Stress-free tips for decorating a home at Christmas

A new survey* from Barratt and David Wilson Homes reveals that 46% of Brits feel stressed when putting up their Christmas decorations.

With 66% admitting that fairy lights get them flustered and 19% flapping over colour schemes, Barratt and David Wilson Homes Yorkshire West has teamed up with Bents Garden and Home – famed for its stunning Christmas displays – and interior designer, Show Business Interiors, to reveal some top tips to help keep stress at bay when decorating a home.

Rachel Bent, Head of Visual Merchandising and Christmas at Bents, said: “Christmas is a magical time for families and friends to come together, but the preparation can sometimes seem a little overwhelming, particularly if you are the one hosting Christmas. With December 1 being the most popular day to put up a Christmas tree, now is the time to get a head start on how you want to dress your home. This way, you avoid the frustration of rushing around the shops last minute and instead, can really enjoy getting creative.”

Dressing a home

Rachel at Bents advises: “Choose one room to focus on – rather than feeling like you have to decorate every room in the home, simply choose one or two rooms that will turn your home into a winter wonderland. Usually, the living room and dining room, select the space you and your family spend the most time in so you can really soak up the festive atmosphere. Adding a festive touch to the entire home can be overwhelming, although creating a festive atmosphere in a spare room will make your guests feel at home. You can also go for the smallest room in the house – the downstairs powder room – to add spiced scents and some fairly lights.

“Take a staggered approach – if you’re dreading the time-consuming task of de-tangling your fairy lights, don’t force yourself to decorate your home all in one day, as you’ll feel de-motivated. Take it step-by-step, tackling the tree on one day and wreaths, garlands, and wall décor on another. Get the family, especially children, involved and make it part of your time to make memories.”

Alix Riding from Show Business Interiors added: “Prepare in advance – this sounds obvious, but the more well prepared you are, the smoother it will go. Check artificial Christmas trees are in good condition and make sure you know how to assemble them.

“Give your Christmas tree decorations a careful dusting and make sure you have enough wire to hang them all. Unpack Christmas tree lights and make sure they’re working.

“Give yourself time – you can streamline Christmas tree decorating but you can’t really shortcut it, so leave plenty of time to complete the process from start to finish. Put on some tunes or a favourite Christmas movie in the background, pour a glass of something festive, and get into the spirit.

“Don’t worry if you’re keen to reduce your decorating time. Consider pre-lit Christmas trees, which you can just plug in and turn on, so you only need to add the Christmas tree decorations.”

Create a Christmas tree that wows

With over 30 years of decorating Christmas trees that bring visitors from far and wide, here are Rachel from Bents’ top five tips on how to decorate a tree to make it the perfect backdrop to the family celebration.

• Make it sparkle: Check that lights are still working and replace any spent bulbs. Weave the lights in and out of the branches to create an even look that brightens any room in the home at the darkest time of the year.
• Get your skirt on: To avoid seeing a bare Christmas tree trunk, add this season’s hot trend of a tree skirt. Easy to add to the bottom of the tree, they come in a range of materials and colours that add a high-end finish to the decoration.
• Create a diagonal flow: Next, depending on the desired, add woodland foliage, flowers or ribbon, arranging them diagonally around the tree, creating natural segments in which to hang baubles and other ornaments.
• Make clusters: Use gold or silver wire thread (stocked at Bents) to tie together clusters of three large and small baubles before securing them around the branches in the segments created. This creates far more impact than individually hanging baubles to the tree with the hooks and ribbon that the ornaments will come with. Wire also helps ornaments to stay put if the tree is bumped by children or dogs.
• Adding something personal: Christmas is a time to celebrate family and friends and, by hanging family heirloom decorations, things gifted by friends, and decorations fashioned by children, the tree will look fabulous, whilst having a truly personal touch.

To find more inspiration to decorate a home this Christmas, please visit the website at Bents.

To book a visit to a show home and to view the Move in for New Year offers, visit the website at Barratt Homes in West Yorkshire and David Wilson Homes in West Yorkshire.