Top Tips for Christmas Styling from Hong Kong Design Experts

It may only be October but we are already beginning to think of 'that' time of year again!  We've received our order forms for the Christmas Tree, invitations are arriving for the big parties, our dinner party date calendar is filling up and relatives have booked their flights to come and stay.

How do you start styling for the festive season to make sure that everyone feels the cheer and the warmth of Christmas? 

Here are some top tips from the Home Stylist, Hong Kong’s local styling and staging agency. 

Christmas Lights

Christmas is all about subtle lighting. Find some great fairy lights that don't need to be plugged in and rather than hang them on your tree, use them to decorate your art or your furniture. You can really have some fun here and the little twinkling lights will instantly add Christmas sparkle to your room.   

In Hong Kong, space is a priority so if you don’t have space for a Christmas tree, you can use fairy lights to create the shape of a tree on your wall. This is such a striking way to decorate and still have room for a party! 

Christmas Ambience 

Scented candles are the quickest way to add some Christmas ambience to your room. Smell is strongly connected to emotion and memory and thus the scent of pine or cinnamon will let you easily slip into the Christmas spirit. With festive colour options, they're are a cost effective way to update your space and add mood to a room. Clustering your candles into groups and placing them on a mirror will add drama. 

A Festive Spread

For your table settings, try to lay the table the day before. It leaves you more time to perfect the setup and check you have everything, plus add more decoration to your home for longer.  

Stick to a concept: what colors are you going for, what style and shapes?  If your center piece is just for show and will be moved on the day, you can be as big as you like.  If it's staying make sure you can all see each other over the top when seated and that you have enough space for your glasses, crackers etc. If you've got candles as part of this display, make sure these are not scented - this will be horrible with the food!

The Tree 

Decorating a Christmas tree is some people’s favourite part of the holiday and is something the makes the holiday very unique. So make the most of it!  

Always start with the lights, and don't forget the back of the tree too so that light can shine through the branches. Next come the garlands. We prefer strings of beads as they are more delicate than tinsel. 

Then add all the ornaments. Again, like your table, this should have a concept. Do you have a colour scheme? Have you thought about symmetry and balance? And for then for the crowning glory. An old family favorite that is personal to everyone is always a winner, it may not even be a star!

As we do on most days, we've been speaking with our partners at Bowerbird Home. Here are their 5 festive styling tips..... and we couldn't agree more! 

Early Bird 

Whether you are planning a big fiesta or a small soiree, take the time to plan how you want your home to look for the festive season and on those entertaining nights.  Feather your nest days or weeks in advance so all it requires on the night is a zhoosh. Gather inspiration from pinterest, instagram and homewares stores and try to have a clear theme in mind, this will help save time and money.  

Festive Florals

Get your home in the spirit with seasonal florals.  Bowerbird Home are a big fan of artificial florals to last the whole season.  An interior tip is to create your core arrangement with artificial florals and on the night of entertaining simply add some fresh flowers to the vase which gives the illusion that the whole arrangement is real.  The artificials give volume, and the fresh will give a nice seasonal look and scent. 

Winter Warmers

There is nothing quite like a white Christmas.  The wintery days outside bring the warmth and good times in, so don't hold back on making your home as inviting as possible.  Bowerbird Home will be brimming with beautiful white and silver accessories this year from striking silver furniture to accessories, christmas ornaments and baubles, candles and a fabulous selection of faux fur cushions and throws.  The faux fur is a must for that warm seasonal touch, not to mention its luxurious appeal.  

In the Spirit 

A fabulous cocktail, like sangria or mulled wine, is always a party favourite.  Add a personal twist to make it your own signature recipe, and enjoy the taste testing in perfecting the brew.  Don't forget to adorn your home with an abundance of fragrant candles, not only it will create instant ambiance, it will smell divine.   

Festive Playlists

Put your feet up and create a number of festive playlists which can be pulled out at any time throughout the entertaining season. Great tunes will not only get everyone in the groove but it will bring your home alive and create lasting memories.  

The Home Stylist and Bowerbird Home have got some Christmas inspired workshops coming up in November and December on Festive Entertaining, so keep an eye out for more information on their Facebook Pages.