This Christmas, start planning a little earlier and decide on a look that will completely transform your living room and wow your guests. 

Whether your taste is contemporary or classic; cosy or alternative; we have a Christmas look for you, so get creative and create the Christmas living room of your dreams this year. 

The contemporary Christmas living room

In modern homes, sometimes traditional Christmas decorations can often look odd or out of place as they contrast too starkly with the whites, monochromes or greys that contemporary interiors often feature. Therefore, by opting for a subtler and contemporary Christmas display this year, you can perfectly compliment your modernised look.

Stick to pale shades in the living room, with a white or silver artificial Christmas tree, or if you genuinely prefer a real tree, then keep the decorations very simple with white garlands, glass baubles and metallic stars for that avant-garde edge. If you want to avoid a tree altogether in your living room, then try a tree motif stenciled onto one feature wall, which can be a fun alternative, without the added mess of falling pine leaves.

Adding texture to your modern living room can help to warm it and make it feel more cosy when your festive guests arrive. Choose faux fur blankets draped over white sofas, shaggy rugs over wooden floors and glittering velvet cushions to create that Nordic winter-wonderland vibe. Complete the luxurious scene with silver candle holders and chrome vases holding white orchids or white poinsettias. 

The classic Christmas living room

In more traditional homes, opting for a more classic Christmas living room will be more appropriate and allows you to create a space that is sleek, yet snug for your winter guests. Classic Christmas living rooms don’t need to be overcrowded or fussy - an elegant and stylish room can be created using a handful of colours, decorations and accessories for a timeless look that won’t date.

Keep to a simple colour scheme of 2 - 3 colours max, for example, reds, ivories and golds, and try to accentuate the furniture already in the room so that you have complimentary tones to your sofa, furniture and flooring. Patterned sofas are often harder to match when it comes to Christmas decorations, so in this case choose a colour scheme of only one colour, for example gold, and use this as a base for the whole of your decor, so that it doesn't become to cluttered. 

Go for the tallest tree you can fit into your living room, so that it almost brushes the ceiling and decorate the tree with a mixture of glass baubles, brightly wrapped gifts (using paper to match your colour scheme) and glittering garlands in gold shades. If you have a fireplace, then dress it with fresh foliage and a bundle of metallic ribbons for an ultra-stylish finish.

The cosy Christmas living room

If there’s one time of the year when you want to snuggle down on the sofa and rarely leave the house, then it’s Christmas time! During this period, it is likely that you will have friends and family members popping round frequently, therefore you want to make sure that your living room is cosy and welcoming, with plenty of seating available when guests arrive.

Add extra seats, such as footstools, cubes, pouffes or bean bags, which don’t take up much room, and tidy away any non-essential items such as magazine racks, stacking boxes or printers so that you create some extra space.

Set an intimate mood with low-level lighting, such as table lamps and twinkling fairy lights around the fireplace, and light some Christmas scented candles for a hearty, festival feel for when your friends arrive. 

The alternative Christmas living room

Although traditional colour schemes associated with the Christmas period are often green, red, gold and silver, this doesn’t mean that you are restricted to using these colours, so why not go a bit off-ball this December and opt for something a little different?

If your interior taste is a little more eclectic, then chances are your living room will already consist of clashing fabrics, prints and textures, so carry this on into Christmas with a colour scheme that has no limits. Byzantine tree jewels in majestic colours, hand-painted mirrored baubles and vintage fabric garlands are all decorations that would work beautifully when creating your festive emporium. 

Complement a Bohemian colour scheme, for example using oranges, purples and yellows, with a dark pine-leaved Christmas tree that features decorations of similar tones and complete the look by wrapping your gifts up neatly in ornate paper with draping ribbons and glittering bows.