The days of throwing tons of Christmas baubles and decorations into the trolley and hoping for the best are gone. These days it’s about choosing a few new decorations wisely and looking after them so they will last for years .
Brown Thomas and Arnotts Christmas gifts and seasonal buyer Claire Charlton says one of this year’s themes is “Natural Glow”, which includes butterscotch and caramel tones. At Arnotts there’s a Willy Wonka-inspired trend featuring oversized candy canes and sweets.
Charlton says that a return to nostalgic and traditional themes this year ties in nicely with the memories people create at Christmas.
Also there’s the natural trend for 2022 that is “all about textures and beautiful neutrals that blend with current home decor trends”
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Søstrene Grene is always an interesting and affordable place to pick up Christmas decorations. Kristina Kirkegaard, head of design at the brand, says that this year Christmas means classic colours and nostalgic motifs combined with a calm, Nordic vibe and botanical designs.
“To add a dash of something new we have worked with three trends,” she says. “These include a textile patchwork collection where small patterns in different colours are mixed, thus creating a homely feel and a home-made look. We have also worked with elements such as stars, mistletoe and other Christmas motifs where the detail is formed by small, shiny beads giving it a sparkling appearance.”
The brand has also tapped into the trend for everything home-made, says Kirkegaard, with a range of hand-painted baubles in delicate glass as well as contemporary mouth-blown glass Christmas tree ornaments.
In contrast, the team at independent store Oriana B have opted to focus on bright pink. “With the world filled with what feels like a constant stream of bad news, this Christmas we are choosing joy in the form of bright and colourful decor with a cheeky side of humour,” says creative director Alannah Monks.
Oriana B. has looked to the fashion world and found inspiration in the hot pink of Valentino’s AW22 collection. “We chose to lead with pink decorations interspersed with pink ribbon, nods of teal and white paper stars,” says Monks.
Over at Meadows and Byrne, retail director Helen O’Dwyer says their themes this year include Midnight Ice - a dramatic, grown-up look in dark greens, blacks, pewter and old gold.. “A natural theme - Nordic Noel - features winter greens and off-white tones.” Elsewhere you’ll find Christmas Glory featuring classic Christmas colours of deep red and gold and a whimsical folksy theme - Holiday Folk - featuring bright reds, vivid greens and whites.
At Kilkenny Design, senior buyer Laura Pasquetti says that decorating this year is a “tale of two halves”: “We see two themes dominating the seasonal style stakes. The first is that of a traditional Christmas with brilliant reds and greens throughout. Bursts of muted gold deliver a luxurious feel while candy cane red and white anchor the theme in traditional Christmas feels.”
The second trend at Kilkenny is what Pasquetti calls Plush Blush. “This trend sees a dusty pink or blush colour across everything from decorations to wreaths and table-settings, where it is mixed with muted greens and silver tones.”
When it comes to entertaining, Maria Reidy, founder of Maria Reidy Events and Signature Editions, knows a thing or two. “My approach to tablescaping this year is simple, modern and classic,” says Reidy.
“I have designed more muted tablescapes than before with a real nod to Nordic inspiration. Decoration-wise, a simple handmade wreath or garland is the approach I’m taking - with gorgeous glass baubles, Irish linen tablecloths and tableware that can be used all year round. And, of course, lots and lots of candles.”
“For me, Christmas is about the people I am with and sitting around a table enjoying great food,” continues Reidy. “I like the table to be warm and inviting but I also like the experience to be stress-free, so my advice this year would be to be organised and plan ahead but also to keep your decor and food simple. The addition of tall, tapered candles will elevate any table setting.”
Tara O’Connor of The Designed Table always encourages people to mix and match old and new and to embrace their own personal style. This season she has gone for table linens in festive shades of red, green, navy, white and gold - all complemented by eye-catching accessories in metallics, jewel tones and painted wood.
Again, pink tones can be found here with O’Connor’s beaded floral placemats.
For those wishing to elevate existing napkins, why not update them with O’Connor’s napkin rings in a choice of pearl, velvet bows, golden reindeer or wooden robins?
When it comes to Christmas decorating, why not make your own decorations from old magazines or opt for a pot grown Christmas tree from Colm at Christmastree.ie in Mahon, Co Cork?
Many independent stores around the country stock locally-made decorations and Irish-made, eco-friendly candles made with beeswax or eco-soy. Some favourites of ours include the natural beeswax candles by Brookfield Farm and those made by the people of Dunshane Camphill Community at We Make Good, where you’ll find plenty of gorgeous Christmas gifts made by people facing social challenges.
To fill your home with the scent of Christmas, why not opt for the FieldDay Winter or Fir candle? The brand includes a seeded topper with each candle and also donates to the Ulster Wildlife charity. The Bearded Candle Makers make their candles with kosher-certified soy wax sourced sustainably in America. With evocative names such as Midnight Mass and Christmas in a Tin, their candles also work as great gifts.
At Irish Design Shop, owners Clare Grennan and Laura Caffrey are gearing up for their busiest time of year. They stock beautiful Irish-made decorations such as crocheted delights by Ana Ahern, porcelain baubles by karoArt and wooden animals by Pat Murphy in Cork.
“We believe that purchasing a beautiful locally-made decoration gives our customers that added feelgood factor as they are supporting a local business. Knowing that someone made that special decoration with love and by hand gives it extra meaning,” says Grennan. “Lots of customers purchase decorations to give to friends and family. It has become almost a tradition for some. In addition, our customers often want unique decorations that cannot be found elsewhere or that are made in small batches.”
