6 Christmas Colour Schemes to Inspire Your Decorations

1. Bring Joy with Jewel Tones

Just as evergreens and red accents never go out of style, nor do the classic festive metallics of silver and gold. But if you want to embrace the shiny side of the colour wheel in a brighter way, look to your jewellery box for inspiration. Emerald, sapphire, ruby and amethyst will bring the glamour of the season to your interiors. Why not decorate your tree with baubles in these elegant festive colours, or seek gift wrap in the same shades? A pile of jewel-toned presents will pop against the verdant branches of your fir tree.  

Remember, this bold style needn’t be reserved for your Christmas decorations. Rich tones of amethyst and garnet are at their very best when displayed on velvet upholstery, so look for cushions, pouffes or even dining chairs that show off the depth of these suave shades. Glassware, too, is a great way to make jewel tones sparkle; look for coloured styles in emerald and sapphire to bring a twinkling touch to your tabletop. Whichever colour you opt for, the key to the trend is to balance out the elevated with the everyday – temper the season’s frivolity by pairing rich velvets with rustic linens in neutral shades, or adding foliage and natural textures to your tablescape.

2. Create a Colour Clash

If your favourite colour is every colour, then embrace your rainbow intuitions and let your creativity flow. ’Tis the season to be jolly, after all, so why not channel the playful nature of the festivities with a joy-inducing design style? Don’t hold back ­­– add ornaments of every colour to your tree, bring a plentiful palette to your tabletop and introduce whimsical Christmas colours to unexpected corners of your home. This could include adding vibrant ornaments to a hallway bannister, introducing pops of colour to mantelpieces or creating a coffee table display with a vibrantly coloured tray and a selection of bold baubles. Simply put, anything goes.

3. Make it Moody with Darker Shades

If Santa and sequins aren’t your bag, a more modern Christmas colour palette may be on the cards. In this instance, we’d encourage you to channel the cosy, inviting nature of the season instead, with a pared-back palette of darker tones that invite you to settle down and make yourself comfortable. Think deep charcoal, forest green and navy blue, tempered with monochrome accents and the warming glow of candles and lamplight. To create an inviting look, be sure to mix plenty of tactile textures – rich velvet, rustic linen and glossy ceramics will create a layered and welcoming effect. When it comes to your Christmas tree, we’d recommend simply sticking with fairy lights and a few metallic ornaments to add warmth to the space. Think of it as a festive take on the quiet luxury trend ­– a subtle nod to the season in an oh-so sophisticated way.

4. Magnify your Current Colour Scheme

Go big and bold with colours you already have in your home. After all, at OKA we advocate for timeless design and reusing decorations for Christmas and beyond, year on year. As previously mentioned, there’s something to be said for balancing out the elevated with the everyday, but what about elevating the everyday itself? If your room is filled with accents of purple, think colour drenching and allow yourself to go whimsical and wild with even more of the damson shade: hang streamers and paper decorations in aubergine, arrange faux sprigs of mauve cosmos, set violet-hued taper candles in artichoke candle holders… This is your chance to be inventive and unique and this can be done with whatever the colour palette of your interiors. Packing in the décor will ensure that your rooms look embellished from the norm.

5. Embody a Winter Wonderland

Winter beckons frost and ice, both of which have a certain magical nuance in their glittering sheens of blue and white. Blue has also long been heralded as a luxury colour, once a pigment rarer and more precious than gold, so allow it to lend your celebrations a regal air. Add a dash of cobalt to your china cabinet with our Kraak Range or our Kintaro Range or a splash of Sapphire in your soft furnishings and decorative features. For an extra trace of wintry whimsy pair it with the lustrous silver of jingling bells.

6. Turn Tradition on its Head

If you do find yourself reaching for the season’s most classic of shades, may we suggest putting your own spin on the style? Rather than giving red and green equal weight, why not select one and let it dominate the look? If you lean towards green, for example, choose varying shades and introduce them in unexpected ways. An olive stripe, an emerald footstool or a mint-coloured candle holder will nod to the season without feeling overtly festive. Likewise, red accents will speak subtly to Christmas; a spray of faux berries, a smart lamp and an elegant throw in crimson colours offer a new take on the traditional palette.