I’m going to let you in on a few industry secrets here. Christmas decor for this year (2020) was sold in January 2020 and manufactured in 2019! There are thousands of companies around the world who look at global economies and elections, color theories and texture trends, and do their best to predict where we’re headed as a society up to 5 years in advance! This gives manufacturers time to design and create samples, ship them to shows, sell them to buyers (like me!) so that I can plan in advance for your Christmas installs! I’ve been dreaming and scheming on Christmas 2020 for years now. In fact, some days, I’m so over Christmas by Halloween that it isn’t even funny! Don’t worry—I get back in the spirit in plenty of time to celebrate the reason for Christmas in the first place!
I tell you all of that to tell you this…nobody saw a global pandemic coming 5 years ago…or even two years ago! I distinctly recall sitting at my dining table last Christmas talking to friends who live in China as they laughingly said “I hope we can go home next week!”…they couldn’t. The outbreak of Coronavirus and it’s effect on our world has had huge impacts and implications for our future but Christmas trends have leaned very heavily in two directions. You’ll laugh when I tell you what they are. Just know that either way you go—it’s going to be great! Christmas will still be a beautiful time of family gathering, celebrating the end of the old and the start of the new, and feasting! Ok—now to the trends.
Trend 1: Maximalism
Go big or go home. Celebrate with fireworks and rented flamingoes and a live 40 piece band and catering for breakfast. You get the idea. Some keywords to think of for this trend are “Indulgent, new-traditional, maximalist, eclectic, and tongue-in-cheek”. An example of decorating in this style would be setting up your usual ten foot tree…then using 8-inch red velvet ribbon and real taper candles with clusters of oranges dripping all around. Add on your collection of blown glass ornaments, crystal snowflakes, gold-foiled china, and party crackers in hand-painted paper. I could go on and add more and more and more to this tree—and that’s the point! Red, green, and gold are the basis for this trends color story but can there be too many colors?! This year has reminded us that life is short, celebrate in a big way, hold nothing back. Let’s be in on the joke—life is crazy and unexpected—but life is beautiful!
Trend 2: Minimalism
See what they did there? To these people—the world is too crazy and out of control and can we just breathe for like two minutes?!?! Some keywords to think of for this trend are “Peace, Thankfulness, Guiding Star, All-Natural, and By-Hand”. An example of decorating in this style would be getting a real tree, making paper snowflake garlands, stringing wood bead garlands and stuffing eucalyptus in the branches. This home definitely has the popsicle stick-framed 3rd grade picture and the hand-print in clay ornaments displayed somewhere. Blues, greens, and lots of neutral naturals are mixed into this trend. The mindset here is that life is short, celebrate simply in a way that matters and will be memorable because of who is there and how you spent your time with them.
Ultimately, whichever way you choose, we’re so excited to celebrate with you. Not sure which one you’d rather do this year? Come in and talk to us about it! We’ll pour drinks, weigh the pros and cons, take polls, etc. just to make sure we’ve got you headed in the right direction!
– S
