Top Tips for Bringing the Outside In this Christmas

Today, I’m thrilled to introduce Kate, from the Home Design School with a guest post written just for us. It’s my first Christmas post this year, and as it’s almost November, I think that’s ok. You’ll be seeing lots more Christmas tips and advice for your home in the coming weeks, so let’s dig in! 

As we head into winter, it is really tempting to shut the front door, and hide from the outside world, hibernating until the first signs of Spring start to appear. And yet our gardens offer so much promise at this time of year, that it seems a shame not to embrace this in our homes.

With a little creativity and a few styling tips, you can harness all that nature has to offer to help you dress up your home ready for Christmas. Here are some top tips to help you bring the outside in.

Keep to a natural colour scheme

The winter landscape is full of deep greens, white snow and the soft browns of bare wood. Echo these colours within your home by incorporating as many natural elements as you can. Incorporate jute or hessian rugs, wicker baskets, brown wrapping paper, rustic log candle holders, and bring in sparkles of white in your baubles and decorations.

Layer in some greenery

Introducing greenery into your home at Christmas is an easy and effective way to bring the outside in. The Christmas tree is always the star of the show of course, but you can add to the greenery in other ways too. Scour your garden for winter greens like eucalyptus, pine, blue spruce, holly or ivy. To keep your garden finds looking fresh for longer, head to your local garden centre for some anti-desiccant spray, which adds a protective coating to the leaves.

Layer greenery of differing heights and shapes in a large vase, or create a garland with longer pieces to lay along a mantelpiece or to use as a table runner. Dot candles throughout for a cosy look.

Collect Berries and Pinecones

A forest walk should be all you need to gather handfuls of berries and pinecones. Berries will look striking in amongst a collection of greenery, and pinecones can be arranged as a vignette in their own right, or piled high in a log basket next to the fire. Arrange berries, pine sprigs and pinecones in a piece of circular oasis around a central candlestick, for a classic centerpiece for your Christmas table.

Buy in some fresh flowers

During the winter, we often forget to bring fresh flowers into our homes, but they can bring in a much needed pop of colour at this time of year. Beautiful grand prix roses mixed with winter greenery will brighten up the dullest of winter days.

Be sure to keep your fresh flowers away from direct sunlight and sources of heat, and mist them lightly with water to keep them looking fresher for longer.

Treat yourself to a winter bouquet, or even splash out and have a whole garland made for your mantelpiece, or to decorate your stair rails.

 

 

Kate Hatherell runs the Home Design School, packed full of resources to help you create the home you have always dreamed of. Find out more HERE.