If you love a traditional, old-world Christmas, you probably won’t think much about a color scheme for your Christmas decorations. You’ll gather together everything with sentimental value in any color, and find just the right place for it and your home and tree will be lovely.
But if you’re just starting out or want your decorations to compliment your home’s decor, you’ll find that all your Christmas decorating decisions will be easier if you start out with a specific color scheme.
How to Choose a Color Scheme
There are a number of ways you can determine or choose a color scheme you want to follow with your Christmas decorations. They include:
Your Home's Color Scheme
Focus on the colors you have in your home year ’round and select complementary colors that bring out the seasonal feeling. My home has lots of blues and grays and would look beautiful for Christmas bringing in similar colors.
Colors From a Decorating Motif
Do you love the luscious and luminous look of bold colors? Then you might want to bring the jewel tones into all your Christmas decorating. Do you love rustic, earthy decorations? Then you might want to stick with greens, browns, and golds.
A Piece of Fabric
If you have seen a beautiful fabric that would be spectacular in the center of your dining room table, draw your Christmas colors from the fabric design. Bring the hues into all the rooms for a unified look.
A Sentimental Collectible Christmas Decoration
Were you given a special Christmas decoration from your childhood home? If so, make that the focal point and use the colors from it for your color scheme. I was given a porcelain lighted Christmas tree that we had for years on the table in our entry hall. It’s easy to decorate around, of course, but it always has a place of importance.
Hues From Your Home
If your home has warm colors, it would be best to choose golds and reds for decorations rather than icy white and silver. Keep with the feeling of your home for a harmonious decor.
Photos From Magazines and Books
Though the pictures might look casual and lived in, most photo layouts from magazines and books are “staged” by professional designers. Use their ideas to bring the color scheme and designs into your home.
Holiday Gift Wrap
You can see lots of color schemes used in Christmas gift wrapping paper. See which ones you like and think about the style, the motifs represented, and the colors. Choose a paper that would look good in your home and find more decorations to place around the house.
Ribbons
Almost any Christmas decorating is enhanced by adding ribbons and bows, lots of them. If you find a ribbon that you particularly like, use the colors for the decorating scheme throughout your home.
Need help decorating your home this season? See our Holiday Design Services.