{"id":151444,"date":"2025-11-21T06:01:15","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T06:01:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/151444\/"},"modified":"2025-11-21T06:01:15","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T06:01:15","slug":"interior-designers-give-their-tips-for-making-your-christmas-decor-meaningful-while-removing-the-stress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/151444\/","title":{"rendered":"Interior designers give their tips for making your Christmas decor meaningful while removing the stress"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yes, it\u2019s that time of year \u2013 time to start planning your festive decor and tablescape\n<\/p>\n

This incident made me wonder who designated Christmas as the deadline of the year and, crucially, why we all go along with it. The pressure to have your home a certain way on 25 December is immense. It begins with the reasonable desire to have sufficient food and presents under the tree and spirals out from there. Christmas is not a national emergency but it can often feel like one.<\/p>\n

\"Regency<\/p>\n

Regency sofa in velvet from DFS<\/p>\n

I thought this was just an Irish thing. Apparently it\u2019s not. According to a recent UK survey by the sofa company DFS, 32pc of respondents considered buying serious items of furniture for Christmas and 42pc planned to refresh their cushions and throws. While 24pc rearrange furniture to make space for guests, 50pc deep clean their homes in advance. An overwhelming 94pc wanted their larger furniture items delivered by Christmas.<\/p>\n

\"Christmas<\/p>\n

Christmas decoration from Carolyn Donnelly Eclectic at Dunnes Stores<\/p>\n

Hugh Wallace, the architect best known as judge on RT\u00c9\u2019s Home of the Year, is moving house. He plans to be in by Christmas with his feet under a new extending dining table from EZ Living Interiors\u2019 Heritage collection. The table (\u20ac1,499) in oak and oak veneer is a solid citizen with chunky legs.<\/p>\n

Wallace worked with EZ Living Interiors in choosing the timber: \u201cThe quality is absolutely fabulous and the design is rustic. It\u2019s like the old table in a farmhouse kitchen.\u201d The table arrives flat-packed but he has no intention of putting it together himself. He\u2019ll avail of the delivery and assembly service.<\/p>\n

\"Hugh<\/p>\n

Hugh Wallace<\/p>\n

Wallace describes himself as a traditionalist at heart, but draws the line at a real Christmas tree. \u201cDefinitely fake and preferably pre-lit,\u201d he says. \u201cThe last one did us 15 years.\u201d He enjoys the slow process of cooking Christmas dinner and the time it allows to get the table ready. \u201cI like a beautifully presented table so you can have a couple of hours enjoying the food.\u201d The day itself, he admits, can be bittersweet. \u201cChristmas is odd because it\u2019s full of memories and some of them are sad because there are people who are no longer at the table.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The Heritage Collection from EZ Living Interiors<\/p>\n

For Cairenn Foy, interior designer, taking out the box of decorations is deeply nostalgic. \u201cIt\u2019s like opening a box of memories. Each one comes with its own history and unwrapping them is a ritual.\u201d She puts up the tree as soon as real trees become available. \u201cIt goes up in the front room in late November and I keep the heating low.\u201d When her kids were younger, they used to bake a gingerbread family and hang them in the window on invisible strings. \u201cOver time, the warmth of the fire releases the scent of cinnamon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Christmas<\/p>\n

Christmas from Kilkenny Design. Photo: Miki Barlok<\/p>\n

As Foy sees it, Christmas ads and movies have a lot to answer for: \u201cWe\u2019re fed a version of perfection, and perfection doesn\u2019t exist. It might exist in the movies, but it doesn\u2019t in real life. Christmas doesn\u2019t have to be like that.\u201d The key is to keep it simple and find what works for you. \u201cI dress the fireplace with layers of foraged foliage, dried orange slices and cinnamon sticks. Tea lights aren\u2019t expensive and even plain glass jars can become pretty candle holders when tied with a ribbon. Apart from that, everything I use is from the year before. You don\u2019t need to buy excess stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Christmas<\/p>\n

