The Monochromatic Christmas
The Monochromatic Christmas Theme
You really like the elegance of the Monochromatic Christmas decorating style and you would like to know how designers create rich depth with just two, maybe three, essential colors.
First – decide on your color scheme. Is it airy Beige & White, or shiny Teal Blue & Green? Maybe Spring Green paired with Champagne Gold, or cool Ice Blue & Silver? Whatever your favorite combination is, the operative word to focus on is…Texture.
Texture is the cohesive thread that ties a collection of similarly colored items together into appealing layers. There is an entire laundry list of textures that lends itself to Christmas finery. We can start with fabrics like traditional velvet’s, trendy faux fur, knit pieces, and rich leathers. Another aspect to consider in fabrics is pattern; think thick, nubby wool yarns, flocked velvet’s, and printed ostrich leather. To me – that speaks of cold winter nights wrapped up by the fire with hot cocoa! We are setting the Christmas scene with these textures. Texture also means many other surfaces like Stone, Metal, Glass, Wood, Books, & Baskets. I could go on & on!
Another aspect of Texture often overlooked is color hue. Let’s say you’ve decided on a Spring Green & Champagne Gold theme; you can include colored items in vintage brass, caramel, mint green, and emerald. Consider unconventional items around your house that can be re-purposed into your Christmas decor. That old worn wood ladder in the spare room holding quilts, a decorative mirror in brass, the green metal oil can that was your Grandfather’s, these are all items with different surfaces and hues that provide depth to your color scheme that you can gather together for Christmas.
Ideas to pull all these treasures together…
The fabrics can be used to wrap gifts under the tree with that Faux Fur, tied neatly with burlap ribbon into a bow. And add a few wrapped in a golden flocked velvet with sparkling raffia twine. Now finish the grouping by wrapping a couple in simple, linen remnants to balance out the heavier textures. Stack several of these staged gifts next to that worn, patina-ed metal oil can filled with a thick spray of Amber painted twigs and a full bough of evergreen in a corner of your entry.
Use your antique serving piece for more than dinner. That lovely china platter can be a tabletop centerpiece filled with green ornaments in various shapes, sizes, tone, and texture. Don’t forget the matte ornaments to tone down all the glitz and shine. A trio of robust champagne candles in the center of the platter create a bit of height to the setting. Trim under the base of the platter with a string of evergreen entwined with strands of golden pearls.
Dress up an unused corner with that worn, wooden ladder covered with evergreen boughs, more faux fur, and ribbon. Finish off the base of the ladder with a pottery crock or heavy woven basket filled with gifts or more boughs and painted twigs, whichever your taste dictates. Soon you will see pattern and potential in many items you might not have considered for your Christmas decorating collection. Fill in any bare spots with a new purchase or two and as you step back to admire your work, you see before you that picture you saved as your inspiration!
