The mere mention of Christmas conjures a typical image in mind. Ankita Mamgain shares ideas on how to move away from the conventional décor, while keeping the essence of the season intact.
There’s a lot of emphasis on tradition during the holidays. But if you’ve never been one to function within the box, the idea of a classic green and red Christmas can be rather restricting. You could just throw on the lights and call it a day, but the fact that you even began reading this article, shows that you probably do not subscribe to that idea. The island may not give you a white Christmas but let that in no way dampen your enthusiasm. There’s a lot in the stores that can help you create a unique ambience that’ll make you feel snug, different and festive at the same time.
A Natural Christmas
Mix the outdoors with the interiors for a truly magical vibe. The best pieces for this will be found, well, by heading outdoors and collecting interesting twigs, branches and whatever else you might find along the way. Some stores around town may even stock pine cones. Use these finds as centrepieces and table or counter decorations. You can enhance the look by adding more natural looking or wooden decorations and bringing in more plants.
A Fresh Colour Scheme
Move away from the traditional hues of the season and experiment with something new. There are no rules here and your own aesthetic sense will dictate what stays and what goes in your home. Sparkles and metallics scream festive fervour just as much as the reds and greens, so dabble in silver, gold and copper to add exuberance. From vases to centre pieces, picture frames, candles, lamps and other decorations, the list is long and versatile.
A tree decorated entirely in various shades of a single colour is a stylish a statement and still allows you to personalise to your taste. If straying from red and green seems unnatural for the time of the year, change it up just a little, play with the shades a bit to add a touch of novelty. You can also stick to just lights and candles this year, and bring in mirrors to add more dimensions to the scene.
Pick a Theme
Well the holidays does make a strong theme in itself, but how about narrowing it down to something specific. Having a unified theme helps the look to flow from room to room or tree to table. Choose to showcase a special collection that you can’t have on display all year. Christmas is the perfect time to give these items a place of distinction, enjoy them, share them and then put them away until next year. Decorate around the nativity scene and bring in natural elements and figurines, go new-age glam and bring in crystals or even Victorian with heavy velvets and antique artefacts.
A Floral Christmas
Dedicated to a tree, flowers are not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Christmas décor. Beyond the poinsettia, they don’t typically go hand-in-hand with the holidays. But if you love flowers the rest of the year, why not use them as the inspiration for the festive season as well. You can take a traditional approach (lavish red and green bouquets), or add a contemporary twist by using clean, modern-looking flowers isolated by type in small vases. Try green Asters, Chrysanthemum Shamrocks, or Craspedia Billy Balls. Even if your favourite ones are not in bloom in December, silk flowers and floral patterns combined with other botanical elements and even feathers can bring out the wow factor.
A Regional Twist
The island has a really strong and unique character of its own and mixing local features with your celebrations can be fun. Why not bring in some Arabic influence to your Christmas fantasy? Henna designs on candle lights and Arabic lamps placed alongside traditional Christmas pieces will surely add a unique touch to the decorations. You can even use the Bedouin design tablecloth in red or cushions in the living area to mix in a bit of local culture.
