Sophie’s Christmas wreath from 2016

Christmas tree day!

Years ago, my flatmate and I gave the first of December the unofficial title of “Christmas Tree Day” and the name has stuck.  It’s the day I give myself permission to decorate my home for the Christmas season, although I have been planning my tree and decorations for a while beforehand.

I like to purchase additional ornaments every year to build on my collection of decorations that are laden with memories (is there anything more precious than your baby’s first Christmas bauble?), but as an interior designer, I like to have a general idea of what my tree will look with the expectation that my children will add their home made flourishes for which I’m lucky I don’t suffer from *P.O.P.D.!  This year my tree is planned to be in peacock tones.

Apart from the decorated tree, I also like to bring in some Christmas cheer by decorating my entry table and dining table with an arrangement that ties in to the theme of the tree.

While the Christmas tree is beautiful, nothing is more welcoming than decorating the front door with a homemade garland.

A close up of Sophie’s 2016 Christmas tree decorations

Decorating tips…

My best tip for decorating your home for Christmas is to choose a colour combination for your decorations and carry the colours from front door, entry, dining table and tree. The steady colour palette makes for a comfortable transition from room to room.

Personally, I like the rule of 3. This means you use three colours – a main colour that is about 60% of the decoration, a secondary colour for 30% and a final colour to make up the balance as a sharp contrast.

A beautiful Aussie-themed Christmas table decoration from Sophie’s home in 2016

This article and associated photos were kindly provided by Sophie Kost, lead designer at My Beautiful Abode.

*Perfect Ornament Placement Disorder