Festive styling ideas for every home

Christmas is an invitation to get creative with the styling in your home. You need not stick to the traditional red, gold and green theme however, nor do your decorations need to be tacky or too ‘Christmassy’ to achieve a beautiful effect. Below we explore three Christmas styling themes that will suit either a contemporary or classic home.

Elegant Christmas styling

The best way to achieve an elegant Christmas theme is to use metallics such as rose gold and silver in conjunction with one contrasting colour, perhaps black or navy. Richly layered textures in clusters should be found not only on your tree and dining table, but all over the house. Decorating the staircase is particularly effective – try unraveling a wreath and winding it down the banister. The fireplace also provides a perfect backdrop for elegant trimmings. Lots of lighting and candles should be evident and a blend of old and new decorations brings a classic elegance to a contemporary home. Don’t be afraid to go over the top on your Christmas table! Read more about how to specifically style your festive table here.

Metricon’s Southampton and Black Label home designs are the perfect canvas for this elegant Christmas theme.

Watch ahead as Chris Carroll from The Life Creative speaks to Metricon Senior Interior Designer Jacinta Evans and Adairs’ Madeline Ierfone about an elegant theme that will make this Christmas a stylish one.

Scandinavian Christmas styling

Scandinavian styling typically requires a soft neutral palette with plenty of inspiration from nature. At Christmas time this means lots of wooden and paper craft with pastels such as yellows, pinks and mints. The introduction of texture such as marble, timber and concrete offers a nice contrast to the softness and can be used in both classic and contemporary homes. Lush green wreaths, pinecones and of course reindeer are evident in Scandinavian style, but you may wish to opt for a blonde timber tree rather than a traditional green fir or pine.

Metricon’s Urban Organic and Nordic Elk home designs are perfectly suited to this Christmas theme.

Take a look at the following video as Chris speaks with Jacinta and Madeleine about how easy it is to create the Scandinavian look in your very own home.

Whimsical Christmas styling

If you’re happy to get the kids involved in styling your home this Christmas, and aren’t too neurotic about everything matching, then try a whimsical Christmas theme. Start with one bright focal colour, blue or pink perhaps, and then help the kids choose other colours that work with that tone. Find plenty of fun decorations and cluster them on side tables, and don’t forget to decorate the staircase as well. Your present wrappings should be in the same colours and encourage Christmas craft to match too. You may like to choose one particular object as your central focus, such as a cheeky elf, to appear at different points throughout your home. Don’t be afraid to have two trees this year – one that you can decorate and one just for the kids so they can include all their homemade decorations.

The Whimsical Christmas theme would work well in the Metricon Graphix or Minerals homes.

Chris, Jacinta and Madeleine discuss the fun you can have when putting together the Whimsical Christmas theme with your kids this year.

Any of these Christmas styling themes can be achieved on a budget if you know where to shop and feel like getting a little crafty. The large budget retailers usually take inspiration from the more exclusive designers so you can find on-trend pieces there. If you buy one or two new large items, central to your chosen theme, you may like to make or repurpose some of your old decorations so they fit in. A can of spray paint can work wonders!

For more design inspiration, head to our blog Home Truths.