Embellishing your home for the festive season with Willow & Stone
During the festive season, use seasonal accessories from traditional tree ornaments to ambient lighting, beautiful foliage and contemporary elements to create elegant, embellished schemes.
Discover expert guidance from Willow & Stone to gain inspiring ideas to enhance your festive decorating. Find out how to decorate your Christmas tree, wreath and table, with suggestions for how to create schemes that reflect your personal style…
What are some of your top tips for selecting and arranging ornaments for your tree?
Add lights and choose ornaments
“First, dress the tree with lights making sure you use plenty. Tuck them right into the centre of the tree, as well as the middle and tips of the branches to really make it sparkle. When selecting ornaments, choosing a colour palette will ensure the tree looks considered and coherent. Odd numbers and a variety of sizes of decorations are key to ensure your tree looks balanced and adds depth.”
Prepare to decorate the tree
“Start by laying out all the baubles and decorations you plan on dressing the tree with. Split your tree into three sections (bottom, middle and top) and then divide your decorations into groups for each section. This will ensure that your ornaments are well distributed for a beautiful, balanced tree. Smaller decorations are great for lighter branches, as gap fillers and to use towards the top of the tree, with medium size decorations in the middle and the larger ones towards the bottom.”
Arrange your ornaments
“Place your most special or personal ornaments at the front, but make sure to spread them out so they lead your eye. Ensure you decorate the back of the tree; this keeps the tree looking balanced, fills in gaps and adds depth. Finally, dress the tree with tinsel, garlands or even bows to finish off and top the tree with either a star or angel.”
Wall: Nori
Wall: Nori
Tell us about the different lighting options and how they can affect your schemes.
“Lights offer a great way to enhance the colour scheme or theme of your tree, such as classic warm white for a sophisticated look or colourful lights to bring fun. For traditional styling, combine fairy lights with clip-on candles on your tree, or try more decorative style lights to complement your decor. Christmas lighting can create a sense of warmth that really adds to the festive atmosphere, and can be added throughout your home through foliage lighting – for example, fairy lights woven through garlands or ornamental hanging lights.
Wire lights are great for manipulating. For a minimal alternative to a Christmas tree, try gathering a few branches from the garden or on your next walk, and place these in a vase or jug filled with sand or stones, decorated with lights and ornaments. Wire lights are great for this, as you can manipulate the wire around the branches as needed.”
Wall: Apple Smiles II
Discover lighting from Willow & Stone
How would you create a classic festive scheme versus a more contemporary finish?
“A classic theme usually includes the quintessential red, gold and green decorative colour theme and traditional festive elements such as warm white lights and beaded garlands. Using green foliage garlands on staircases and mantelpieces brings the outside in and creates a classic statement. Alternatively, you can add touches of greenery throughout your home – decorate door handles with sprigs, or create small garlands for the tops of pictures and shelves. Try rosemary, pine, ivy, holly and mistletoe. Baubles and velvet bows or small berry springs can be added to create that classic traditional festive look.”
![Grenache](data:image/svg+xml;utf8, <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" x="0" y="0" height="262px" width="350px"><rect width="350" height="262" style="fill:%23613A3E" /></svg>)
![Geisha](data:image/svg+xml;utf8, <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" x="0" y="0" height="262px" width="350px"><rect width="350" height="262" style="fill:%237E3B3A" /></svg>)
![Muga](data:image/svg+xml;utf8, <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" x="0" y="0" height="262px" width="350px"><rect width="350" height="262" style="fill:%23AD8140" /></svg>)
![Pollen II](data:image/svg+xml;utf8, <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" x="0" y="0" height="262px" width="350px"><rect width="350" height="262" style="fill:%23cb9d53" /></svg>)
![Hunter Dunn](data:image/svg+xml;utf8, <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" x="0" y="0" height="262px" width="350px"><rect width="350" height="262" style="fill:%233E5746" /></svg>)
“For a contemporary finish, the foliage can be pared back and tied with thin ribbon in subtle tones, or attached to copper wire lights. Plants such as eucalyptus or olive branches create a more minimalist contemporary look. The tree can emulate more Scandinavian style by creating more space between branches, decorated with simple decorations in subtle colours of whites, silvers and pale greens. Alternatively, if colour is your thing, then go bold and bright with hot pinks, bright blues and greens. Create decorations from paper or raffia such as garlands and wreaths – these can be reused each year with different decorative elements such as baubles or lights added.”
![Acqua Viva](data:image/svg+xml;utf8, <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" x="0" y="0" height="262px" width="350px"><rect width="350" height="262" style="fill:%234C5250" /></svg>)
![Hornblende](data:image/svg+xml;utf8, <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" x="0" y="0" height="262px" width="350px"><rect width="350" height="262" style="fill:%23666B5C" /></svg>)
![Sprig V](data:image/svg+xml;utf8, <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" x="0" y="0" height="262px" width="350px"><rect width="350" height="262" style="fill:%23b5c0a9" /></svg>)
![Steel I](data:image/svg+xml;utf8, <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" x="0" y="0" height="262px" width="350px"><rect width="350" height="262" style="fill:%23F0F4EF" /></svg>)
![Steel IV](data:image/svg+xml;utf8, <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" x="0" y="0" height="262px" width="350px"><rect width="350" height="262" style="fill:%23C5CDC6" /></svg>)
Wall: Apple Smiles II
Can you share ideas for creating a festive wreath that will suit your personal design style?
“A full wreath made with evergreen foliage is perfect for traditional style. Adding heather as an accent gives gorgeous depth.
A half wreath has a more modern appearance, but it still has lots of room for personality. Keep the hoop minimal with pared-back foliage, or go for something wilder and embrace an off-centre design.
Alternatively, try a wreath created from colourful raffia. The colour can complement the colour of your front door or a wall in your house. The raffia looks amazing on its own – bushy and full – but it can also be added to bring your own festive character and charm to your home. If stored well, the wreath can be used for many years to come and is a great sustainable choice.”
Door: Geisha
What are some inspiring ideas for decorating the table this year? What unexpected elements could you include?
“We're enjoying adding pops of colour this year. Create a raffia or paper garland to weave between candle holders and serving bowls, or simply place down the centre of the table. In between dining times, the garland can be used to decorate a fireplace or staircase.
Alternatively adding fruit such as oranges and clementines to your tablescape is an easy way to add some colour and texture. You could also try pears, pomegranates and even artichokes dotted along the centre of the table. Or for something more traditional, tuck herb sprigs into napkin rings to add scent and greenery."
