Our Favorite Christmas Trees

When it comes to decorating her tree, Natasha Lawler looks to her room for inspiration. Her sectional is covered in Schumacher's Citrus Garden, so she chose yellows, greens, and navy for her tree. With an abundance of decorative lemons she ordered from Amazon, sparkley sliced citrus, and a yellow ribbon topper, this tree stands out. She had a tree skirt made to match her sofa and even filled holes in the tree with styrofoam balls covered in the same fabric.

Shades of purple and green–found in the living room's fabrics–are used to wrap gifts. 

Take inspiration from the surrounding landscape to infuse your tree with festive spirit and local flavor. The setting for this tree is Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, and that shows proudly with a profusion of palm fronds, oyster shell accents, and a palette of gold, burnt orange, and chartreuse that matches the interior. Tweak the look to suit your own home.

When decorating a smaller tree, keep things simple with only a few colors. We chose bright red and classic white for this Christmas tree.

Get the Look
Wooden Star in White, $47; waterfallmountainart.etsy.com
Putz House Ornaments with LED Lights, $30/set of two; theholidaybarn.com
Felt Ball Garland in Red, from $12; therainbowbarn.etsy.com
For a similar look, try Red & White Gingham Ribbon, $4; hobbylobby.com
Jim Marvin Candy Apple Red Bubblegum Ornaments, $50/set of six; theholidaybarn.com
Christmas Dots by Charlotte Winter, $15; spoonflower.com
Silver Santa Head Ornament, $8; hobbylobby.com

This glorious tree takes shape at The Greenbrier every December. You can easily incorporate the wide ribbon garland and sparkle to your own tree. Wrapping your Christmas tree in garland can seam intimidating, but if you take your time it will look great.

Feeling nostalgic this season? Give your tree a retro feel with trimmings–including ornaments, ribbon, garland, décor, and more. 

Unexpected details like antlers and bits of greenery provide contrast to the traditional plaid and red ribbon garland.

If you come across a stash of vintage christmas oranments, a tabletop tree is the perfect way to use them. Stick with a pretty palette of teal and pink to really enhance the pastel hues.

Get the Look
For a similar look, try Light Pastel Pink Taffeta Wired Edge Ribbon, $10; cottagecraftsonline.etsy.com
For a similar look, try White Shatterproof Ball Garland, $30; christmascentral.com
For a similar look, try Moonstone Satin Ribbon, $3; hobbylobby.com
China Seas Bali Hai Turquoise on Tint; quadrillefabrics.com
Shiny Brite Striped Ornaments, from $40; shoplaneyleigh.etsy.com

If you have magnolia leaves on hand, create a garland and wrap your tree with it. Keep the rest of your decorations simple with silver or gold.

Birmingham designer Iris Thorpe has tried all manner of light-stringing techniques and has determined that nothing compares to wrapping individual branches from trunk to tip. "It's time-consuming," she says, "but when I've taken shortcuts and used nets, someone in the family is inevitably disappointed with the way it looks."

The classic red-and-green holiday palette gets a fresh update with a heavy dose of gold. These gleaming accents–in the form of ornaments, gift wrap, and a do-it-yourself garland–help make everything old seem new again this season. 

"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. Get this look. 

If you love the glitz and glamour of the holidays, this look is for you. Pile on the shimmer with a palette of silver and green, including all shades from chartreuse to moss. Well-placed pops of red add energy to this punchy, can't-miss-it-scheme.

This simple Christmas tree complements the casual and chic decor of the living room in a beautiful way. 

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." Get this look. 

Wrap your tree in a garland formed from magnolia leaves stapled together with their backs facing out. 

If you're not afraid of a little sparkle, go for a super fun tinsel tree and some shiny pink and silver ornaments. Throw in a few mini pineapples for an extra splash of joy.

Get the Look
For a similar look, try Glitter Star Tree Topper, $17; wayfair.com
For a similar look, try Solid Fabric Satin Ribbon, $9; ribbons.com
Happy Holidays Tags, $10/set of 8; papersource.com
For a similar look, try 3' Tinsel Twig Tree, $40; christmascentral.com
Silver Glitter Wrapping Paper, $10; papersource.com
Cody Foster & Co. Tiny Pineapple Ornaments; codyfoster.com for retailers
Cody Foster & Co. Geometric Ornaments; codyfoster.com for retailers

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. See all of this Coastal Holiday Home. 

If a red-and-green palette isn't your style, here's an alternative. We designed a holiday collection for Dillard's (available at dillards.com) full of subtle shades of silver, white, and gold that lend a sophisticated look to any interior. 

When it came to decorate a tree for this formal living room, interior designer Charlotte Lucas, chose tree colors in rich jewel tones that complimented the room. With turquoise, lime green, and a hint of coral, Lucas was able to achieve a sophisticated tree. She added whimsy with her ornament choices, including feathered birds and paper butterflies to adorn the tree. Instead of a traditional star, Lucas found two gold starbursts that she wired together.

This rustic tree is chockfull of natural decorations like pinecones, feathers, dried pods, silk magnolia blooms, and branches. A stunning trail of fluffy white cotton garland winds its way through the tree. Copper mesh ribbon brings a pop of color and allows the lights to really shine.

This "Hillside Upright" Norway spruce—with lights, pinecones, burlap, and feathers—grows up to 20 feet tall and is suited to the Upper and Middle South.

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. Get this look. 

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

If you think a woodland themed tree has to be dark, think again. We've covered this small Christmas tree in just enough sparkle to keep things lively.

Get the Look
Cody Foster & Co. Ornament: Golden Oak & Acorn, $16; ellingtonandfrench.com
For a similar look, try Braided Burlap Tape Ribbon in Natural, $4; shopofembellishments.etsy.com
Green Mist Solid Color Wrapping Paper, from $29; papermart.com
Cody Foster & Co. Floating Feather Ornaments in White & Gold; codyfoster.com for retailers
Cody Foster & Co. Frost Field Pheasant Ornaments; codyfoster.com for retailers
Small Marbled Ball Ornaments, $30/set of six; glitterville.com

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. Get This Look. 

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. Get This Look. 

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.

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.

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. See all of this Lowcountry Holiday Home. 

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.