You can set up a Christmas tree and put up some special decorations, but there are also many others ways you can make your home a little bit more cosy and welcoming with beautiful finishing touches. Let’s take a look at some of the lovely extras that you can add to your home as you embrace the festive spirit. The notion of a Christmas home collection is daunting at first given the short time frame we spend celebrating Christmas – but just think of it as you do decorations and these items will be with you for years to come. Store them safely and your Christmas home collection will become part our your festive traditions – perhaps even handed down through generations!

Cushions

Why not treat yourself to a new cushion this Christmas? There are quite a few lovely ones out there that have special festival designs on them, from reindeer to snowflakes to Santa Claus and much more. From photo printed cushions to patterned cushions to embroidered ones, there are a lot of options out there to choose from. A festive cushion will look great on the bed or on the sofa, creating a special look just for the holiday season.

Bed Spreads

Why not invest in a beautiful bedspread that you save just for the holiday season? Putting the Christmas bedspread on at the beginning of December can be a sign that this special time of year has come around and its time to start celebrating! There are many beautiful Christmas bedspreads available, from fun and cheerful ones with Santa and reindeer to elegant and stylish ones with snowflakes and trees. There are also lovely options for Christmas bedding for the little ones, so that they can snuggle up in something special during the holidays too.

Draught Excluders

A draught excluder is a long plush cylinder made with fabric and stuffed with a heavy filling such as rice, cat litter or dried beans. It is placed at the bottom of the door in order to cover up the gap and stop cold air from moving through. In the wintertime these simple items are very important for keeping your home nice and cosy, so why not get a few festive ones that will also put you in a holiday mood?

Table Runners

Set the scene for a very special Christmas meal with a beautiful decorative table runner. A table runner can add a touch of elegance to a table setting. There are many different styles of table runner and they are decorated with classic holiday themes such as Christmas trees, poinsettias and reindeer. Look for ones that are made from a durable and easy to wash material such as polyester, so that you can use it again and again even if one of your guests drops food on it.

Coasters

Another way to create a special holiday spirit in your home is to use decorative coasters. Not only do they serve the practical purpose of keeping the surfaces of your home protected from water stains when guests set down their drinks – they also look beautiful! There are so many different holiday coasters available to purchase online, from goofy playful ones to sophisticated and elegant designs. Take a look at the many coasters that you have to choose from and find the ones that fit with your personal style and the décor of your home.

Rugs

Why not consider decorating your home with a Christmas themed rug? It will look beautiful and festive and it will also protect your feet from the cold floor in the winter! Look for a simple area rug that you can lay down in your living room during the holiday season and then keep stored away during the rest of the year. Also, a small festive rug might be a great choice when decorating a bedroom or other room during the holidays.

Mugs, Glasses and Dinner Sets

Somehow the food and drink we enjoy at Christmas tastes so much better when we serve it in special mugs, glasses and dinner sets! Treat yourself to some beautiful glasses, mugs, plates and bowls with happy festive designs on them. Whether you are sipping eggnog or tucking into a delicious roast on Christmas day, the holiday serving ware will help you to get into the mood of the season.

Why not add a little bit of comfort and charm to your home with these little extras this holiday season?

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Contrast

One of the best ways to make a set of cushions stand out is to contrast them with their surroundings. This might mean pairing a dark set of cushions with a pale bed or sofa. This will make the cushions stand out, but it will also more generally punctuate the monotony – after all, a single shade of beige everywhere is unlikely to be inspirational.

One should also consider the other colours in the room. Matching your cushions with your curtains (or vice versa) can often lead to pleasing results. So, for example, if you have a pale sofa and dark curtains, then select a shade which closely resembles the latter.

On the other hand, you might already have more contrast than you need inside the room. You don’t want to go so far as to overload the senses – an excessively multi-coloured room may just end up giving its occupants a headache. There are only so many different shades that the human eye can appreciate at any one time, so it’s best to limit the number of contrasting colours to three or four.

Consult a colour wheel

The colour wheel is a tool, beloved by interior designers which was first devised by Isaac Newton in 1666 – for purposes that had little to do with interior design. On the wheel you can see which colours closely match one another and which contrast. Often, a pleasing overall effect is simply a matter of striking a balance between the two.

This may seem overly technical – and in some instances it might be better to go with your gut. But if struggling with colours, then you might consider consulting a colour wheel.

Texture

Of course, we have more than one sense and so colour, as important as it is, isn’t everything. We must also consider how a cushion feels. Texture is a hugely-underappreciated quality in upholstery, since we tend to shop for things using our eyes – never by touching them. This is especially so now that we do so much of our shopping over the internet. For this reason it is sometimes useful to visit an actual, physical shop and test the quality and texture of the fabric personally.

As well as considering the overall tactile qualities of the cushion, one should bear in mind how it will sit in the room. How will it sit with the rest of the ensemble? Will the overall effect be harmonious or contrasting?

There are some textural options available to small cushions which simply cannot be duplicated on a large sofa. For example this fur cushion will add some excitement to fabric upholstery. Conversely, if you’ve got a leather sofa, then you can easily accent it without resorting to such extremes, using only simple fabric cushions.

Unlike colour, there are no real set rules here – since you won’t be able to touch everything at once. You can largely go for whatever you think is best. If you like, you can even include some more extreme designs, such as those which bear images of animals, or those which bear colourful flags, or even those which do both!

Patterns and Unity

Cushions are an ideal canvas upon which to display elaborate patterns – the sort which would overwhelm a larger one, like a settee. If you intend to employ such patterns, then you should also consider how well they will sit with the rest of the room and how many you intend to use. More than one of them is often excessive.

Just as you decide on a colour scheme, it’s also advisable to settle on a single unifying theme to bring the whole room together. You can then match or contrast your choice of cushions with the other elements in the room, like the curtains and rugs.

In conclusion

As well as being an excellent way of adding extra comfort to a room, cushions are an excellent way of improving its overall look and adjusting its tone in one direction or another. One set of cushions can make a room appear cool, while another might do the opposite. By careful planning your room, you can use the cushions to create exactly the desired effect that you are looking for.

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