1. CURATE PERSONAL DISPLAYS
'My young children use any holiday as an excuse to decorate, so our holiday decorations tend to reflect our family and lives. From holiday-themed drawings made in art class to enormous pinecones our kids collected on a walk, our house is festive, conversational, and inviting around the holidays.' explains designer Jessica Jubelirer.
2. DOWNSIZE THE TREE AND UPSIZE THE COZY DECOR
'I love the look of a miniature Christmas tree that can easily perch on top of a trunk or console table. Add additional holiday cheer with vases of greenery, seasonal decorative accents (like reindeer figurines and glass trees), throw pillows and blankets with subtle holiday motifs - you can't go wrong with faux fur pillows and cashmere throws - and icicle lights in your windows.' explains designer Kathy Kuo.
3. FOCUS ON SURFACES TO ADD CHRISTMAS DECOR
If you have a fireplace, styling a mantelpiece is a great focal point of the room to make extra special at Christmas time. I love to dress ours with an abundance of greenery from the garden or a faux garland or a mix of the two adds depth and is such a time saver.
4. ADORN THE WALLS
'You can still decorate for Christmas without a traditional tree or when space is limited,' says designer Jennifer Davis. 'Adorn your walls or doors with a Christmas-themed tapestry, a Christmas wreath hung over a painting or picture window, or a series of hanging ornaments arranged in a decorative pattern.;
5. GET FORAGING FOR FOLLIAGE
'Instead of a tree, I like to bring in winter foliage, oversized branches from the garden for example, and dried flowers (especially hydrangeas as they add lots of volume, texture, and color).' explains Iwona Budnik, Senior Interior Designer at OWN LONDON. 'You could consider dressing any mantelpieces with foliage if there is a fireplace, and add candles, lots of candles.'
6. GET DECORATING THE WINDOWS
'Don't forget about the window decor!' says Jennifer. 'Hang string lights, small boxwood wreaths hung with a wide ribbon, or consider arranging battery-operated candles on the window sill for added ambiance. And also don't forget about a holiday-themed centerpiece for your table using candles, ornaments, pinecones, or seasonal fruits like cranberries and oranges. This becomes a beautiful focal point for the room.'