I love getting my house ready for Christmas and making every room warm and welcoming for drinks parties with friends, family meals and guests coming to stay. Here are some last minute tips for getting your home ready for the festive season.

Add winter greenery 

Displays of winter greenery will create a warm seasonal feeling. I love to make a wreath for my front door with greenery foraged during my dog walks. Look for holly, ivy, pinecones and winter herbs and add bright berries and bundles of spices like cinnamon for a lovely natural wreath. By a supermarket wreath and add a few of your own elements to personalise it – orange slices, berries or dried hydrangea heads all work well.

Fill your home with festive aromas

Scent is essential for creating a festive atmosphere. Scented candles set the scene and I think it’s hard to beat the White Company’s Winter candle. Created over 21 years ago Winter is, for me, the scent of Christmas. It’s a magical combination of spicy cinnamon, rich warming clove and fresh zesty orange. 

Create a warm festive glow

One of the easiest ways to bring a festive ambiance to your home is by peppering it with fairy lights and candles.

Dot church or column candles around to spread light and warmth and add a bit of drama to your room. Wrap fairy lights around greenery and cluster glass hurricane lamps together to create a dramatic centrepiece. Light can create such a beautiful festive mood in your home. 

Get Christmas tablescaping

For me, Christmas is the time to pull out all the stops when dressing the dining table. I like to go for it with gold and silver metallics, sparkling crystal ware and iridescent accents. Match vintage silver candlesticks with coloured glass and mismatched dinnerware and add drama with a statement candelabra. 

Make your guests at home 

Make sure your spare bedrooms are ready for guests. Layer up your bed with cushions, quilts and blankets to make a cosy welcoming space. Add some luxury toiletries, a candle, some carefully chosen books and a carafe and glass for water. A couple of bathrobes and a Roberts Radio to listen to Christmas carols in the morning are nice extra touches. You could also create festive touches with 

by hanging paper garlands, stringing lights around the bed, or putting a homemade Christmas stocking on the bedside table.

Arrange your furniture for sociable evenings

To brighten up your space, create cosy corners to retreat to. A chair to curl up and read a book by the fire could become your new favourite space. I think a sofa in the kitchen where the family can relax can transform it into more than just a functional room.

Make your kitchen festive

At Christmas, I make a few changes to my kitchen to make it a really welcoming sociable space. I like to layer grey and white sheepskin rugs on my dining table chairs and benches for a ski-lodge vibe. A Scandi style candelabra on the kitchen table and some decorations hanging from branches create a Nordic look I love. Just add mulled wine and mince pies!

Decorate your outside space

It’s not just your interiors that should get a festive overhaul. 

A fire pit is a wonderful place to gather around and drink a hot toddy. Add some fairy lights and a few warm blankets to snuggle up in and your garden is an extra room over the festive period.

With just a few small changes, you can transform your home into a magical wonderland this Christmas.