christmas Archives - Page 3 of 4

How to fit a Christmas tree in a small living room

Small Christmas tree in living room with green wooden armchair

If you have a small and cosy room you probably don’t have lots of spare space to put a big bulging Christmas tree. Here we have a few suggestions to help fit it all in, ready for the festive season.

Stand a small tree on a table

A 1.2m tree can be stood on a large sideboard or a reclaimed wood coffee table it would pretty much reach the ceiling in most rooms – this works great for a small room and does not take up any additional floor space. You can also do this if you want to add a second tree in your dining room while minimising the chance of people brushing into it as they take their seat at the table.

If you only have a mantlepiece, a narrow console table or just a rustic TV stand available to place your tree on then you can get some pretty cute and quite small trees, you could put one each side and tie it all together using fairy lights and garlands – this is a great way to get lovely decorations into a room if you are limited for space.

Choose a tall narrow tree

This would be the ideal solution – there are many available in different styles and colours available. This will save hugely on space, just make sure you stack the presents underneath it carefully, so they are not in walkways for people to trip over! A tall narrow tree will also look good as it will make your room look taller.

Put the tree in the corner

This is another popular choice and a logical solution. A corner is a perfect place, neatly tucked out of the way. If you have an artificial Christmas tree chances are you can bend and rearrange some of the branches towards the back of the tree to allow you to push it further into the corner, presents can be tidily stacked underneath. You can put a small armchair in front of all or part of the tree so you still have plenty of seating in your room.

Move out a piece of furniture to make room

If there is a piece of furniture you can manage without then move it to another room to make some space for your tree. Think a fabric armchair, an oak side table, a floor standing plant pot or a floor lamp – you could move one of these items out the way, into a corner of the room to temporarily to make space for your tree. It could even be a house plant – and reuse the plant pot to put a tree in over the festive season.

Get creative and consider a wall tree

This is quite a new way to get a Christmas tree into a small room and can look pretty good. Instead of having a big round tree taking up room you can now get wall-mounted trees, half trees to stand against a wall or ones made from twigs that hang completely flat on the wall. We love this idea of using boxed presents to make the shape of a tree on the wall!

Ideas for a fun and alternative Christmas dining table

Pineapple with Christmas baubles hanging off leaves next to two starfish with Christmas hats

One of the main events of Christmas day is the feast we sit down to eat with our nearest and dearest. It’s never too early to start thinking about table decorations!

Long gone are the days of limited options – just a candle in the middle and a Christmas cracker each! So in this blog we look at slightly alternative ways and put a few ideas out there to decorate the table!

….It no longer has to be just candles, tinsel and baubles!

If you don’t have a wooden sideboard or a handy big extendable table to place dishes of food on you will need to consider how you are going to dish up food – you don’t want a large dining table that is so full of decorations that you have nowhere to put the serving dishes, nor do you want your decorations too high and not be able to see and engage with those on the other side of the table.

A reclaimed wood dining table already gives you a superb base to start with – the tabletop will have gorgeous natural undulations in the wood, start with a table runner in your chosen colour, perfect for along the middle. Then you can decide what mood you want to set for your Christmas dinner – modern, rustic, alternative…..

A rustic dining table lends itself perfectly to rustic style decorations – dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cones, a twig wreath and some candles would be a simple, stylish and eco-friendly way to style your table. If you have other items of reclaimed wood furniture, such as a reclaimed wood sideboard, then again you can decorate these items by making or buying small arrangements and also hanging fairy lights on them.

Plants in pots and small hints of Christmas may be all you want to see on your dining table!

Less is more – just a simple festive Santa cutlery holder for your cutlery and a cleverly folded napkin is fun yet elegant, add a natural fir wreath as a centrepiece and your table can be good to go.

A pendant ceiling light is great hanging over your dining table but a candle or two give the table some atmosphere and create a more magical and dreamy setting. However, candles are not always a great idea if little hands might be reaching over to pull crackers or to get more food. This is where you can add fairy lights to your table decor. These can stay here throughout the festive period to give your table a child-friendly cosy and warm glow during every meal.

Are you dreaming of a white Christmas dining table?

Bright white Christmas dining table with white plates

We are now into December (at last!) and you would be forgiven if you wanted to start decorating your home much earlier than usual to bring in some Christmas cheer!

This is a time of year when a more cluttered look is completely acceptable. We thought we would look at a happy medium – get your decorations up in the kitchen or dining room but in a more subtle and sophisticated way with a white dining table giving the base colour.

