[This is a paid partnership with Rose & Grey, but all words and opinions are my own]
It’s the first day of December, which I reckon means it’s officially OK to start dressing your home for Christmas, and today I’m sharing the second part of my festive styling with Rose & Grey. Yesterday’s scheme was a minimalist alternative to conventional decorations; this time I’m taking a slightly more traditional approach with lots of natural greenery and a full tree, while still keeping everything pared-back and fuss-free.
I started by covering the mantelpiece with eucalyptus – always my favourite festive foliage thanks to its heady scent and silvery leaves. Instead of weaving it into a garland, I layered loose stems around candles and vases – it’s an incredibly easy way to build up the look you want, and it means you can replace any pieces which shrivel up as they dry out. For the finishing touch, I added Rose & Grey’s cute white ceramic tealight holder in the shape of a house.
In keeping with the understated aesthetic, I restricted the colours of the tree decorations to white, silver, dusty pink and gold. As well as pieces from the collection which I’ve built up over the years, I used Scandinavian-style porcelain leaves and tree shapes, silver-speckled baubles, and smaller versions of the 3D paper decorations which featured yesterday. I also couldn’t resist incorporating a touch of whimsy in the form of a pretty little bird which clips straight onto the branches.
And yes, the stars from yesterday’s scheme have put in another appearance, as I think they work just as well with foliage. This time I experimented with resting them on the hearth as well as hanging them above the fireplace, and I can’t decide which option I like best – if you have any preference please let me know in the comments below!
See Rose & Grey’s full Christmas range here.
All photography by Abi Dare
catesthill says
Your home is looking so beautiful and festive, I love the touches of greenery and origami decorations, very elegant. That house is too cute! Happy 1st of December x
Abi says
Thanks Cate! I just can’t decide which look to keep up! The house is a work in progress (next job is getting rid of the carpets!) but we’re getting there… x
Oxie says
It looks so cozy! Love the limited color scheme on the tree! I prefer the stars up on the wall – it feels more balanced that way, less cluttery at the lower plane. Looking forward to the holidays!
Abi says
Thanks! So glad you like it. And I know what you mean about the stars x
Rob Jepson says
I think on balance I prefer the stars on the wall rather than standing on the hearth.
Just an idea… how about the thick candles on the hearth and maybe some logs in the fireplace?
X Rob
Abi says
Thanks Rob – I think you’re right about the stars. The fireplace doesn’t work at the moment so we use candles to give a bit of a glow, but one day we’ll sort the chimney out and get it working!
Juan Sandiego says
Even though I liked the paper trees of the other post, the real Christmas tree brings so much charm. My favourite details are the little birds perched on the branches.
Abi says
The birds are so cute aren’t they? I like being able to add a bit of fun to the tree without overpowering the minimalist look! And you’re right about a proper tree – always so lovely to have one x
Diane says
The tree was so fantastic! I especially love how it balanced between traditional and minimal taste. BTW, could I know approximately how tall the Christmas tree was? Thanks.
Abi says
Thanks so much for the kind words – glad you like it! The tree is person-height, so fairly tall – it works brilliantly in place of a real one and still has impact. If you click through to the link in the blog post you’ll be able to see the full dimensions.
Jia says
Hello! Sorry for the all caps lol – love the large white stars on the floor. Would you please share where they are from? Also the glass tea lights? Thank you!
Abi says
Thank you! Everything in the post is from Rose & Grey. I shot these images a couple of years ago so you might not find exactly the same designs, but they have similar