Decorating the house for the festive season can be quite an ordeal. With Christmas parties being slotted into an already busy end of year schedule, a lack of time combined with an overwhelming array of sparkle and glitter in every store makes it hard to know where to start. We recommend some strategies for adding some class into your Christmas decorating that will appeal to home buyers.

For many, Christmas brings to mind memories of cheap felt stockings hanging on the mantelpiece, a plastic Santa leading an army of snowmen around the house and a multicoloured Christmas tree groaning under the weight of scarves of synthetic tinsel with piles of brightly wrapped gifts stacked under the boughs. Then there are the blinking fairy lights framing the house both inside and out, the misshapen home-made angel topping the tree, and a random assortment of baubles and candy canes dragged out of the decoration box in the attic. These traditional home decorations are a part of Christmas and are fun when you have young children at home but when it comes to showing your home, perhaps it’s time to put some class into Christmas.

Holiday decorating has become an art form, with a number of creative ways to add elegance and grace into Christmas frills. A few simple decorating tips will help you upgrade your holiday cheer and set the perfect tone for attracting potential buyers throughout the festive season. Most importantly, less is more. The most elegant Christmas decorating ideas avoid flashy colours and cartoon figurines for a more refined style with artistic flair. Choose one or two colours that sit well together and keep it simple. Whether this is the traditional red and green, a vibrant red and white, or a creative purple and silver, maintain the colour theme throughout the house to give clear uncluttered lines and a sense of coherence.

Starting at the front door, a simple wreath welcomes visitors with a clean pine scent and puts everyone in the holiday spirit. Your colour theme can start here and continue throughout the house. The central feature of Christmas decorating is naturally the Christmas tree. Rather than a plastic tree or a dying evergreen chopped down for the winter season, consider a living tree in a pot. After Christmas, you can remove the decorations, and plant the tree outside, adding to your garden. Continue your colour theme onto your tree. Monochrome or bi-colour schemes draw the eye far more than a mess of colour. Beyond the tree, other seasonal live plants such as Poinsettias, Amaryllis, Paperwhites, Cyclamens, and Azaleas can create interest and cheer. Arrange flowers in small clusters or groups of three for the best aesthetic impact.

The same colour idea applies for fairy lights. As a child, no doubt you were drawn by the most colourful set of blinking lights in the store but for a more calming feel, your best choice is basic white lights that stay on. These can be used on the tree, along a mantle, or around a window to add a warm glow to a room. Candles can also bring elegance into your holiday decorating scheme. Plain glass vases with a white floating candle look fantastic, and can be brightened with a layer of fresh cranberries on the water’s surface or pine cones at the base of the vase.

Tablecloths, placemats and settings are also key elements of a Christmas theme in your home. Stay with your chosen colours and create a focal point with an eye-catching table centrepiece. This may be as simple as a large glass bowl filled with baubles of all shapes and sizes in a single colour, another cluster of candles, or a small stack of presents wrapped in matching paper.

To kick start the tastebuds, spare a thought for Christmas smells. Cinnamon scented candles can lend a subtle festive feel, or allow a fresh jug of mulled wine to permeate the room with its clove aroma. Pine or ginger essential oils can also trigger the senses and help a potential buyer envisage their own Christmas.

Now sit back, relax, and let the merry-making unfold.

To discover properties perfect for Christmas, visit the Fine & Country website atwww.fineandcountry.com/uk 

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