Decorating the Living Room for Christmas – The Christmas Tree
There is something truly special about decorating the living room for Christmas. It’s the room where so many of our festive memories are made, and at the heart of it all is the Christmas tree.
For me, decorating the tree is one of the most anticipated parts of the Christmas season. It’s about bringing together treasured decorations, beautiful details and those little touches that make a house feel warm, welcoming and ready for Christmas.
As the lights begin to sparkle and the decorations find their place, the living room slowly takes on a whole new feeling. A little festive magic begins to unfold, and the home starts to feel like Christmas.
Step 1 – Creating the Foundation
The Christmas tree is always the centrepiece of my living room. I have a traditional 9-foot green tree. Its height gives the room a wonderful sense of occasion, creating a beautiful focal point for all the Christmas decorating to follow.
When positioning your tree, consider the space around it and how it will sit within the room. You want it to feel like a natural part of your living space, while still allowing it to make a statement. My tree is set up in either two places. Infront of a window, or the fireplace. And this year I have placed the tree in front of the fireplace.
A traditional green tree provides a lovely backdrop for Christmas decorations, allowing colours, textures and special ornaments to stand out beautifully.
Step 2 – Adding the Lights
Once the tree is positioned and the branches are nicely shaped, it’s time to add the lights.
I always start with the lights before adding any of the decorations. I prefer warm white lighting, as it creates a soft, inviting glow and brings a beautiful warmth to the traditional green branches.
When adding your lights, take your time and weave them in and out of the branches, working from the inside of the tree towards the outer tips. This helps create depth and ensures the light is distributed throughout the tree, rather than sitting only on the surface.
It’s worth switching the lights on as you go, so you can see how evenly they are placed and make any little adjustments before moving on to the decorations.
The lighting really sets the mood for the entire tree, creating that magical Christmas glow.
Step 3 – Making a Statement with Christmas Decorations
This year, I’ve chosen a rich burgundy colour palette, using decorations from Provincial Home Living. The standout pieces are their oversized velvet Hellebores flowers, which make a beautiful statement against the traditional green branches of the tree.
These magnificent flowers are quite dramatic in scale, so placement is particularly important. I arranged the larger blooms throughout the tree, allowing them to take centre stage while creating a lovely balance from top to bottom.
I then added burgundy baubles, finished with velvet ribbon tied into delicate bows, bringing together the different textures and details. Smaller Hellebores flowers were tucked into the spaces between the larger blooms, carrying the floral theme throughout the tree.
I love the richness and depth that the burgundy brings, and how the velvet flowers add a softness and elegance to the overall design.
To complete the display, I wrapped presents in coordinating gift wrap from Provincial Home Living and arranged them beneath the tree, carrying the same colour palette right through to the finishing touches.
Decorating the Christmas tree is always one of my favourite parts of preparing our home for the festive season. It takes a little time, patience and plenty of creativity, but seeing all the flowers, decorations and treasured pieces come together makes it so worthwhile. Every year brings a slightly different look, and this one is no exception. With the tree now dressed for Christmas, the home feels that little bit more magical, and I can finally sit back, enjoy the twinkling lights and let the festive season begin.
