Creating The Ultimate Christmassy Home

On the whole, most Kenyans tend to show restraint when decorating their homes for the festive season. The little decorations put in place seem to have been done in a rush; a standard Christmas tree in the corner, an old dusty wreath stuck on the door (if any), a few twinkly lights haphazardly strewn in the living room and maybe around an outside bush, and the TV playing some “Jingle bell Rock” on 24-hour repeat. Christmas only happens once a year guys, so why not capture the magic of Christmas in your home with these inspirational ideas;

Pick your Christmas palette

While we mostly aspire to create a brand new look for our Christmas decor every single year, in reality, it's much easier (and cheaper) to stick to one theme or color scheme. Having a unified motif helps the look to flow from room to room or tree to table and still bring out the seasonal feeling. You can choose to be as traditional or contemporary as you wish - whether it’s classic red, gold, green, or a more contemporary scheme of blue, silver and white. To get that cohesive look in your holiday décor, learn to color play too; mix metals with retro elements, like a pair of little gold votive lamps. Keep in mind that a single metallic always seems to set off a single color theme perfectly. Bring it in with garland and ornaments, or whatever fun sparkling things you find.

Think outside the tree

Tree decorations are not just for trees – hang them from other places too, like the beams or arches. You can recycle your old wreaths by adding some funky baubles, or gather collections of your decorations into huge glass jars or shallow bowls to make dramatic statements on tables and sideboards. Also, why not create a tree out of ornaments? Let your imagination run wild for an eye-catching tree complete with wrapped gifts underneath. Plan your wrapping to complement your overall decorating theme; from glowing gold to cool silver, natural hues and fabrics, or bright and cheerful primary colors. Choose one or two tones for the wrappings and go mad with ribbons, bows and homemade labels for a fabulously festive touch.

Decorate your outside as well as inside