Christmas decor from LNH Edit<\/p>\n

\u201cStart decorating now,\u201d says Laura Nolan Horgan of LNH Edit. \u201cDo it early and enjoy it. There\u2019s so much more to Christmas than just one day.\u201d The Christmas offering at LNH Edit leans into the current trend for stripes and bows: \u201cBows are everywhere. It\u2019s unbelievable. Ours have stolen the show already. We\u2019ve always done a Little Bow print \u2013 there\u2019s something so girly and nostalgic about it.\u201d A white tablecloth with little red bows (from \u20ac78) and napkins (\u20ac32 for a set of four). Combine it, if you dare, with a Bonbon vase (\u20ac18.50), a small cracker-shaped vessel in red and white stripes.<\/p>\n

\"Christmas<\/p>\n

Christmas from Meadows and Byrne. Photo: Miki Barlok<\/p>\n

\u201cThe combination of bows and bold stripes really works,\u201d Horgan says. \u201cI love a stripe! Bold stripes are amazing. I don\u2019t think they\u2019re going anywhere. They\u2019re an easy piece to bring into an interior that will bring it right up to date. We have them in all colours. We\u2019ve worked hard to create pieces that have longevity and that work all year round, not just for Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Christmas<\/p>\n

Christmas from Kilkenny Design. Photo: Miki Barlok<\/p>\n

Speaking of longevity, LNH Edit has collaborated with Timeless Celebrations to create re-usable Christmas Crackers. These are mind-bogglingly expensive \u2013 a box of six crackers costs \u20ac175 \u2013 but very sustainable. \u201cThey\u2019re made in Ireland by Aoife McHugh from our bow fabric, lined with stars, and have a Velcro fastening system. They come with a box of pops and pull apart with a satisfying crack. You put your own little treat inside and can personalise the cracker for your guests.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Tara<\/p>\n

Tara O’Connor<\/p>\n

Like life, Christmas doesn\u2019t always go as planned. Tara O\u2019Connor of The Designed Table often gets asked to provide an emergency tablescape: \u201cI get a lot of those calls during Christmas week. Mostly, it\u2019s due to circumstances beyond people\u2019s control. Maybe a family member comes down with the flu and they\u2019re suddenly hosting. Or they have everything planned out to the last place-setting and then they find out that two more guests will be joining them for dinner,\u201d she explains. \u201cThey just want me to take the pain away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Burgundy<\/p>\n

Burgundy Stripe Collection from The Designed Table<\/p>\n

A tablescape-in-a-box, which includes tablecloth, placemats, napkins and napkin rings, won\u2019t remove all the stress but it will ensure a presentable Christmas table. \u201cEveryone loves the ease of them. All you have to do is unbox it and set the table. It\u2019s the ultimate one-click solution,\u201d says O\u2019Connor. A tablescape-in-a-box in her new Burgundy Stripes collection ranges from \u20ac450 for a 6-place setting to \u20ac750 for a 12-place setting.<\/p>\n

The components are also available separately: tablecloths (from \u20ac195); a runner (\u20ac85); and napkins (\u20ac72 for four) in muted burgundy and crisp white stripes. \u201cIt\u2019s a yarn dye, not a digital print. The dye is woven right into the yarn. I love the quality of it and you can use it all year round.\u201d <\/p>\n

O\u2019Connor has been known to ferry last-minute tablescapes to Dublin homes or have them couriered to Cork or Limerick on Christmas Eve. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t see anyone stuck for Christmas. I\u2019m from a retail background \u2013 my father had a supermarket \u2013 and we\u2019d be going in on Christmas Day to help out with turkey emergencies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u200bSee dfs.ie, ezliving-interiors.ie, cairennfoyinteriors.com, lnhedit.com, and thedesignedtable.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Yes, it\u2019s that time of year \u2013 time to start planning your festive decor and tablescape This incident…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":151445,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[9484,61,60,80],"class_list":["post-151444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-christmas","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=151444"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151444\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/151445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=151444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=151444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=151444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}