Deck the halls… and stairs

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. And whether you’re hosting festive parties or just want to create an atmosphere for your family to enjoy over Christmas, we’re sure you’ll be wanting to make an impression.

We’ve come up with a few ideas to help transform your home into a place worthy of the Big Man himself.

Colour matching

The first job is to agree on your colour scheme. Christmas isn’t just about red and white, you know. Green and brown work well together and it’s easy to take inspiration from what’s around you – just look outside. Or you could take a leaf out of Frozen and go for the blue and silver look. Other colour schemes that work well include parchment and white, brown and white, white and gold, silver and gold and even turquoise and orange (try it, it looks fantastic).

Step into Christmas

Whether you’re choosing the cold, wintry look or going for a warm and cosy feel, you’ll want to create at environment which screams ‘Christmas’. And that means focusing on your entrance, hallway and staircase. When walking through your door, you want to know it’s that time of the year again before you get to your living room. Wreaths on the door, smaller trees in the hallway, garlands on the banister will all help to lead you into your winter wonderland.

Your centrepiece

Well, that’s the tree, right? Hmmm, we’re not so sure. We obviously think the stairs should be your focal point. Lovely garlands wrapped around banisters and in between balustrades can look amazing, but just like your trees, they need some decorating. Baubles and bells dangling, stockings hanging, pine cones nestling, and sparkly bows perfectly placed can all help to bring your garland to life. And create some additional sparkle with battery powered lights.

Use the stairs

Each step of your staircase is an opportunity to provide more oomph to your decorations. Here’s where all of your trinkets and collectables come into good use. Loveable reindeer and snowman figures, shiny gift-wrapped presents and even flowers can help bring the stairs to life. You could even place individual letters on steps to help spell out festive words or phrases that mean a lot to you and your family.

Use the wall

Your wall next to your stairs is a great place to showcase your Christmas cards (old and new) along with other decorations you may have like stars, snowflakes or festive pictures or wreaths.

Hunt for bargains – or do it yourself

Transforming your home into versions of the North Pole, Santa’s Grotto or Macey’s window doesn’t have to be expensive. Most of us will have boxes of decorations from years gone by but there are plenty of small items available from your local discount stores and, of course, online. But why pay when you could do it yourself and get that feeling of accomplishment after creating your masterpieces. There are plenty of DIY self-help videos on YouTube to give you some inspiration and get you started.