For your own sake, let’s draw a veil over what happened last Christmas. You kept on adding decorations until the booming stroke of midnight, managing to create an atmosphere not unlike a 1980s disco, complete with glitter, disco balls, strobes so bright they could be seen from outer space, and a guy with really big hair. Who, it turned out, was your husband sporting a new hairdo, courtesy of an entangled nest of faulty fairy lights.

And that was inside the house. Outside, a flurry of plastic Father Christmas figures scrambled over your balcony and hung there in perilous balance, looking at the gathering of gnomes in your front garden.

This year though, you’ve decided to go to the other end of the scale – a minimalist Christmas.

Minimalist Christmas decorations – doesn’t sound right, does it? But it does, because you don’t actually need to plaster every surface and corner of the house with decorations to embrace the festive season.

With the right focus, the senses will not be overwhelmed. Moreover, minimalist decorations are cheaper, quicker to set up and easier to store.

Here are our tips on how to have less clutter but the same spirit at home this Christmas.


 - Minimalism is all about a clean aesthetic that showcases effective lighting, luxurious textures and the right colours.

 - Choose a maximum of two colours and use different shades of the same palette. That way, all the decorations complement each other and create a harmonious look, rather than trying to shout louder than the rest.

 - For lights, use only one shade. And there’s no need for blinking lights – you want a calming effect rather than the kind of lighting that gives you a migraine.

 - Use natural decorations – pinecones, cinnamon sticks, gingerbread cookies. And don’t overdo it – the important thing is that every decoration can be seen clearly in its every detail.

 - You need to make a statement – not a speech, but a statement. So instead of bows all over the chairs and doorknobs, go for one, stunning velvet bow on your front door.

 - The Christmas tree should have a well-defined outline – hanging all the lights and baubles that you could find will only create the impression of an upturned bush. Choose baubles that have the same colour and shape. Also, the tree should be placed as a focal point.

 - Choose decorations which carry sentimental value and the true meaning of Christmas – the crib your husband built for you, the baubles your children painted, the Christmas tree that you’ve had since you were a child.