needs must: the four-year-old has decorating ideas, too), it remains my favourite scheme.
The key to decorating with white is to add plenty of sparkle and light; think mirrored, reflective surfaces, fairy lights, candles – and lashings of greenery (come back later this festive month for a how to make your home gorgeously Christmassy with foliage, florals and the like). Of course, there’s always the tree, but do not shy away from festooning your home with green: curl a garland around your bannister, hang a wreath on the door… I always trail eucalyptus and bay around my mantlepiece, intertwined with tiny fairylights.
White can be rustic…
Or slick (if you come over Jo Malone and throw in a bit of black)…
White need not be complicated (or expensive). Find paper snowflakes at Anthropologie and RE and paper stars at Hema. Greenery is free (if you are a country-dweller or a townie who knows where to look) – or head to Marks & Spencer (where you’ll find a brilliant array of festive decorating treats: I love the sequin filled baubles and this bumper box of sparkling glass-effect baubles and these white pine cones are even prettier in the flesh.)
Greenery threaded through the bannister makes my heart sing. I am not suggesting you take it this far, but doesn’t it look fabulous?
I love this simple white star garland from The White Company. (See also the glitter star garland)
If white is your thing, W&W favourite The White Company has everything you need to recreate a White (Company) Christmas – simply head to their Christmas shop and follow their lead. I have my eye on the pinecone tealight holders, jelly mould tealight holders, and the Henry Dean candle holder, so I can recreate something along these lines…
Bear in mind the light factor. In my view, it’s hard to have too many fairylights. I love these naked wire lights from Cox & Cox…
Whilst you’re there, check out their beautiful copper baubles:
I also love the stag’s head – this would be a year-round conversation piece (I can see it wearing a Panama come the summer…) (I know it’s out of stock – so try this one from Graham & Green if you’ve fallen in love and simply cannot conceive of Christmas without a paper-hat-wearing stag.)
Do also extend your scheme from tree to table… White candles and silver candlesticks: easy and always chic. I’ve already filled a glass hurricane lamp with gold and silver sprayed fir cones. They’ll make a fabulous centrepiece when we have our Christmas drinks.
Images via Pinterest except 5-8 – The White Company
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