Ban these trashy Christmas decorations from your home — they’re shabby, not chic, experts say
These are the do’s and don’ts of decking the halls.
Interior design experts have revealed the holiday decor that many believe is trendy — but is actually tacky.
“The festive season is a time where it’s easy to make decor mistakes that immediately cheapen your home,” Chloe Barrow, an interiors expert at the UK-based furniture store Laura James, told the Daily Mail.
“The decorations you pull out of the loft each year can quickly become outdated, and there are many traditional tropes that now scream ‘naughties Christmas’ instead of elegant modern-day festivities.”
For starters, experts told the outlet that heavy-handed swaths of green and red are decidedly gauche, especially decor that clashes with other items in the home. Instead, per the Daily Mail, sparkling neutrals like gold, silver, white or copper colors are better options.
But if you refuse to lack any holiday colors in your home, Barrow advised using green “as a base” and sprinkling pops of red throughout the home, “sharing the space with either silver, gold or white to balance out the heavy Christmas colors.”
Lights that feature multiple colors and animatronic decor pieces are also a festive ho-ho-faux pas, explained interiors expert Liv Conlon.
“Think loud colors like flashing reds, greens or blues, as these can look busy or overwhelming – as well as tacky,” she told the Daily Mail, adding that she would prefer decorations that feature soft white or warm-toned fairy lights.
The same goes for exterior decor — and it might be time to retire the inflatable figurines and the blinding yard displays.
“Other signs of tackiness include a plastic wreath, window stickers with snowfall or Christmas characters,” Kate Conrad, the owner of the luxury home retailer Madison & Mayfair, told the Daily Mail.
Pro parenting tip: Maybe don’t involve your children in decorating your home for the holiday.
Similarly, ditch the cheap ribbons, bulbs and tinsel on the Christmas tree — which, by the way, should be small and real, not gargantuan and artificial, experts argue — and instead use simple, neutral ornaments that are color coordinated. The finishing touch, according to the outlet, should be a few presents neatly wrapped underneath the tree.
Additionally, ornaments on the mantel — specifically, the Daily Mail reports, ones that look “like it was nicked from the Christmas display in your local shopping center” — are supposedly tacky. Instead, experts recommend tasteful decor made from more posh materials, like wood, metal or glass.
“These create a cohesive and sophisticated look,” Conlon said.
When it comes to wall decor, “sparkly decorations such as tinsel, and cheap decorations and baubles crafted from poor quality materials” should be avoided, added Melissa Denham, an interior design expert at Hammonds Fitted Furniture.
“Foliage garlands across mantle pieces and lush eucalyptus wreaths look lively and beautiful, as well as adding some festive scent to your home,” she said.
While the experts also snubbed seasonally scented candles, they also advised against cheap table settings.
“A paper tablecloth, Christmas seat covers and over-the-top decor like table confetti can instantly look tacky,” said Conrad.
Instead, Alice Whitehead, the head of product at UK purveyor Just Fabrics, said high-quality pieces — like velvet or silk — are a must, as is a real candle centerpiece and a fabric tablecloth or runner.
“These materials are tactile and offer a touch of glamor,” she said.