White and gold

The classic Christmas combination – sophisticated and luxurious. It’s always a winner to decorate a dining room with a touch of gold for a celebratory sit-down feast but bringing in white just brightens it up some more. This scheme is perfect if you have a white dining table with a natural reclaimed wood tabletop like our stunning Hoxton oak farmhouse table. You can bring in just a little gold to warm up and blend with the white, you can use an antique gold for a more rustic / farmhouse feel.

White and silver

Set a sleek frosty scene in your dining room by combining white and silver. The Dorset white extending dining table is the perfect rustic dining table if you entertain many, keep your room light and airy by adding white dining chairs and possibly a bench with a furry throw so you can get your guests to squeeze up a little when needed!

White and pastels

We just love how this mantlepiece has been dressed in white and pastel pink. This idea would transfer beautifully to rustic furniture or even a kitchen display unit, with a coordinating centerpiece on a Worcester white round dining table or a kitchen breakfast table. Baby blue and teal are also more modern colours to consider if you are looking for a more modern Christmas vibe.

White and red

Red is the ultimate Christmas colour, warm, bold, positive and energetic red is definitely a firm favourite. With a white reclaimed wood dining table, like the Worcester, and a crisp white table cloth, the red will really pop and give your dining space a warm traditional feel without being too dark and cluttered. You can bring in some of the more modern or rustic table decorations available now if you want to move away from the standard baubles and tinsel.

Magical dried flowers with floral artist Bex Partridge

Women looking down and holding dried honesty pod flowers

We speak with the lovely Bex Partridge, dried floral artist, author, Instagram favourite and founder of Botanical Tales, to find out more about the craft of drying flowers and how to display them in your home.

Dried flowers and grasses have been one of the biggest interior hits for 2020 and it’s easy to see why. Everlasting, low maintenance and sustainable, dried bouquets and wreaths are more muted, calmer and homely than fresh blooms, bringing with them a sense of comfort and lasting beauty in what has been an uncertain year.

Hi Bex! Tell us where your love of dried flowers came from?

My love for dried flowers comes from a sustainability perspective as well as one of beauty. Whilst I adore fresh flowers, I truly believe dried flowers can offer just as much, if not more, and have the ability to take us through the dark months of winter with one eye on the wonder that is nature.

Brown vase with bouquet of dried flowers in front of window

I’ve always been a gardener and lover of the natural world for as long as I can remember, hugely inspired by my Oma and mum who are both avid gardeners. My move into the artistic world came about very organically as I spent more and more time working with dried flowers and found I wanted to spend less and less time working in an office on things that didn’t excite me. I took the plunge to start my business two years ago and haven’t looked back since.

My work focusses on the full life cycle of flowers, which sees me growing drying and creating with blooms and foliage. I am passionate about growing for the whole of nature rather than just for our pleasure and take a holistic approach to my gardening.

What are the best flowers for creating a dried display?

I like to use more traditional everlastings such as statice, acrolinium and helichrysum. These flowers have petals that are almost papery to the touch before they are dried and tend to dry the best and retain the most colour. These are perfect flowers to start with when it comes to working with dried flowers.

How easy is it to dry flowers?

The easiest way by far is to simply hang them upside down in a dry, cool place. A cupboard under the stairs or even an airing cupboard work well, or if your space is limited then you can create a floral mobile by hanging a few bunches or heads of flowers from a forage stick, it will make a beautiful textural addition to a room.

What dried flowers go well together?

This is really dependent on what you are wanting to create. I always try to ensure I have a good mix of textures and tones when I’m making a display of any kind. You want to ensure you have dried material that has flow, so lots of grasses mixed with more structural flowers for example.

How do we care for dried flowers so they keep that faded, rustic beauty, rather than looking dusty?

The main things to ensure are that they are kept out of direct sunlight, that they are not allowed to get damp and if kept on display that they may need a clean occasionally. A hairdryer works well for this, simply set the hairdryer to the lowest, coolest setting and gently blow the flowers clean of any dust.

Large dried flower art installation against exposed brick wall

What is your favourite flower and why?

This is an impossible question to answer! It changes greatly depending on the seasons and to be honest, my mood sometimes. Right now I am loving all the autumn colours and so foliage is stealing my heart, but come spring, it will be the crinkly petals of a dried tulip!

What type of centrepiece would you use to decorate a reclaimed wood dining table this Christmas?

