Christmas trees seem to go up earlier and earlier each year. Judging by the twinkling on social media, Canadian influencers seem to go straight from Halloween into decked halls, and Americans incorporate Christmas décor into their Thanksgiving festivities.
The standout Tree of the Season Award probably goes to Claridge’s, London’s legendary hotel located in Mayfair, this year designed by Burberry. Covered in bows – which the brand says are “a Victorian symbol of unity” – made from surplus Burberry fabrics including the signature plaid. Wild foliage and thistle, the national flower of Scotland, cover the tree and complete the look. Bows were also front and centre on Victoria Beckham’s Christmas tree, which she presented to Instagram like a fashionable present: with hand-tied bows in shades of powder pink and gold, dotted with clear glass baubles, it was a minimalist masterpiece. Here in Toronto, the Smythe store on Yonge Street is stopping traffic with a single statement bow: a gigantic red one that fills the whole wind
The Burberry tree at Claridge’s, London. Inset: Smythe’s store window. | Courtesy of Claridge’s; Sidney Gilmore
Bows and ribbons are the signature element of the year, says interior designer Lindsay Mens, a founding partner of The TOM Design Collective, a Toronto-based multidisciplinary team she leads alongside partners Tommy Smythe and Kate Stuart. “The decorating frenzy starts so early now,” she says. “It can get over the top. But it’s also an opportunity to be creative and to use decoration to reflect on the season and celebration.”
Mens, whose interior design style is a chic understated and textural mix of classical and modern, creates holiday looks for some of her clients. “People want it to be an extra layer to the decoration of their house,” she says. Her approach for a modern, harmonious feel is to take a cue from what is in the rest of the room. Going big isn’t always necessary: “You want the tree to be an addition to the room, not to steal the show. You want it to be grand, but not to be a departure from your overall style.”
Colour choices are key, she adds. “If your room is blue, the Christmas tree and decor should be complementary. Keep it blue, or go neutral: buff pinks or creams. If the room is more neutral, you can pick a strong main-character colour. This year, for instance, in her own home, Mens went for a deep, rich burgundy red as a base. “I would call it merlot,” she says, and she found thin velvet ribbon in the same colour to tie onto her tree, her wreaths and her garlands, à la Victoria B. She suggested trying Etsy for tree detailing – it is a treasure trove of velvet, silk and grosgrain ribbons.
All of us have a treasured mix of antiques, family heirlooms and homemade craft pieces in our holiday storage boxes. Dig in deep with these! That is the soul of the tree, says Mens. Then, add in whatever is au courant, whether it’s bows, tinsel or a new colour scheme for your ball ornaments.
Each year, the favourites of Mens’ holiday décor stays the same; she brings out the ornaments she collected through her childhood from her mother and godmother.
Sometimes vintage can be re-created. When a puppy took down the tree a decade ago, and with it, my own beloved 1930s mercury glass ornaments from my great-aunt, I found some plastic dupes at a small independent hardware store in Little Italy. Mens says she upgraded her stockings collection this year with some retro knitted ones from Indigo: “They are new, but have such a lovely vintage feel.” Then you can add in your au courant flourishes, whether it’s bows or a new colour scheme for your ball ornaments.
“Adding in as much classical greenery throughout your home is [also] a great way to bring more of the outside in,” says Mens. She studs her greens – placed above the fireplace, on the tabletop, on light fixtures in the kitchen – with rosehip berries, and adds in florals like white-and-red tulips, that she switches out a few times throughout the season.
Lighting for Christmas is important to set the festive mood, “The more lights the better,” she says. “Remember that the goal of decorating is to make people feel comfortable in your space. Layered lighting does that. Use different sizes, mini lights and bigger strands.”
Her one-stop-shop for things like Christmas lights – and she goes for exclusively warm white, save for perhaps a red flood light accent in the front yard – is good old Canadian Tire. “Get there as early in the season as possible,” is her recommendation. She wraps her garlands and her wreaths in mini lights from Noma, again from Canadian Tire, (battery-operated, of course). Care is important here. Decorating for Christmas is a marathon, not a sprint, so Mens recommends breaking up tasks over various days, or even weekends. “Take the time to wrap your lights carefully,” she says. That attention to detail is what takes holiday décor from amateur to pro. Start from the bottom and work your way upwards. Snuggle in some loops close to the trunk on the way up to give the tree that “lit from within” warmth and depth. How many, or how few, lights you like are a matter of personal taste. When wrapping garlands and wreaths, you can use green (invisible) twist ties to anchor the draping where you choose.
Layer in different kinds of ambient and incandescent light to your hosting rooms. Mens is a big fan of hurricane lamps, stocked with pillar candles: “Wrap the bases in greenery, the candlelight twinkling off the glass gives a layered, luxe, cozy look.” Her favourite hurricane lights come from Simon Pearce, but adds you can find good quality knockoffs at Crate & Barrel, and some vintage and designer lamps at Absolutely Inc.
Speaking of things that sparkle, Mens has noted the return to tinsel. This is a strong online trend. Tinsel is a great, inexpensive decoration, but if you go for tinsel, use that as your main tree trimming, says Mens. And again, apply with great care. “It can look tacky if not done right, it has to be evenly dispersed or it gets clumpy and crooked.”
Ralph Lauren Christmas tree, Milan; Ralph Lauren in a checkered vest; The Ralph Lauren Christmas window at London’s Bond Street store. | Pamela Rovaris/Archivio Pamela Rovaris/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images; Jack Robinson/Hulton Archive/Getty Images; Robert Deyrail/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
When in doubt about your Christmas décor, less is always more. She cites Ralph Lauren, who boiled down English country style for North American lifestyles, saying his lesson is about pulling back from the commercialism of Christmas and layering in pieces – candlesticks, plaid, ornaments with a history. “Take cues from the past,” she says.
Adding a new colour scheme (and all the corresponding napkins and table gear) means you can end up with more of those Christmas bins than you can store comfortably. If you have too much – I know how quickly that can happen, especially when you are absorbing your parents’ collections into your own after they pass – and you can’t distribute or save them for younger family members, passing things along to Goodwill or local charities can be a nice way to spread tradition through your community.
Beautiful bows are a lovely new touch to update your tree this year. But for everything new you bring in, consider passing along something you no longer use. Sharing is at the heart of the holidays, after all.
Always asking questions, —Leanne Delap
Photos: Helen Tansey (Delap); Slim Aarons/Getty Images (top)
