Tuesday 13 December 2011

Welcome one and all

I love it, not a day goes by at this time of year, when there isn't an excuse to eat or drink something totally scrummy without any real guilt! Be it mulled wine, a cheeky wedge of Tunis cake, a load of canapes and some fizz...Christmas is all about getting together with friends and family and enjoying time in each others' company.

So, today, I thought I'd write about welcoming guests into your home. By now most of us have got our decorations up but there are a few more things that we can do around the home to make it even more Christmassy and welcoming to whosoever might pop by, announced or not.

A warm winter welcome
Ideas to help you create a warm welcome

Festive front door
Deck the halls - decorate your entranceway with lanterns to shed light on the front door, creating a twinkling first impression. Add a wreath to the door, create a display using foliage, ivy and even pretend gifts and place a festive mat for your guests to step across when welcoming them in.

Funky, bright Pom Pom wreath The Crafty Minx
 Love, love, love this wreath by The Crafty Minx, not for the faint-hearted but certainly different!


Modern festive hallway
Make a statement - whatever your interior design style, create impact via an interesting hallway display. Use a console table as a base to decorate and use anything from decanters of whisky and port to...

Contemporary vintage style entrance
...faux garlands and fun hanging-egg shaped fir advent calendar.

Make space - even with just a few guests in your home, space soon starts to become more limited, so before they arrive, clear away the clutter and make lots of surface space available for guests to place glasses and plates on. Use trays, tablecloths and pretty napkins to cover surfaces (the risk of spillage always increases after a few drinks!)

IKEA Barbar snowflake tray
I love and have bought a few of these Barbar trays to dot about this Christmas. At 33cm square it is perfect for serving drinks on, putting nibbles out on or, as in my case, using as a tabletop on a stool.

Preedy silver leaf drinks trolley
Harking back to a gone-by era where having a rather well stocked drinks trolley was 'de rigeur' made me lust after this gorgeous one from Sweetpea & Willow. Made from solid mahogany and coated with a stunning silver leaf finish, what better excuse for cracking open a bottle of something fizzy (oh I love bubbles!), creamy (mmm Baileys on crushed ice please, a must at Christmas) or strong (Sloe Gin for me, ok not exactly strong but strong enough!).

Twinkle, shine and shimmer - not just you as host but the room(s) that you are entertaining in. Lighting is key to setting the scene so be sure to have intimate mood lighting by having plenty candles lit, fairy lights twinkling and table lamps glowing.

Silver, white & some of favourite scents
These are just the ticket. Perfect to create a festive aroma and spot on for a modern but beautiful decorative style, these candles are just so sweet.

Perfect for Christmas but also great all year round
These dot dot fairy lights are adorable and because they are pom pom shaped they're not just for Christmas. Also, the are battery operated, which means you can hang them wherever you choose...no more searching for yet another cable extension!


Ok, so party anyone?!

www.homerestyler.co.uk

No comments:

Post a Comment