I would focus on filling a rustic dining table or reclaimed sideboard with seasonal foliage that will last a few weeks. The greens of the evergreen trees will contrast beautifully with the natural grain of the wood and lends itself to the Christmas period. Honesty seedpods in all their silvery glory will add a touch of sophistication to the display and to take it a step further, rosehips and old mans beard (clematis) would all work beautifully.

What other ways can we use dried flowers to decorate our homes this Christmas?

In the past I have used left over heads of strawflowers in reds and whites to decorate my foraged Christmas tree. Just wrap wire or twine around the short stems and loop around branches. A gnarly branch coated in lichen can be hung from the wall and decorations hung from it as an alternative to a Christmas tree. I love a pared down Christmas when it comes to styling, lots of foliage and velvet ribbons.

For more dried flower inspiration, see @botanical_tales or Bex’s book, Everlastings, now available on Amazon. If you’re interested in learning about dried flowers, Botanical Tales run online tutorials. Visit its website to find out more.

All images by Bex Partridge

Curl up in Your Living Room for our best Xmas Movies

Person sitting in an arm chair in front of a TV

Is there anything better for getting in the festive spirit than to kick back and watch your favourite Christmas movie? We think not, which is why our team are sharing not only their favourite Christmas movies but the best living furniture to snuggle up on and be transported to a soft, welcome world of Christmas movie land…

Turn the lights down and let’s begin

You want a cosy atmosphere to the living room when watching your favourite movie but this is surely compulsory at Christmas?

As well as dimming the lights, you need essential supplies next to your leather armchair or brown leather sofa to sustain you through the entirety of the film. Depending on the movie, you might need a box of tissues to wipe away the happy or sad tears, as well as plenty of chocolates – a tub of Celebrations or old school Quality Street never fail – a drink or two and maybe a scented candle for an extra flicker of warmth and gentle perfume.

The sofa

The sofa should be deeply cushioned and one which will envelope and welcome us. This is something that Hellen insists is a must when watching her favourite movie, It’s a Wonderful Life. However, Hellen also has a penchant for watching Love Actually on an annual basis too and from the warmth and softness of the York chesterfield sofa, who can blame her?

You might want to consider adding yet more comfort with a large footstool too, ideal for taking the weight off your feet whilst you take in a movie or Christmas box set.

Candy, on the other hand, votes for Elf as her favourite Christmas movie, a wonderful movie that sees the oversized elf Buddy find his father in the city of New York. Full of laughs and romance, it’s no wonder that she voted this her favourite.

On a side note, she also has a soft spot for Paddington 2, a must for anyone who grew up with the bear and his exploits. Not strictly a Christmas movie, we understand, but still a great choice.

The armchair

Chris is a great Bill Murray fan and so clearly, top of his list has to be Scrooged. The self-important film executive character played by Bill Murray is plagued by the three Christmas ghosts as per the Dicken’s story.

A great movie to enjoy from a large armchair generously proportioned to welcome two people to snuggle or very, very roomy for one.

From the warm confines of a winged armchair, Victoria enjoys the thrills and spills of her favourite Christmas movie, the National Lampoon Christmas Vacation. The domino of disasters that befalls the characters in this film are both comical but also send a clear message about what the festive season should be: family and being together, even if it is less than perfect.

Claire has a different taste completely with The Grinch being her favourite. Fed up with the bright lights of Christmas in Whoville, the Grinch pretends to be Father Christmas and pinches Christmas! There is a happy ending, however…

And for Jo, the best Christmas movie that always signals the start of her festive season is The Polar Express. Tom Hanks never gets it wrong, even when he stars in an animated movie.

What’s your favourite Christmas movie?

Last minute Christmas Hosting Checklist

The ultimate Christmas checklist with X Mas decorations in the background

Santa may have checked his list twice, but have you? With everything to do it’s easy to overlook those last minute essentials. Use this checklist to make sure you and your home is ready for anything this Christmas.

The turkey: don’t forget to pick it up! Or if you bought a frozen one, don’t forget to take it out of the freezer.

Check condiments: auntie likes bread sauce, grandad likes cranberry, kids like ketchup! Make sure you have all pickles, sauces and other condiments on your reclaimed wood dining table to keep everyone happy.

Presents: you’ve ticked off everyone on your list, but what about those unexpected guests that turn up? Have a couple of last minute presents, such as large candles, stowed away in your kitchen sideboard to wrap in an emergency.

Outfit: whether you like to dress up, dress down or go full out sparkle, get your outfit out of the oak wardrobe to avoid any on the day disappointments.

