Fabulously Festive Christmas Tree Decorations

Laurey W. Glenn

Take a holiday design cue from decorating editor Lindsey Ellis Beatty and trim a fabulously festive tree based on the colors of your own room, not Santa's coat.

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Fresh Green Decorations

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

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.

Our favorite tree decorating ideas

Buy It: Easton Chair (1215) in Tribal Pear (1213) by crlaine.com

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The Inspiration

Photo: Ralph Lee Anderson

Banish the red this year! This fresh but restrained palette allows you to mix several graphic patterns and textures without the look becoming too busy.

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The Topper

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Play off the abundance of round ornaments with a large paper lantern on top. Float the lantern by hanging it from a bow attached to the ceiling, letting the ribbon cascade down the tree for effect.

Buy It: White Paper Lanterns, set of three, from partycity.com

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The Ornaments & Garland

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Give traditional ornaments a monochromatic look by spray-painting them all white. It's an easy way to update old ornaments or create an instant collection that feels familiar and loved. And go up and down, not round and round, with your garlands. Drape them vertically to emphasize the tree's height, and finish off with swags at the bottom rather than letting the ends hang straight.

Buy It: Wooden nutcracker (painted white) from hobbylobby.com; 9-foot Bead Garland from gardenridge.com

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The Gifts

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Extend the tree's color palette to the presents underneath by mixing cheery green-and-white paper with handmade tags and white ribbon.

Buy It: Green Seersucker Stripe Gift Wrap Roll by casparionline.com and Beth Ellis Designs gift tags from table-matters.com

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Snow White Decorations

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

"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.

Buy It: Chevron Bar Silk Warp Print Coral by Brunschwig & Fils (brunschwig.com) and Kelly Wearstler Bengal Bazaar Jade by Groundworks (leejofa.com), through DCOTA; 954/921-7575