Preparing your home for Christmas with Homesense
I’m not one for starting the Christmas prep too early, but think once Halloween and Bonfire Night is over it’s fair enough to start planning. Especially with preparing your home as it it makes for a much less stressful time if your house is in order at the start.
image: HomeSense
Three tips for getting your home ready for Christmas:
1. Tidy up and clear the clutter! I know this is stating the bleedin’ obvious, but Christmas brings with it stuff, lots of stuff: wrapping paper and supplies, decorations, presents, extra food shopping, people, clothes – and then sale bargains afterwards. If your home is cluttered at the start, the extra that comes in will be overwhelming. So now is the time to do a good clear out and clean, making way for the new.
2. Bring your decorations out of storage early, and take stock of what you already have. I can’t count the numerous times I’ve bought extra lights and decorations thinking I needed them, then got the boxes down from the attic to find I’ve had plenty of everything already. Without seeing a collection for a year, it’s easy to forget what it contains.
3. After you have taken stock, decide on a theme for your decor. This way you can select from what you already have that fits a particular theme, and then add new items to complement.
I visited the HomeSense store in Bristol for inspiration on themes, and here are three I have come up with, Scandi Christmas, Traditional Christmas, Homemade Christmas:
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Scandi Christmas
The perfect Christmas theme with all things snowy, natural colours and materials, and lots of reindeers and stags. I took so many photos in HomeSense for this theme, it was a veritable Winter Wonderland, but I show you just a few:
Cosy up with white faux fur cushions and throws, with candles and reindeer cushions. Add a bit of sparkle with this mirrored star ornament, or go the full hog reindeer with this wonderful mirrored stag:
Or what about this fantastic white horse? It makes me dream of a white Christmas and a The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe fantasy dreamscape in my front room.
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Traditional Christmas
If Scandi style doesn’t float your sledge, you can’t go wrong with a traditional Christmas scheme. Use lots of red, green and gold, holly prints, and traditional English motifs – think Dickens A Christmas Carol.
Cut glass decanters and wine glasses add to the classic look and luxury of this theme, alongside silverware and traditional textiles.
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Homemade Christmas
I’m a big fan of a homemade Christmas – all those decorations made by your children over the years, lovingly stashed away and brought out every festive season, getting tattier and tattier but never less loved. But there are also some lovely items in HomeSense that will complement you own decs, like these eco-friendly trees, made from recycled paper:
Wreaths, decorations made from willow and twigs, and crafty-style decorations will all look good in this type of decor, and there is no shortage of choice in HomeSense:
I’m lost for choice after my visit to HomeSense, but certainly have plenty of food for thought to inspire my final decision. Shall I be brave enough to decide on a single scheme and away from an eclectic mix of all I’ve accumulated over the years? And shall I abandon the bird theme for my Christmas tree, which has been a staple for the last few years? The fact that I bought this little fella in HomeSense makes me think perhaps not!
image: HomeSense
Do you stick to a single theme every year, or what is your favourite from the three I have shown above? I’d love to know!
Post in collaboration with HomeSense. Images my own, apart from those credited to HomeSense
Twitter:
on November 12, 2015 at 8:27 pm
Oh my goodness I really need that recycled paper tree, how beautiful! It’s all lovely, I’m dismayed to see that all my “local” Homesenses require epic cross London journeys. Boo. They need to open one in South London X
Lins recently posted…My DIY Countdown To Christmas
My nearest one is Bristol Lins, two hours away on the train 🙁 But I find you often get a good selection of what is there also in the home section of sister company TKMAXX. Thanks for stopping by.
Twitter:
on November 12, 2015 at 8:41 pm
Oh that’s really good to know, there’s quite a big TKMaxx in Bromley so I could check that out. A 2 hour journey is definitely dedication!
Lins recently posted…My DIY Countdown To Christmas
Not dedication Lins, but a treat for me after having made the trek to the Dental Hospital there where I’m having treatment 🙁
I so nearly bought that glitter ball reindeer. I LOVED it. But I couldn’t think of anywhere big enough to put it at home… never mind get it in the car. My OH said it was him or the reindeer. Hard decision!
hehe, that made me chuckle Karen. I bet you had to deliberate a while on that decision 😉
Twitter:
on November 13, 2015 at 9:55 am
I love all those themes. Great choices. Not so sure about the massive white horse though. Would take up most of my living room lol. This year I’m going for a contemporary copper theme which I’ll be sharing on the blog soon.
Stacey Sheppard recently posted…Review : Yuyu Long Hot Water Bottle
Ooh, look forward to seeing your copper theme Stacey. Despite my tips I’m not sure what I’ll be going for yet 🙂
Twitter:
on November 13, 2015 at 10:01 am
Love the horse! Wouldn’t he be great in hallway!
Would certainly be a talking point 🙂 Thanks for stopping by x
Twitter:
on November 15, 2015 at 1:56 pm
Yes I was in there this weekend and love it all 🙂 I think I am going for a white christmas this year – loving the whites, glass and creams 🙂 Great photos. Thanks for linking up and sharing with us – much appreciated 🙂 Jess xx
#HomeEtc
Thank you Jess. I could’ve spent a fortune in there! I hope you will post about your white Christmas – I look forward to seeing x
Twitter:
on November 15, 2015 at 7:31 pm
Ohmygoodness!! You and I think SO similarly!!! I have just written an almost identical post!!! Hilarious!! 😀 Am not due to publish it for a couple of weeks though!! Great minds.
I blooming love Homesense — all year round but particularly at Christmas!! Their ranges are fabulous!! LOVE all that silvered glass — my fave 🙂 Thanks for linking up with us #HomeEtc xx
Caro recently posted…Home Etc #26
Aha! I look forward to reading your post – definitely great minds think alike 😉 I wish I had a HomeSense nearer to me, but probably just as well, saves me some pennies!
Ooh am off to Homesense this morning to hang a bauble for their charity campaign had better take my purse hey Molly!
Becky recently posted…A free tool to define your interior design style
That’s lovely Becky. Keep a tight hold on your purse though 🙂