Christmas styling with Rose & Grey | Part 1 – contemporary minimalism

[This is a paid partnership with Rose & Grey, but all words and opinions are my own]

December is very nearly upon us and I’ve begun to dress our house for the festive season, starting with the living room. For the second year in a row I’ve teamed up with Rose & Grey, who can always be relied upon for a beautiful selection of decorations, to share some inspiration for easy Christmas styling. This time around I’m going to be sharing two schemes – both very different but both inspired by Scandinavian style, with a focus on understated shapes, muted colours and interesting textures.

First up is a minimalist, contemporary alternative to the traditional festive look. It’s ideal for anyone who wants to create something a little bit different this year, or for those who are going away for Christmas and so don’t want to splash out on a full tree. It’s also a good option for smaller rooms which might be overpowered by more excessive decorations.

My starting point was Rose & Grey’s clever 3D paper trees, which are available in a range of on-trend colours (peachy-pink, rust-red, burnt gold, dark silvery-grey) and three different sizes. I love their simple silhouette, which contrasts beautifully with the intricate folds; they also have a hint of sparkle thanks to their glittery edges. Best of all, they’re incredibly quick to put together as they arrive flat-packed and simply fold open, with a magnet to hold them together – and, as they flatten back down again, they can be stored away and reused year after year.

I clustered the larger trees on the hearth and then grouped the smaller ones on the mantelpiece above, together with candles in brass and black holders. I then added a few fold-out paper stars, which I hung from the ceiling using easy-to-remove clear tape and sewing cotton matched to the wall colour.

A couple of little tips if you want to recreate this look yourself: odd numbers of objects tend to appeal to the human eye much more than even numbers, so try to cluster the decorations in groups of three or five. It’s also worth varying the heights of the trees and candlesticks, as this will look far more balanced and visually pleasing. If you don’t have a fireplace, the trees and stars would look equally striking in a window or doorway; you could even place them in the corner, or hang the stars above a sofa or dining table.

I’ll be back with the second of my two festive schemes tomorrow, but in the meantime you can browse Rose & Grey’s full range of Christmas decorations here.

All photography by Abi Dare