Our Favorite Christmas Trees

Metallic Sparkler

Create an opulent feel without overwhelming the space by decorating your Christmas tree with a limited color scheme of silver, gold, and bronze.

Simply Elegant

The plan is simple: strands of tiny white lights, glass icicles, and medium- to large-size ornaments in shades of gold and cream.

Cascading Ribbon Tree

Decorate your Christmas tree with long, cascading tendrils of colorful ribbon, rickrack, and pom-pom fringe. Search the remnants section of a fabric-and-trim store for good deals on pieces that are at the end of a roll or odd-sized, and collect throughout the year. Attach ribbon directly to an embroidery hoop and then simply slide over the top of your tree.

Refined Rustic

The grasscloth wallpaper and cool slate fireplace in this living room dictated a natural holiday palette with warm colors and nubby textures. Burlap unifies the look, with homespun stockings on the mantel, an oversize bow topping the tree, and gifts wrapped in the woven material. Cool mercury glass ornaments add a touch of shimmer.

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Modern Glamour

A petite white fir tree, heavily flocked at the tree lot, makes a big statement in a small room. Flocked trees may be a retro thought but look thoroughly modern when paired with a crisp white-on-white color scheme. Bursts of peacock blue and sea-foam green pop against the clean backdrop, and the sculptural, weathered urn makes for a perfect base.

Colorful Classic

A Fraser fir, with its symmetrical shape, coordinates nicely with this room’s classic architecture. A Southern magnolia wreath hangs in the window by strips of a fabric that is used elsewhere in the room, and the red and gold ornaments play up a traditional bells and holly theme. Strands of large, clear glass bulbs, usually used to light a patio, give this tree an ethereal glow at night.

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Bold and Bright

A Fraser fir, with its symmetrical shape, coordinates nicely with this room’s classic architecture. A Southern magnolia wreath hangs in the window by strips of a fabric that is used elsewhere in the room, and the red and gold ornaments play up a traditional bells and holly theme. Strands of large, clear glass bulbs, usually used to light a patio, give this tree an ethereal glow at night.

Classic Red & Silver

The common color of old and new silver ornaments makes this tree elegant; different shapes and sheens make it interesting. Red beads mimic cranberries without the mess. Vintage-look white bulbs cast a calming glow. A Fraser fir tree holds lots of ornaments.

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Colorful Tabletop Display

If you’re tight on space, try a tabletop tree planted in a sculptural garden urn. Dripping with antique glass ornaments and beaded garland, it’s a festive way to display your treasures.

Organic & Shimmery

Skip the ubiquitous metal tree stand, and give your tree a unique base by anchoring it in a large container. Adjust the vessel to your style: fancy urns for an elegant look and rustic baskets for a casual one.

Beachy Casual

Sand dollars, sea stars, and shells make ideal ornaments if you live by the coast. Collect them all summer to bring a warm smile to the holidays.

Twinkling Delight

For the ultimate twinkling tree, dress each branch with white lights. It can be tedious, but the glow is worth it. Minimal ornaments in a limited color scheme show off the tree.

Colorful & Coastal

Shades of aqua, turquoise, and white create a crisp, festive holiday vibe. Glass pinecone ornaments reflect the area's indigenous conifers and bring a traditional holiday motif to the tree. The unconventional color scheme extends to the giftwrap papers, none of which are Christmas patterns but were chosen to reflect the cottage's fresh palette.

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Winter Wonderland

The theme of this tree is colors of silver and gold, basically neutral but with a little bling. Glittered ornaments and mercury glass balls lend a glimmering, glamorous feeling. Skip the tree skirt for a clean and simple look, and to let the lower limbs of the tree brush the floor. Place packages around the outside of the tree to make it look larger.

 

Nostalgic Red & Gold

Nothing is more traditional than a red and green holiday palette. Give it a twist by using only red and gold ornaments on the tree, so that the pine needles, gift ribbons, and threads of green in the tartan blanket are the only green elements. This look proves that a nostalgic color scheme can be updated for a fresh, modern look.

 

Green & Gold Tabletop Tree

If you have small kids, we suggest a tabletop tree to keep fragile ornaments and alluring packages out of reach. A wide burlap ribbon festoons this tree, cascading down the branches with casual elegance.

 

Fashionable Fresh Greens

The trick to keeping this graphic look punchy, not ho-hum, is choosing the right shade of green. "This crisp apple hue pops perfectly—anything darker or lighter would fade into the tree," Lindsey says. To keep the holiday look fresh and bright, she chose all-white ornaments for their modern feel and bold contrast. A playful paper lantern tops the tree, and the trailing garland and ribbons echo the colors of the rug's chevron stripes.

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Blue Christmas

Many of us love to decorate with blue, so why not incorporate it into a holiday palette? "The gorgeous shade of this wallpaper (Jute Grasscloth in Dungaree by Twenty2; twenty2.net) inspired this shimmery tree," says Lindsey. "To offset the rich colors with plenty of sparkle, I piled on the silver—glass ornaments, disco ball-esque garlands, and a quirky topper."

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Whimsical Snow White Tree

"Once, I painted my living room pink to match my pink-and-red tree," says Lindsey. "This year, I let the white walls direct my motif. I found a tree that looks like it's been dusted with fresh snow." To coordinate with the peachy pink curtains (Island Ikat by China Seas; quadrillefabrics.com), she used candy-colored ornaments and garlands that look like jewelry. In lieu of a traditional skirt or stand, the tree is placed in a sculptural garden urn.

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Golden Glow

Complement a colorful living room with an all-gold tree. Pair antique ornaments with modern ones for a more collected and less "designed" look.