Do you bring out the same threadbare tinsel and tired baubles each year, throw some lights on a tree and consider Christmas done? Well, it’s time to get a bit more creative. From scouring European markets for quirky decorations to foraging for your own DIY wreath, and from hand-writing menus to ribboning the house, these tastemakers share their tips for a stylish home this Christmas.
Siobhan Lam
Founder and creative director of April and the Bear (and recent judge on RTÉ’s Home of the Year)
“When it comes to festive decorating, my motto is more is more. Think moody lighting with candles scattered everywhere, especially in the centre of the dining table. Adorn your table with mismatched but fancy glassware, along with embroidered napkins simply folded with a sprig of eucalyptus on top for an easy but elevated festive dinner party.
“This Christmas I’m all about clashing bold colours like red and pink, as it feels fresh and unexpected but still festive – oh, and pink velveteen bows tied to anything that will stand still. The tree, the door handles, you name it … ”
Andrea Horan
Owner of Tropical Popical
“Christmas is no time for tasteful. We need to throw the sink at unleashing joy in the world, so I’m mad for leaning into nostalgia to make people smile. Foil ceiling decorations that fan out; the Santa-Claus-face door decoration; multicoloured lights on the tree – the ones with the carriages, if you can. And loads of tinsel.
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“When you think it’s too much, get down to the street vendors on Henry Street and add more. And, finally, a bit of snow spray. Perfect.”
Louise Stokes
Jewellery designer and owner of Loulerie
“What I have adapted from my Danish family on my husband’s side is simplicity – they literally go out into the garden and cut down any kind of foliage and just keep it really simple and maybe spread it around the table – and it looks amazing and effortless.
“I order my Christmas flowers from Appassionata. They always have gorgeous foliage with cinnamon and hints of orange and I hang them on the door, and to me that’s always the start of Christmas. Then if I have guests over, I’ll take a few pieces out of the floral arrangement and I’ll put them in the little glass jars and place on the hall table and the dining table – it’s a way of carrying that Christmas theme and scent throughout the home.
“My favourite thing to do is to use my April and the Bear glasses. I have two different sets – one with a gold trim and another with beautiful detailing. I think if you have special glasses on the table, some ribbon details and some really beautiful foliage and candles, it’s an instant Christmas feel.”
John Adams
Owner of independent design and homeware store Article
“For me, Christmas is about layering a festive trim over your home. I would pick out a seasonal colour, and I don’t think it has to be green and red. Last year I used deep-purple candles with browns and golds and lots of natural foliage around the house and then carried the same colours on to my Christmas table for a cohesive look.”
Kate O’Dowd
Founder of Love & Gatherings, luxury destination wedding planner
“Last year my husband dubbed Christmas The Ribboning because, by God, there wasn’t a bow-free object in the house. Even as I ribboned then, I doubted; ‘maybe we’re post-bow?‘ And yet here I am, back hoarding haberdashery, a year later.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but a proliferation of nonchalant bows has to be the most mindful, thrifty, earth-saving way to bring festive opulence to your interior. This year, I’ll be going heavier than ever – no surface will be safe.”
Chupi Sweetman-Durney
Chief executive, Chupi Jewellery
“Whether it’s your very first Christmas in a new home or the 20th in a familiar one, I always come back to the red thread theory when it comes to decorating. The idea that everything should feel connected, that there’s a thread tying it all together. For me, it’s always gold, linen, dusky pink, deep burgundy and touches of nature. I’ll add a few new pieces too, but I choose things that will harmonise with what we already have. When I decorate, I think of the memories our daughter will carry with her, the little details she’ll remember, and the pieces she might one day unwrap and treasure as her own.”
Yvonne Purcell
Upcycler and interiors influencer, @sixat21
“My decorating style would definitely be very rustic and I use as much foliage as I can find on my walks to decorate our livingroom, hall, kitchen and my bedroom with my home-made wreaths and garlands; it’s much nicer to make your own than buy your decorations.
“I collect winter evergreen foliage, colourful berries, twigs, pine cones, branches and seed heads and I use a premade grapevine or willow base or I weave bendy branches to create a rustic shape. Then I secure cuttings of my foraged items by pushing them into the base of the wreath and I finish with raffia, twine or burlap to make a bow.
“I also like to forage on the beach for driftwood, which looks beautiful in a bowl with fairy lights and pinecones, acorns and eucalyptus, holly and berries. Every year, I make a table runner for Christmas day using fresh eucalyptus, which smells incredible, and decorate with pine cones, bunny tails, cotton stems, dried wheatgrass, stirlingia, straw flowers and dried palm fronds. I love to fill the house with festive fragrances, from the oranges I dry in the oven to the essential oils I sprinkle over pine cones piled in a bowl, and my lanterns burning scented candles too.”
Tara O’Connor
Event planner and owner of The Designed Table
“My favourite Christmas styling idea? It always starts with the table. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve loved the sense of occasion a Christmas table brings to a home. Now, I plan mine months in advance, usually starting in September. I stick to a few colours that complement the tree in our diningroom – one of our seven trees. It’s a traditional one, decorated with baubles from our travels and handmade treasures from the kids.
“I add new ones each year, and yes, I’m that person who browses Christmas stores in European cities all year round. I collect nutcrackers, and this year I found beautiful handmade ones in Barcelona. They’ll sit on the sideboard near the tree.
“The table always works with the tree so there’s lots of greens, reds and whites. I invested in a set of Christmas china plates last year from Villeroy and Boch in Kildare Village. I always add personalised menus and place cards to each setting and, of course, a Christmas cracker.
“And ribbon? I tie it everywhere, from wreaths to candlesticks. It’s all about layering warmth, memory, and magic.”
