Let’s get cosy this Christmas
We all love Summer when the sun is shining, the windows are open and the house is clean and de-cluttered. Taking part in outdoor activities, walks and al-fresco dining watching the sunset. However, nothing beats those warm winter nights, with a crackling fire and soft lighting by 5pm, all snug with your loved ones safe from the bitter chill of the outdoors, leaving you all cosy and content. In winter months, the living room takes the position of heart of the home.
When Fairytale of New York starts dribbling though on the radio, or you get hit with Wham…..the tingling starts. Is it too early to put the tree up? It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to so I shall! The tree is the masterpiece, always holding centre stage within the Christmas arena. It is the first piece of decoration that is completed and then you build all other pieces around it and fully embrace the festivities.
The easiest way to achieve that warm cosy glow is through lighting. There can be fairy lights draped around your mantelpiece, mirrors, stair cases, windows…just about everywhere! Fairy lights come in all different shades and shapes so whatever look or mood you are going for, you can achieve a lot with lighting. From soft lamps, lanterns and low lit candles, you can create something quite beautiful and inviting and full of warmth.
Garlands and wreaths add depth to any door, staircase and window, mixed in with the earthy colours of added berries and even soft lights within them. They give a new dimension and texture and start to pull everything together. All winter foliage, even hand picked holly, berries and cones, can add that wintry forest feel, like you’re in Narnia.
The succulent seasonal smells of satsuma’s, mulled wine, scented candles, roasted chestnuts and the crackling of the fire, alerts your senses to that feeling of ‘Christmas’. The festivities are such an indulgent and decadent time, where you’re hit with the aroma of your favourite foods, slurp your most enjoyed tipple and fest on your favourite nibbles. It’s an incredibly happy and ‘filling’ time.
Beautifully draped throws and blankets adorning a corner armchair or across the end of the sofa, opens up any space to a warm invitation to relax and be snug. Anything from wool to faux fur, displaying either rustic, traditional or even festive colours, can give a room a ‘pop’ of colour and add to the beauty of comfort. You can grab a throw and nestle down and relax with a good book and just ‘be’.
Extra cushions are a great way to transform a room, to make it even more dimensional and a great way to implement various textures. From large oversized cushions or box cushions, layering provides a beautiful display of comfort and relaxation. You can choose a variety of colours to suit your theme ranging from glitzy gold or the more neutral tones of creams or a pop of Navy and Red; these different shapes, textures and colours can provide the perfect setting.
Ornamental pieces and festive trinkets can sit comfortably around the fireplace, the window sills, the dining table and you can add the extra touch of wooden hearts or bunting hanging from the walls. Again, pulling this room together like the pages of a story book, where everything sits nicely on the page and you want to get into the book yourself. You will sit back and admire your work and how you feel.
Christmas is very much a time for being thankful and for giving, being closely surrounded by those who matter most to you. There is warmth, love, contentment and the feeling of being at home and at peace when you are all together at Christmas. And this is why we in turn try to create this feeling with the way we decorate our homes for Christmas. To create the atmosphere in our hearts of warmth, love and contentment.
(No rights to images – images owned by Unsplash).
