Happy December! We finished decorating our turquoise blue Christmas tree last weekend. Usually, our tree goes up at the beginning of December. This year we just couldn’t wait and went for it a bit earlier. In our family, the tree decorating day includes other festive activities. These include baking Nordic gingerbread biscuits, drinking Scandinavian mulled wine ‘Glögg’, playing games and listening to Christmas music. It’s one of the best days of the year!
We changed all our tree decorations last Christmas because I wanted a more modern and stylish look for our tree. Our old decor consisted of traditional, minimalistic Scandinavian ornaments. It was a happy mix of felted wool Christmas elves, straw angels, pinecones and simple red baubles. The new decorations are completely different and there’s absolutely no trace of Scandinavian simplicity. The new Christmas tree is a celebration of Scandinavian maximalism with turquoise blue, metallic hues and peacocks! Blue is a wonderful alternative to red at Christmas. Combined with copper it creates the perfect tree for my colour-filled Nordic home. The blue and copper tree decorations are from Homesense.
Whereas last year we got new decorations, this year we made an even more fundamental change. I never thought this day would come but our tree is artificial! A real Christmas tree is a fundamental part of Scandinavian Christmas. At home in Finland, we go and cut the tree from our own forest couple of days before Christmas. We make coffee in an old pot and toast ryebread with cheese on an open fire. Being in the snowy forest is magical and a hugely important Christmas tradition in my family. Therefore, it was a big decision for me to go for an artificial tree. In the end it was a no-brainer though because we are committed to doing our bit for the environment where we can. In the long run going artificial is a more sustainable choice.
Our Christmas tree is from Balsam Hill and the design is called European Fir. Its foliage is crafted with their True Needle® technology to replicate real evergreen branches. I was a bit sceptical, but it really does capture the look and texture of a real fir and looks amazing! Artificial tree doesn’t shed any needles, it doesn’t need watering and what’s best, it comes pre-lit with candlelight LED lights.
I love teal and other blue tones. I hadn’t particularly planned the Christmas tree to match the decor of our living room. I’m delighted however how everything goes together like magic! The William Morris Bird & Pomegranate wallpaper by Morris & Co is just the most splendid backdrop for the tree. On the other hand, the gorgeous Eden sofa by Sofa Workshop is the same shade of teal as some of the Christmas tree decorations. Even the antique, mahogony sideboard fits the sceme perfectly because it breaks up the dominance of blue.
