Simple Is Better

Well today is exciting because we have a guest post! Our sister-in-law Rachael has graciously said that she would post about her Christmas tree and how to decorate the perfect "magazine" tree. Our brother and her built a beautiful house a year ago and have decorated it so tastefully! Perhaps someday she'll come back and show some more pictures of her place. Her kitchen is gorgeous! So without further ado... 


When it comes to decorating, I feel less is more! I prefer the simple and elegant look. That is the focus of all my interior decorating and my Christmas tree is no exception.

I generally love using all neutral colors and sometimes throwing in a splash of color, such as red. This is how my living room is decorated and since the Christmas tree lives in that room, I made an effort to match the color coordination and theme. 

The picture posted here is of last year’s (2010) Christmas tree. I decided to use sparkling gold ornaments and for my splash of color, I used red bulbs. I also used shiny gold and red wrapping paper to enhance the “simple yet elegant” theme. Our sad lop-sided star at the top also followed in suite with the color scheme.

When placing the decorations on the tree, I am careful to space everything evenly. I would often return to the tree on different occasions to re-locate a bulb or ornament that seemed to be located too close to another. It was usually the red bulbs to be moved, since they stand out more.

The key to a beautiful tree though, is lighting! A Christmas tree looks it’s very best at night with the lights radiating a room. Again, using a simple and elegant theme, I prefer white, non-blinking lights, which are also carefully spaced evenly around the tree (Although, I notice in this picture the lights were not spaced evenly. There are too many lights wrapped around the top and not enough around the bottom. I probably fixed it later on.) When the lights were on, they reflected off the shiny, shimmering ornament and bulbs beautifully.

With dimmed pot lights and our Christmas tree lights aglow, our living room released 
the perfect Christmas ambiance to intensify the feeling of Christmas!


Thanks Rae! I hope that inspired everyone in their decorating. Remember, you don't need a lot for a beautifully decorated house! 
We're linking up today with Honey We're Home. Check it out!


How do you decorate your tree? Have you got yours up yet? Come and share!