A Guide to a Realistic Christmas
Simple Family Styling That Feels Beautiful (Not Overwhelming)
Christmas looks different in every home — and that’s exactly how it should be. For many of the families I work with, the festive season brings equal parts excitement and… chaos. School concerts, endless wrapping, visitors, last-minute plans, and a house that suddenly feels far from “designer perfect.”
And here’s the truth:
Christmas is not the time for designer perfection. It’s the time for memories. The mismatched baubles your children made at nursery, the slightly wonky wreath, the tree that leans a little because your teenagers half-heartedly decorated it at 10pm — these are the pieces that make a home feel alive and loved in December.
Don’t worry about chasing the “magazine perfect” Christmas, let’s create a beautiful, calm, realistic Christmas home — one that’s easy, enjoyable and completely true to family living.
Choose a Feeling, Not a Theme
Instead of forcing a colour palette or a Pinterest-perfect look, simply ask: “How do I want my home to feel this Christmas?”
Some ideas:
Calm & cosy
Warm & traditional
Fresh & minimal
Fun & playful
Once you choose the feeling, your décor becomes much simpler. A calming Christmas might mean soft lighting and natural greenery. A playful one might embrace handmade decorations, bold colour and joyful touches.
Let the feeling guide the style — not the pressure to impress.
Embrace the Chaos (Beautifully)
Your home doesn’t need to be perfect at Christmas. It needs to be enjoyed.
Put out the odd decorations. Hang the paper snowflakes your children bring home. Let the felt reindeer from 2014 make another appearance — proudly.
If you love a curated look but also want to honour their creativity, here’s my favourite solution…
The “Two Tree Trick” My Signature Family Strategy
If you have the space, this is a brilliant compromise:
🎄 Tree 1 – The Curated Tree
Styled beautifully, coordinated, elegant and cohesive.
Your “grown-up Christmas moment.”
🎄 Tree 2 – The Kids’ Tree
Their masterpieces. Their school ornaments. Their pipe-cleaner snowmen, their glittered stars, the tatsteless sparkly ornament they lovingly chose, anything goes…
It can go:
In the playroom
On the landing
In their bedroom
Or anywhere they love
Everyone wins:
You get your beautifully designed tree
They get full creative freedom
The house feels joyful without becoming visually overwhelming
Style Simple, Not More.
You don’t need to decorate every corner of your home. Just choose a few high-impact, low-effort festive touches:
Bows
Oversized bows on the bannister or simple ribbon tied around candle sticks. An easy way to add a little festive touch.
Greenery
Go foraging with the kids — secateurs, a bag for life, a walk in the countryside. Fresh greenery in a vase looks effortless and beautiful. If foraging isn’t your thing, eucalyptus is a gorgeous (and great-smelling) alternative.
Lighting
Warm fairy lights + candles = instant magic. Lighting does more for atmosphere than any amount of décor.
Simple Accessories
Swap out cushions and throws for festive versions you can reuse each year. It’s small changes like this that make the home feel seasonal without taking over.
Let Your Home Tell Your Story
Your Christmas doesn’t need to match anyone else’s. Your home should feel like you: joyful, warm, real, relaxed. A realistic Christmas home isn’t about perfection, excess or curated pressure.
It’s about:
✨ comfort
✨ friends & family
✨ memory-making
✨ atmosphere
✨ the little moments and traditions
And in my view, that’s the best kind of design.
And when Christmas settles and we look ahead to 2026, you might feel ready to refresh your home. If you’d like support creating a space that feels intentional, calm and perfectly suited to your family’s real life — whether you’re in a new build, a period property, or anything in between — I’d love to help.