Music: make or download a Christmas playlist to get everyone into the Xmas spirit. Or if there’s only so much Michael Bublé or Maria Carey you can take, create an alternative playlist of your favourite songs.

Candles/Tealights: make sure you have enough for the reclaimed wood dining table and living room to create a cosy atmosphere.

Batteries: there will always be one present that requires a double or triple A! Stock-up, or better still invest in rechargeable batteries.

Ice: even if you have an inbuilt ice machine in your freezer, Christmas is a time when ice cubes are in big demand. Stock up with bags of ice or fill plenty of ice bags and get them in the freezer. No one likes a Bailey’s without ice!

Firewood: make sure you have enjoy wood to keep that fire going and your guests warm and toasty.

Recycling bins: you’ll need a bigger bin for all that wrapping paper and empty bottles of wine. Use an old wicker basket, laundry bucket or wooden blanket box and ask guests to put all recyclables straight into the correct bins to make recycling easy.

You’re ready! Now all that is left to do is to have a very merry Christmas.

Happy Christmas!

Top Festive Deco Tips on a Budget

Several hanging paper stars with a string of lights

You want your home beautifully decorated for the Christmas season but on the other hand, you don’t want to spend too much on decorations – Christmas is expensive enough as it is. But don’t worry, because we have amazing ideas using nature and natural resources to give your home a wonderfully real and homely festive welcome.

Reuse and repurpose

Adding glitter gives an instant festive feel and you can never have too much sparkle in our opinion. If you kept hold of your white pumpkins and squashes from Halloween, a magical sprinkling of glitter will make a stylish and rustic decorations.

Cluster white pumpkins with pretty lights and green foliage on the slim console table in the hall, on a hallway bench, or on display units in the living room for a wholesome Christmas style.

Repurpose and reuse different kinds of decorations – they won’t look out of place.

Go foraging

When we get crisp winter days, the time is perfect for foraging to your local woodland or park to find all that nature has to offer. Forage for evergreen foliage and pretty winter flowers to make a wreath for your front door. Having said that, a natural woodland wreath is in perfect sync with reclaimed wood furniture too. A perfect addition to the dining table, wreaths are easy to make.

Dried fruits as decorations

There are plenty of winter fruits in season right now which means that their prices drop. Having said that, this is a more cost-effective approach if it means you oven-dry fruit that is past its best.

Pierce the skins of oranges with cloves and dry out in a warm oven. With a needle, thread twine or strong cotton through one end and hang on the tree. The scent is wonderful!

You can also dry sliced orange in the over and use in garlands and wreaths too, a natural look that ties in beautifully with rustic furniture.

Get stamp happy!

Make your own wrapping paper by getting festive with stamping. Local craft and hobby stores stock a range of festive stamps, from Christmas trees to the jolly face of Santa, as well as a range of different coloured ink pads. Stretch out the paper, stamp all over with your chosen stamp, allow to dry and then wrap your gifts.

Use recyclable paper, as well as string and homemade gift tags and you have affordable but chic wrapped gifts for under the tree.

Nature on a plate

Place settings add decadence to the Christmas dining table, but they can be expensive to buy. Making your own is far more cost-effective, takes relatively little time and adds a personal touch.

Pick up terracotta pots from your local garden centre or DIY store and add miniature trees into damp compost. At the end of the meal, your guests can take them home to plant, for more environmentally friendly than all the waste from crackers – and a welcome gift too!

And finally…

Choose your scheme for Christmas well in advance and collect items through the year to make it more affordable. And you’ll find loads of bargains in the New Year sales too.

Spruce up your hallway with these Christmas deco ideas

Small Christmas tree with fairy lights on a dark wooden mantelpiece with three hanging light blue stars

Create a winter wonderland entrance in your home this Christmas with these magical hallway tips and ideas…

First impressions last so spruce up your hallway by making the most of its architectural features and by adding a few well-placed accessories.

Bring the best of winter foliage in

Winter is not a completely grey month. There is colour in nature over the winter months. From the dark green of evergreen holly with bright red berries to other evergreen plants, such as ivy, there are options that make decorating your hallway banister easy – and with a stunning finish. Intertwine fairy lights as you go and it will enjoy an extra festive glow.

Clear away the clutter with a wooden shoe rack

As well as being beautifully decorated and full of a glorious winter scent, the hallway also needs to be free from clutter, which can be hard to do when there are bags, coats and shoes to hideaway. The solution is to invest in hallway storage that works for you.

