Three nature-inspired colour schemes for timeless Christmas style

I often get design inspiration from nature, and it’s no different when it comes to Christmas. So, to give you some ideas for your own festive decor, I’ve put together three colour palettes that all take their cue from different aspects of the winter landscape. For each I’ve picked out some beautiful buys to help you get the look, with pieces for your tree, table and more – and I’ve focused on creating timeless combinations rather than being led by any particular trends, meaning you can treasure and reuse the decorations for years to come. What’s more, the individual colours and ornaments are extremely versatile and can all be used in multiple ways, giving you scope to play around with different stylings without having to buy anything new.

Earthy tones

Evoking frosty fields and woodland as autumn turns to winter, this scheme mixes earthy browns and ochres with moss greens and rust reds. Bare branches and dried ferns bring even more of the season indoors.

1. Ferm Living ‘Twirl’ multicoloured glass baubles, £29-39 for a set of four depending on size, Made in Design [AD – affiliate link]
2. Ib Laursen small pebbled-glass bauble in ‘moss green’ (also available in numerous other colours), £4.99, Fine Nordic
3. Linen furoshiki gift wrap in mid grey (also available in numerous other colours), £12-18 depending on size, The Fabric Wrapping Co
4. ‘Capella’ paper star in ‘natural’ (also available in ‘pearl’), £9-16 depending on size, Rose & Grey
5. ‘Felicity’ small glass baubles in ‘driftwood’ (also available in olive green and in a larger size), £48 for a set of six, Neptune
6. Ferm Living napkins in ‘sugar kelp’ (also available in numerous other colours), £19 for a set of two, Trouva [AD – affiliate link]
7. HAY conical candles in ‘nude’, ‘caramel’ and ‘mint’, £29 for a set of six, Finnish Design Shop
8. Ib Laursen pebbled-glass medium baubles in ‘amber’, £7.95 for a set of three, Trouva [AD – affiliate link]
9. Cream gauze ribbon, £6.50, Cox & Cox
10. Gold-coloured hanging fern decoration, £17, Smallable
11. Ferm Living ‘Tonal’ Christmas stocking, £29, Rose & Grey
12. Recycled cotton paper teardrop ornament in ‘caramel’ (also available in black, grey and ‘camel’), £5.95, Rose & Grey
13. House Doctor brown glass bauble, £5, Trouva [AD – affiliate link]
14. Broste Copenhagen ‘Venok’ wooden star, £16.90, Nordic Nest [AD – affiliate link]

White and gold

Perhaps the most enduring of all, this palette mixes crisp white with metallic brass and gold. It looks wonderful against fir, pine and other evergreen foliage, evoking a Nordic forest blanketed in glistening snow. Minimalist shapes keep things looking contemporary without losing any of the Christmas magic.

1. Ferm Living brass candle ring, £59, Lifestory
2. Gold wire leaf decoration, £6, John Lewis
3. House Doctor brass Christmas tree stand, £120, Trouva [AD – affiliate link]
4. Watt & Veke ‘Maja’ large paper star, £55, Trouva [AD – affiliate link]
5. Handmade large matte-white ceramic baubles, £24 for a set of four, Trouva [AD – affiliate link]
6. Georg Jensen ‘Christmas Collectibles’ gold-plated tree topper in medium (also available with palladium plating, and in a larger size), £66.99, Nordic Nest [AD – affiliate link]
7. DKBD paper flake ornaments, £5.30-10 depending on size, Royal Design UK
8. Linen furoshiki gift wrap in white (also available in numerous other colours), £12-18 depending on size, The Fabric Wrapping Co
9. White ceramic baubles with hand-painted gold speckles, £6.50 per bauble, £18 for a set of three or £30 for a set of six, Etsy
10. Georg Jensen classic ‘Christmas Star’ candlesticks, £37.50 for a set of two, Nordic Nest [AD – affiliate link]
11. Madam Stoltz recycled paper-pulp ornaments, £30 for a set of six, Trouva [AD – affiliate link]
12. Ferm Living brass heart ornaments, £19 for a set of four, Made in Design [AD – affiliate link]
13. Watt & Veke ‘Vintergatan’ large paper star (can be illuminated with a cable and light source, sold separately), £18, Trouva [AD – affiliate link]
14. Tall white pencil candles, £10 for a set of six, Layered Lounge

Blush pink, beige and grey

Blush pink and beige – the colours of a cold winter sky at sunset – make for a soft and very pretty Christmas scheme. Cloud-grey accents add a bit of depth and stop it from looking twee – and it’s a combination that works well with touches of silver should you want to incorporate some festive sparkle.

1. Glass baubles in various styles and colours, from €5.60, Tine K Home
2. Afroart paper star in off-white (also available in pure white and red), £5, Arket
3. Linen napkins in ‘terracotta’ (also available in numerous other colours), £18.50 for a pair or £35 for a set of four, Goscandi
4. Velvet ribbons in blush pink, sand and grey, £7-11 depending on width, Design Vintage
5. Glass baubles in ‘sand’ and ‘petal’, €5.60, Tine K Home
6. Honeycomb paper ornaments in dark grey (also available in numerous other colours), £4 for a set of two, Arket
7. Watt & Veke paper star decoration, £12.50, Nordic Nest [AD – affiliate link]
8. Bast-wrapped metal star decorations in ‘natural’ and ‘silver’, €4-9.60 depending on size, Tine K Home
9. Broste Copenhagen blush-pink paper decorations, £18 for a set of four, Trouva [AD – affiliate link]
10. Broste Copenhagen paper decorations, as above
11. Ester & Erik lacquered cone-shaped candles in dark grey (also available in numerous other colours), £15 for a set of two, Nordic Nest [AD – affiliate link]
12. Metal candle ring in ‘sand’, €24-40 depending on size, Tine K Home
13. ‘Bossanova’ paper star in ‘rose’ (also available in cream, ‘sand’, ‘pecan’ and ‘olive’), £6, Rose & Grey
14. House Doctor cotton-wrapped snowflake ornaments, £19.90 for a set of three, Trouva [AD – affiliate link]

Please note this post contains affiliate links (all clearly marked), which means I will receive a small commission on any resulting sales. You won’t pay any more by clicking on these links than you would by visiting the websites directly, and it helps to support the free content I create here.

Top image by Tine K Home; collage photography via the respective brands. Inspiration images by Annie Spratt, Mathilde Langevin and alevision.co, via Unsplash.