How to decorate your house for the Christmas holidays

First rule for the party house: warm up the atmosphere

As underlined by the interior architect Paolo Rota, director & co-founder of the studio Rota Giorgino, «there are many elements capable of instantly warming the domestic atmosphere, creating the perfect conditions for an intimate and festive mood.

I would start from the entry door, the access point for any habit. You can't go wrong: the garland is the perfect welcome accessory, capable of anticipating a welcoming and joyful home. You can choose it in the classic version, therefore made with holly branches and berries, or in synthetic material, perhaps illuminated by little LED lights.

At home, never without a rich collection of candles, preferably monocolour: choose the distinctive nuance of your Christmas, between white, green, gold and red. You will thus create a chromatic signature capable of tying together every room in your home.

If you are lucky enough to have a fireplace, decorate it artfully with pine twigs, fabric bows, balls and sweets, also hanging Christmas stockings in plain sight, perhaps personalized with the names of family members embroidered in gold.

Never without a personalised centrepiece with pine cones, red berries and candles, a sure-to-be eye-catcher, especially considering that this is the time of year in which we spend hours gathered around the table, enjoying delicious meals , games and relaxing chats."

Christmas tree, how to tips

«The choice is yours between a real or synthetic Christmas tree, remembering that the second option is reusable from year to year (and decidedly less aggressive). The perfect location for the Christmas tree varies from house to house and from family to family.

The best place, generally speaking, remains the home environment where we spend most time with our loved ones, which often coincides with the living room, where we gather to watch a film, chat, drink a hot chocolate, have fun with a board game.

If there is also a fireplace in the living room, all the better: the warm heart effect of the house will be even more tangible.

If your home has large rooms you can afford to place the tree in a central position, so you can admire it from 360 degrees. However, if the spaces are limited, it is better to place it in a corner, but be careful not to cheat: the decorations and lights should also be placed on the back of the tree, otherwise the effect will be very sad.

Placing the tree near the window has always been successful, because as darkness falls the lights will allow you to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere even from outside the house, making you want to come in and stay warm, all together.

Avoid placing it in passageways, because on Christmas morning there is nothing more beautiful than sitting around the tree unwrapping the presents, and narrow or cluttered spaces would not allow this. If you have pets and/or small children, it is better to avoid placing the tree on pedestals or stands: it would easily risk falling, resulting in chaos."

Style ideas for the Christmas home

A final consideration concerns the Christmas aesthetic to be based on the interior design. There are no rigid diktats, architect Paolo Rota is keen to highlight. For example, in an ultra-modern apartment furnished in minimal style, a Christmas tree with a modern look can harmoniously fit in, for example with a spiral shape or wooden sculpture style with clean shapes and the conceptual mood.

The classic Christmas style, warm and rich, remains the most loved by Italian families, with a riot of red, gold and green for textile elements and decorations.

For a more rustic style, of great effect in second homes in the mountains and countryside, you can use wooden decorations with a rough and lived-in charm, creating DIY decorations with organic elements collected while walking in nature, from evergreen pine cones to various twigs and mosses. What matters is the warm, enveloping and sweet sensation that you must feel when you cross the entrance to your home. The one that makes you say without hesitation: Christmas is coming!".