Christmas Decorating Trends 2026

The Look: Uses lighting to make home feel warm, comforting and inviting. Fairy lights, window lights, soft glows and cosy corners matter more than spectacle.

Expert Tip from Claire Bassett: “This isn’t necessarily about that traditional look but more about creating an environment that’s welcoming and perfect place for a bit of nesting in the colder months.

“You want to think about smaller, softer light sources that create glows from corners, just the way a fireplace would illuminate in its hearth. The golden glow is what you’re looking to achieve here. Lights with diffused finishes or with dimmer can really help you get the desired look and adjust to your own preferences. It’s about those pockets of atmosphere contributing to the whole feel of a room.”

The Look: Loves familiar traditions, classic warm-white lights, sentimental decorations and recreating the Christmas atmosphere they remember from childhood.

Expert Tip from Claire Bassett: “This is all about reflecting what you saw and how you felt when you were growing up. Warm lighting accompanied by classic reds, golds and greens really bring that nostalgic feeling to the fore.

“You want the decorative lighting to feel timeless, but not out of date, so illuminated stars in windows and wreaths on doors, and fairy lights all create the traditional lighting atmosphere. Adding a few family heirlooms and sentimental pieces then delivers the nostalgic outcome you want to remember and pass down to the next generation. There’s a real security in it and the lighting is pivotal to that.”

The Look: Loves colourful lights, playful combinations, novelty pieces and unexpected choices. Christmas is an opportunity to express personality rather than follow a coordinated scheme.

Expert Tip from Claire Bassett: “This is about personality, personality, and a bit of…personality. Express yourself, don’t hold back. If you love colour then experiment, try lights and items together that you wouldn’t have normally considered, turn Christmas orange if that’s your thing.

“Novelty and limited run items can increase the feeling of individualism, while embracing contrast and unexpected pairings will elevate feeling of uniqueness while hopefully not feeling too chaotic.”

The Look: Believes Christmas lighting should be subtle, sophisticated and carefully placed. Thinks a few well-chosen lights look better than covering every surface.

Expert Tip from Claire Bassett: “The key to a minimalist approach is about being selective and understanding the areas of a room that your eye is drawn to. I would favour simplicity and delicacy as part of this approach – a beautifully lit Christmas tree and a couple of accent pieces like delicate fairy lights along the mantlepiece or around the window frame.

“Warm lighting is preferable and a consistent colour to create a more sophisticated and cohesive feel to the room. As soon as you introduce too many colours, or big decorations the effect is lost, so let the room breathe and let the focal points do the work of creating the glow that disperses out across the rest of the room. You’re creating impact through restraint.”

The Look: Prefers natural materials, greenery, wooden decorations, star-shaped lights, metallics, neutral colours and a calm, coordinated look inspired by Scandinavian interiors.

Expert Tip from Claire Bassett: “The Scandi look is very much about beautiful, considered materials that don’t impose but work seamlessly with the rest of the room – it needs to feel effortless.

“Natural materials bring the outside inside – think pine garlands with fairy lights, while lighting stays relatively neutral with warm whites, creams, metallics and woods all working well together. Simple shapes and materials, like paper stars and wooden figures, keep a room feeling uncomplicated yet enticing.”

The Look: Wants Christmas to be impossible to miss. Multiple light sources, decorated trees, illuminated ornaments, garlands and plenty of sparkle.

Expert Tip from Claire Bassett: “If you’re this way inclined then Christmas is your opportunity to go all out. This is about statement pieces which you build, and layer out from. So, if you have a heavily decorated and illuminated tree, it’s thinking about garlands, lighting ornaments, decorated window and door frames. 

“Although this look is about abundance, you still want the light sources to work together so think about your colour palette at the start and work everything into that to avoid a feeling of chaos – the repetition of the colour scheme will help tie everything together.”

The Look: Wants the outside of their home to make an impression. Think illuminated rooflines, glowing gardens, statement decorations and lights that neighbours notice.

Expert Tip from Claire Bassett: “We’ve all seen the houses – whether we live near one or have seen one in the news. This is statement lighting, impressive displays, and thinking about the house as a whole, rather than individual rooms.

“I’d recommend thinking about the externals first – rooflines, windows, porches, doorways, trees and hedging. If there’s a surface, it’s there for lighting. Extending the display helps deliver the impact and draw the eye into the internals. For this look I’d also use gardens and driveways for illuminated figures and items so that you’re creating a full scene that feels connected across the whole perimeter of the house. But make sure you plan first, install second – that will ensure it looks well put together and really engaging for the passer by.”