TRY A SPEEDY STYLE UPDATE

Have fun with these simple but creative ideas that’ll ring the changes in your home without turning into a full room redo

Anngarsk bauble wreath, £30; bauble tree, £12, both Habitat

1Go bold with festive brights Swap traditional berries and fir for super-bright baubles and metallics to complement a modern scheme. Keep to two or three key colours for maximum impact – hot pink, turquoise and orange – mixed with frosted silver and sparkly gold.

Mercury silver stemless flutes, £6 each; tray, £30, all John Lewis & Partners

2SERVE DRINKS WITH A SPARKLE Invest in a mirrored tray – handy when you’re serving drinks and nibbles – or as a table centrepiece stacked with glassware and glittery baubles.

Ski Scene reversible duvet set, from £18, Next Home Mache five-point hanging 30cm star, £3, Hobbycraft

3Colour-match Christmas decorations

Get crafty and have a go at making your own decorations for a tablescape or to hang on the wall. Use tester pots to paint mache stars in different shades or try making simple cone trees from circles of coloured paper.

TOP BUYS To spruce up your home

Partridge in a Pear Tree stocking, £15.50,

Sophie Allport Santa’s Elves Christmas Eve gift box, £15,

Dibor

4SWITCH TO WINTER BEDDING Work a little magic upstairs and give children’s rooms a quick re-style. Swap bedding for a fun winter-themed set with polar bears or penguins, rather than anything too Christmassy, so it won’t lose its appeal when the holidays are over.

LED wooden star, £15,

B&Q

Naughty and Nice novelty glasses, £1 each, Poundland

5Add a touch of tartan to jolly up the table

Update everyday dinnerware with a few festive extras for the holidays. Cheery tartan serving dishes will complement plain colours, teamed with wooden platters, pine cones and fir.

Tartan serving platter, £14 for two; Tartan tree-shaped platter, £5, both George Home

PERFECT PICKS

For a Christmassy touch Champagne flutes, £20 for two, Cath Kidston

Plastic-free luxury crackers, £18 for six, Paperchase Forest Dawn Primark Paper stars and snowflakes, £6.18 each,

6HANG PAPER STARS AT WINDOWS Pretty-up windows by suspending stars at staggered heights, so they can be seen indoors and out. Buy readymade or cut out your own.

table set, £50, Argos

Hex glass votive candle, £2.50, Sostrene Grene Swoon Berlin corner sofa, £1,799, Very

7CREATE A SOCIABLE SEATING ZONE Place a corner seating arrangement at the heart of the room. Layer rugs at angles to create an anchor point for the sofa, then position occasional furniture and lighting around the edges.

Hang a balloon banner on the wall to welcome in 2021

Rose Gold Mercury champagne flutes and wine glasses, £4 each; tumblers, £3 each, all Matalan. 2021 foil balloon set, £22.99; balloons, from a selection, all Party Pieces

8See in the New Year in style Go big with gold balloons, sparklers and fizz if you’re partying at home with your nearest and dearest. Tie balloons with coloured ribbon and inflate with helium, so they’ll float up to the ceiling.

9Double up with a pair of tray tables

If you’re pushed for space in a small living room, replace a bulky coffee table with a lighter-weight alternative. Compact and easy to move around, lift-off tray tops are handy for TV dinners or for serving nibbles when guests call.

Round tray tables, £79.99 each, H&M Home

Hang a festive wreath over the mantel in place of a mirror

LED curtain light, £19.99;

Osby star outdoor garland, £36.99, both Lights4Fun Twilight Garden Multi Roman blind, from £31.95 for a made-to-measure blind, Cath Kidston collection, Blinds2go

10 GET THE GARDEN ALL AGLOW Make the house look magical indoors and out. An LED curtain light hanging at the window will add a welcoming glow with star-shaped fairy lights giving an extra touch of sparkle.

Command clear small hooks, £3.50 for two, Wilko

11 Set up a giftwrap station

Create your own wall-mounted wrapping station. Thread rolls of paper onto wooden dowelling rods, then hang from the wall using pairs of easily removable adhesive Command hooks.

MUST-HAVES For the holidays

Pom-pom cushion, £14,

Next Home

12Heavy curtains aren’t the only option when it’s chilly. Go for a sleek Roman blind with thermal lining and WINTER-PROOF YOUR LIVING ROOM choose from a range of fabrics to tie in with your scheme..

Red berries and eucalyptus wreath, £25, M&S

Baltimore low stool, £59, Cult Furniture

Berry & Wreath bottle bag, £1.50, Sainsbury’s