This year’s festive decorations are big, bold and all about celebrating the back of 2021, after Xmas 2020 was – let’s be honest – a near-total stress-laden wash out. Yes, Christmas is back with a bang!

Is it too soon to start dressing up your home? That’s completely up to you, no pressure, it’s whatever you want it to be. After chatting with a few people recently there seems to be a general wish to make the house brighter and twinklier earlier than ever before, with many wanting to enjoy an extended yuletide season.

Need a little inspiration? Here are some of the top trends for 2021 Christmas style, with the hottest collections from different shops and tips for finding the best looks for less.

Rich blues & metallics

This opulent Christmas decor trend sticks to a colour palette of navy, dark teal, petrol blue, copper or pewter, pine branches and deep forest green. It’s sophisticated and rich looking, making the most of the deep, warm tones and a pop of metallic. It oozes glam and would be the perfect backdrop to a cocktail party, but you do have to commit and go all-in to get the most out of it. If you own a deep green velvet couch or have dark-painted walls in your living room, this is the one for you.

Where to get the look:

• John Lewis’s Copper River theme (above) is the most opulent theme on offer this year, complete with kingfisher and sparkly fish ornaments. You have to see it to believe some of it.

• Dobbies’ Midnight Reflections (above) is also pretty good but leans more pewter than copper, and it’s more ‘dinner party’ than whimsical. Grown-up vintage styling.
• The pewter and dark blue ornaments in the Midnight Magic collection at Homebase are a cost-effective way to beef up an existing collection of richly coloured baubles.

Beyond blush

This very, very feminine decorating style continues into 2021, with its pastel pinks, white sparkles, feathers and touches of silver or rose gold – but the colours have now expanded to include pops of mint and aqua, and deeper shades of blush and hot pink. Decorations are more playful too, including embroidered tropical hummingbirds, fairies, and beautiful beaded sea creatures.

Where to get the look:

• Dunelm’s Christmas Tropics collection (above) is the best place to nail this trend all in one go, because who doesn’t love a one-and-done?
• Dobbies’ Champagne Sparkle theme brings you modern pastels and rose metallics for days.

• John Lewis’s Blush Coast designs (see above) are the place to go for something a little magical with hints of the sea.
• Homebase’s Snow Blossom collection is also filled with girly glam, with prices from £2.

Trad goes luxe

This is a twist on traditional red, gold and green decor, taking a mix of classic styles and adding in deep wine shades and hyperreal or magical decorations. Think of it as a bit like sitting in a hedgerow outside a grand country house and dropping acid, then seeing what develops…

Look out for oversized poinsettia tree ornaments, woodland animals, wreaths galore, big red bows, sparkly acorns and berries on everything.

Where to get the look:

• Dobbies’ Yuletide Wonder collection (see above) is my favourite one-stop-shop, from the beaded dark red baubles to the poinsettia clips and skiing hedgehogs. Yes, I did just say skiing hedgehogs.

• Paperchase’s Festive Splendour items are perfect for updating an existing traditional collection with a touch of luxury. Check out the snowglobe (above) and the beautiful golden wreaths and fairy lights.

• John Lewis’s Festive Field decorations (above) have plenty of fun rustic baubles and other ways to bring the outdoors indoors. Also, a lot of weird looking mushrooms, knowworramean? Ahem.
• Some of the pieces in the Dunelm Winter Solstice and Homebase Deco Luxe collections are also great if you need to fill in any trad-style gaps with interesting new items.

You could also add in some big red homemade bows made out of velvet ribbon for a low-cost but striking visual effect.

Frost on the pines

Another very different trend goes in a more minimalist direction, with a frosty forest look and a calming, relatively simple theme. Think of a log cabin in the Scottish highlands or a hideaway in a Scandinavian woodland, with soft, sparkling white, natural materials, creams, wood, and light touches of cool blue or pale green coming through underneath.

Where to get the look:

• John Lewis’s Snow Mountain collection (see above) is the best place to visit if you want to pull a coherent look together all in one go.

• Homebase’s Winter Retreat decorations are also great for picking out a few bits and bobs to update an existing collection of white, silver and natural wooden ornaments.

Kawaii in Candyland

This next 2021 Christmas theme is all about going big AND going home. Spend too much time online, eat too much sugary food and get completely hyper, let TikTok dictate your already-shredded attention span and this is where it leads: hyper-bright colours, visual jokes, fast food and cultural points of reference all over the shop.

TLDR: it’s like a rainbow crash-landed on a neon sign factory and puked up a unicorn.

Where to get the look:

• All hail the undeniable king of kawaii: the 2021 collection at Paperchase (see above). You name it, they’ve got it, plus a 3-for-2 offer and 30% off this week with code: BLACK30.
• Don’t miss the kooky baubles at Flying Tiger Copenhagen or the Technicolour Supernature theme at John Lewis.
• George at ASDA has reasonably-priced Christmas brights with kid-appeal.

• If you’re looking for a sprinkling of extra-special, the Gisella Graham fantasy decorations at Heal’s (pic above) are quite simply *chef’s kiss*.

Homemade & hygge

Think arts, crafts, paperchains, homemade or self-assembled decorations and a lot of cosy fun. Some shops also have a homespun scandi influence as part of this look, with felt gnomes, paper fan wall decorations, macrame wall hangings and table decorations, and folky prints.

This relaxed, boho trend lends itself to sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyles, with upcycled and easily reusable or recyclable materials. Great for keeping kids entertained on rainy afternoons too.

Where to get the look:

• The Home Joy collection at Paperchase is as cute as a button (see above). Check it out.
• Fab homemade ornament kits in Flying Tiger Copenhagen’s fab DIY Christmas section.

• Some of the Nordic Nomad range at Dunelm could work too (see pic above), if you like cosy Scandinavian influences.
• Hobbycraft is the big daddy of make-it-yourself decorations kits and craft essentials, and this year is no exception.

Hope this article provides some fun inspiration! Which of these 2021 Christmas decorating themes do you like most?