A wooden shoe rack, for example, is ideal. Shoes are slotted into vacant slots where they remain until they are needed again. You can also keep house slippers in the slots so when guests arrive, they have something warm and soft for their feet.

Add a seat for practical purposes

The hallway is the place that guests pass through as they enter and leave your home. That means there are coats to be stored and outdoor shoes to be stored away too. As well as a unit with rattan drawers, you might also want to consider a hallway storage seat.

Another great option is for a hallway bench. And there are many styles and sizes to choose from. A simple yet stylish wooden bench is a great investment. It’s one of those items of furniture that can be used for many different purposes across the home. When winter arrives and you prepare your home to welcome guests, the wooden dining bench in the hallway is great for bags and coats.

Another option is a hallway storage bench. Similar to a blanket chest in the bedroom, the lid is lifted to so items can be securely stored but with a nice padded seat for guests to sit on.

For even more elegance, go all out with a leather upholstered hallway bench. With button-back detailing, there is something very striking about this style of bench. The design has hints of the iconic Chesterfield sofa about it, making it perfect for the winter wonderland hallway.

Update the hallway console table

The hallway console table is an absolute must. Give it a fresh look with an arrangement of evergreen foliage and winter flowers, as well as a recycled glass lamp to cast a pleasantly warm and welcoming glow to the hallway. The console table would also be perfect for a scented candle or a diffuser too.

Don’t forget the mistletoe

There are many different varieties of mistletoe but the one we know and love at Christmas is the one with thin green leaves and white berries. Hang a sprig or two of mistletoe above your door for a chance to share a stolen kiss or two!

Christmas Fix Solved – Fitting Everyone Round the Dinner Table!

People huddled around a rustic dining table with lit candles

Christmas is a time to bring everyone together, but that doesn’t mean we all want to dine on top of each other. If you are hosting Christmas this year, ensure there are no Christmas Grinches at your table by following our top tips to seat everyone around the reclaimed wood dining table in comfort and style.

Consider table legs when seating guests at your table

As well as being too cramped at the dining table, there is nothing worse than constantly banging knees on table legs. Aside from it being painful, it also makes eating a long Christmas dinner very uncomfortable.

There are various options, one of which is a central pedestal type leg that keeps the perimeter of the underside of the table pain-free for knees! The Mitcham Industrial Oak Spider Leg Dining Table has a stylish twist on the central pedestal leg, perfect as an 8-seater dining table.

Greater seating flexibility with H bar legs

Everyone wants seating flexibility when it comes to investing in a reclaimed wood dining table and so opting for one with H bar legs makes sense. The Amalfi industrial H bar rustic oak dining table has a delightfully contoured edge that makes it an instant stylish hit in the dining room.

Of course, all this talk of large dining tables is only as good as the seating options you have available. Fabric dining chairs certainly make a decadent and luxurious addition to a wood dining table. We love adding jewel colours for more of a statement or for a classic edge, neutral colours, such as stone, work well.

Opt for a style of dining chair without arms and lower backs so the dining table looks less cluttered. Or ring the changes with a dining bench. As well as the elegant simplicity of a Scandinavian style wooden bench, there are also high-backed upholstered dining benches that are perfect for your Christmas guests.

The all-inclusive round dining table

The one thing about the rectangular dining table is that when you have a larger group of diners, it can split into one conversation at one end and another group discussing another matter at the other. The solution comes in the shape of a round dining table.

The Sussex Oak Parquet Industrial Oval Dining Table is a must-have. It allows for every diner to see each other, for conversation to flow easily and for food to be enjoyed. As well as the delightful shaping of the table and plenty of room for diners, the parquet tabletop of this table is also a talking point.

Complement it with leather dining chairs to emphasise the elegance of this beautiful table.

An extendable table is the gift that keeps on giving

An extending dining table is an obvious choice, especially if you enjoy entertaining. At times when you don’t need the extra dining space, simply remove or drop down the extending panel. The Kingsbridge is the perfect example of an oak extending dining table that guests will admire and enjoy being seated around.

Alternative plans

If the festive period will mean a large crowd gathering for dinner, thinking of an alternative to the sit-down turkey roast is also an option. Go for casual seating and a hot buffet – there’s nothing better than a hot turkey, brie and cranberry baguette, and pigs in blankets make for the perfect finger food?

You might also want to consider moving the dining table to another, larger space. If you have a conservatory or orangery, this would make the perfect temporary dining room or even the hallway. You just need to add plenty of festive decoration to set the right atmosphere!