Deck the halls ... but don’t forget to decorate the outside of your home

It’s the time of the year when we turn our attention to decorating our homes for the festive season. But don’t forget about the exterior; the entrance creates the first impression for guests and visitors over the holiday season, so it’s essential it looks its best. Here are some fun and festive ideas to help you add some Christmas kerb appeal to your home.

Go foraging

Using fresh foliage from your garden is an inexpensive way of decorating your front door and entrance It’s also a lovely way to create something unique and put your stamp on your decorations.

Festive foliage, especially anything scented like pine or eucalyptus, is ideal in wreaths or garlands. This kind of seasonal greenery is also beautiful in vases dressed with ribbon and placed on window sills.

These kinds of displays are fun to create and ideal for getting other members of the family involved. Combine fake and real foliage for a longer-lasting display.

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Light your outdoors with lanterns

Invest in some lanterns for either side of your front door to offer a lovely festive welcome. Use them to light your patio or garden area too.

Lighting up your outdoor space this time of year gives you something beautiful to look out on to when darkness falls.

There are also lots of beautiful rechargeable portable light fittings and lanterns available now. They are designed for outdoor use but can also be used anywhere in your home, meaning you’ll be able to use them all year round.

Invest in some house plants

Plants are a lovely way to add life and colour to your home and they are especially lovely indoors at this time of year when gardens have gone to sleep.

Poinsettia is popular in Irish homes at this time of the year and is a beautiful plant for adding colour to your home. Consider breaking with tradition and investing in something that will last all year round. Try succulents or ferns and group them in a cluster by your front door. Add some lights, candles or even a bauble or two for a lovely festive display.

Have fun with Faux

Nothing says Christmas quite like a beautiful wreath hung on a front door. Some fabulous artificial versions are available now, which are just foliage, making them ideal for decorating. Leave them as they are and weave some fairy lights into them for a welcoming but minimal approach. Or embellish generously with pine cones, cinnamon sticks and faux red berries for a more traditional look.

Don’t over-decorate

Resist the temptation to over-decorate your front door and windows. At this time of year, the tendency is to go with a “more is more” approach to decorating – but for a more sophisticated look, less is more. Choose one thing and go big. For example, go for an oversized Christmas wreath as your door decoration. One powerful statement will create much more impact than having lots of different decorations.

Add some colour

When choosing a colour scheme for your door or window decoration, don’t limit yourself to the traditional Christmas palettes. This is an opportunity to have some fun and show off your personality. Make your own garlands using coloured ribbon with matching baubles in different sizes. It’s easy to do and something even younger family members can help with.

Add some lights

Fairy lights are always a hit and there are some fabulous battery operated lights available with built-in timers, so they come on by themselves at the same time every evening.

The smaller strings of lights are fantastic for adding some festive cheer to potted outdoor plants or weaving into a Christmas wreath. The larger strings are a beautiful way to dress up and light a feature tree or plant in your garden.

Look for warm white lights, which are much more inviting than the cooler versions. Colour temperature is measured in degrees Kelvin. I’d recommend looking for a colour temperature of no higher than 3,000K. If you plan on using multiple sets of lights, make sure they are all the same colour temperature. Making sure the colour temperature of your light source is consistent is essential; otherwise, your outdoor space can look a bit chaotic.

• Denise O'Connor is an architect and design consultant @optimisedesign