Hannah Thomas - Interior Stylist gives us her tips for the most beautiful festive home.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Get ready to deck the halls, jingle those bells and rock around the Christmas Tree!

Now that I’ve got your attention let’s talk all things Christmas decorating. As an interior stylist for over a decade I have some great suggestions to make your home holiday ready so you can have yourself a very merry Christmas.

A simple Christmas

If you want to keep things simple this Christmas just stick to the greenery! Be it fake or real, there are some great options out there.

Christmas trees are so beautiful just as they are, especially if they are real. All you will need to do is add some warm white lights and let the tree speak for itself. If you decide to use an artificial tree, think about buying a flocked tree or a noble fir. For extra impact (if you have the space) you could even have 3 different sizes huddled together.

Tip! Add a neutral fur throw for a tree skirt!

Style the rest of your home using green garland on your mantle and as a runner on your dining table with some candles. Place little sprigs of ce dar here and there on your shelves to give your home some extra Christmas love. Try incorporat ing some copper wire lights - they are so versatile and looks so pretty in garland.

Tip! If you are using fake garland, try to find the real touch ones. They are usually more expensive but trust me it’ll be worth the extra pennies!

Let’s talk fresh greenery inside. A common question asked is “how long will fresh greens last over the holiday?” Well friends, it is not long unless you have them in vases in water. Cooler months means dryer air because of our furnaces constantly running. This dries out the greens quickly.

A couple suggestions if you are going the fresh route. 1. bring your fresh garland and sprigs of greens inside only a week before the festivities. 2. Mist your greens every second day - Ariel local florist and stylist.

Collaboration with Ariel home interiors. Florist & stylist

You can elevate this look even further with simple touches of gold. It will instantly transform into elegant and chic! Think about gold candelabras, plate chargers and cutlery!

Sometimes we dream of more than just a white Christmas…. And in that cast let’s go the Traditional route. Yep, you’ve got it! Let’s bring in the red! It’s joyful and vibrant! if you want to use red in your home this is the season to use it.

I feel like everyone knows how to decorate the traditional way…so here are some of my tips to give a red Christmas a new lease of life!

Instead of red and green try doubling this bright colour up with something else! How about pink? This combination is so fun and believe it or not works well together, especially by incorporating greenery and gold. This will be a showstopper!

For a more subdued look try different tones of red together on the tree. It will look timeless and classic. For extra pizazz instead of hanging one bauble at a time on the tree take three of the same size and wire them together, at the hanger. This will create a cluster with impact! When placing on the tree add some extra ornament hooks for stability!

Ribbon, ribbon, ribbon! This is by far the easiest way to bring it all together. It’s all in the details. Using the same ribbon throughout the home will tie everything together. You can use the ribbon for your garland, your wreaths, on your tree or even around gift boxes for under the tree!

Top tips for Christmas styling!

Wreaths!

Use mini wreaths on the backs of your dining chairs! This is such a cute touch especially with that ribbon I mentioned… Oh and how about hanging two wreaths together instead of just the one? Use your ribbon to produce a stacked look!

Tree filler

Using large ornaments and lots of tulle helps to bring the tree to life. Think outside the box-greeting cards, gift boxes, word ornaments. All these things can go on the tree, just use that floral wire.

Finally…when it’s cold outside nothing is better than a hot chocolate station! Incorporating your colour scheme and adding some gorgeous mugs will make the children love you forever! Add a few jars on the side, in a tray with your favourite toppings! Of course, you can always switch out the hot choc bar for a gin bar - grab some ornate glasses with your favourite toppers in some jars alongside your gin bottles and you will definitely have yourself a very merry Christmas!

Photo Credit: Lindsey Thompson www.instagram.com/hannahthomas_stylist www.instagram.com/arielhomeinteriors