Decorating Inside A Fireplace For Christmas

While we're often busy decorating our Christmas tree to perfection, it can be easy to neglect other areas of the home at Christmas time. But one place that shouldn't be forgotten is the mantelpiece. In fact, there's nothing better than a beautifully decorated Christmas fireplace to really tie your scheme together.

With more than 40 years as an interior designer under her belt, Kelly Hoppen knows a thing or two about making a statement and creating an inviting atmosphere inside the home.

'I absolutely adore Christmas, and love adding subtle, festive touches right throughout my home,' she says. 'The fireplace is becoming a focal point within the home once more, and it is somewhere I always like to fill with decorations at Christmas time. Nothing conjures up the cosy feeling of Christmas better than relaxing on the sofa with family and friends, in front of a warm fire, surrounded by magical, flickering lights.'

Kelly, who has a range of contemporary fireplaces with Chesneys, shares her top tips for making the most of your mantelpiece this Christmas...

1. Dress the mantelpiece

'I love having guests over, especially at Christmas time, so I like to keep an inviting home. Lighting a fire is a sure way to enhance the atmosphere, and make guests feel comfortable and relaxed. I like to make use of my fireplace at Christmas time – they can be decorated gorgeously. Try placing festive pieces, such as my gold Marble Cosmic, which is perfect for adding height and texture to the display, garlands of seasonal foliage entwined with twinkling fairy lights, or 'home jewellery' on the mantelpiece to really adorn the space.'

Kelly Hoppen for Chesneys - The Pinter

Chesneys

2. Choose your theme

'I personally like to display decorations with colours matching my tree – I love to keep it simple and luxurious with whites and metallics offset against the seasonal green foliage, but don't be afraid to have fun and mix a variety of textures and colours into your decorations. Accents of red always work beautifully at Christmas, and can be incorporated naturally with berries and poinsettias. It's all about personal preference.'

Sainsbury's Home

3. Lights

'Ambient lighting is important at any time of year, but it is vital for creating that magical Christmas atmosphere. As well as the natural light emitted from an open fire, candles and fairy lights are sure to add a festive touch. There is so much you can do with fairy lights. I love to put them inside a glass vase or hurricane, such as my Quartz Hurricane, along with some baubles, and place on the hearth or atop the mantelpiece where they can twinkle away.'

TruGlow® LED Pillar Candle Trio, £26.99, Lights4Fun

Oliver Perrott Photography/Lights4Fun

4. Make use of scents

'As well as being visually evocative of the Christmas season, seasonal foliage such as branches of pine needles complete with pinecones will release a beautiful, fresh fragrance into your home, reminiscent of winter walks through the forest. The rich scents of Christmas always remind me of nostalgic times with my family at Christmas. A flickering candle with a beautiful fragrance is the perfect addition to your mantelpiece and, aside from the festive fragrance, you will also get a beautiful glow as it becomes darker outside.'

Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox.

SIGN UP

28 Christmas garlands to buy for your home

Pre-lit garland — best Christmas garlands

Symons Pre-Lit Garland – 180cm

This authentic-looking pre-lit garland can be used in so many areas of the home. If you don't fancy hanging it above the fireplace, try framing a door or wrapping it around the staircase. The faux fir needles are intertwined with twinkling lights for a magical display.

Frosted stair garland — best Christmas garlands

Frosted Brush Tree Garland

This wintry evergreen garland features bristle brush trees and baubles in pearlised, reflective, glittery and frosted finishes. It's perfect as a stair garland or on the mantelpiece.

Tassel garland — best Christmas garlands

Gold Star & Fabric Tassel Hanging Garland

Suspended from a wooden beaded chain, this delightful Christmas garland features pink, green and orange tassels attached to hammered gold metal stars. Hang across the fireplace or get creative and style on a shelf.

Lavender garland — best Christmas garlands

Lavender Berry Garland - Lilac

There are no rules when it comes to decorating your home at Christmas, which is why we love this lavender berry garland from Amara. Layer over a faux fir garland (as seen here) for additional texture and colour – it's sure to make a statement.

Gold garland — best Christmas garlands

Gold Leaf Garland

House Beautiful Marketplace housebeautiful.co.uk

£14.00

What's Christmas without a touch of gold? Bring all the sparkle and shimmer to your mantel or shelf with this beautiful gold leaf garland from the House Beautiful Marketplace.

Pampas grass garland — best Christmas garlands

1.8m Pampas Christmas Garland

If you're looking for a pampas grass Christmas garland that's not OTT then take a look at this pretty design from Habitat. It features winter foliage including eucalyptus and spruce, plus glints of gold and sprinkles of glitter.

Bauble garland — best Christmas garlands

Gemstone Forest Gold Bauble Garland

Make a bold – and sparkly gold – statement in your home with this bauble garland from John Lewis. It measures at 190cm and is made up of matte and shiny gold baubles.

7ft garland — best Christmas garlands

Bauble and Pinecone Christmas Garland - 210cm

House Beautiful Homebase

£35.00

It's time to deck the halls! This charming 7ft (2.1m) Christmas garland features emerald green needles, pinecones and baubles. It's perfect as a stair garland but you can also dress it up on a door frame.

Pink garland — best Christmas garlands

Pre-Lit Pink Ombre Garland

homeessentials.co.uk

£20.00

This pre-lit garland looks all the more unique thanks to its ombre effect blush pink colour. It's a great way to make a colourful festive statement above your fireplace this year.

Outdoor Christmas garland — best Christmas garlands

1.8m Pre Lit Outdoor Christmas Garland

If you want to dress your front door or porch, then choose a garland that's suitable for indoors and outdoors, just like this version from Lights4fun. Made up of mini fir tips, this garland is illuminated by 35 warm white LEDs, casting a magical glow.

Scented garland — best Christmas garlands

Jormaepourri Scented Pine Cone Garland

If making sure your home feelsand smells like Christmas is a top priority, then no doubt you'll love this scented Christmas garland. This dried orange, pinecone and cinnamon stick garland is a stylish way to fill your home with a warming scent this winter.

Christmas table garland — best Christmas garlands

Traditional Pinecone Christmas Garland

notonthehighstreet.com

£19.95

This beautiful handmade Christmas garland is great if you're on the hunt for something more unique. Ideal for decorating a table, it features red berries, sprigs of greenery and woodland pine cones strung on a natural jute rope.

Grey garland — best Christmas garlands

Grey Glitter Tipped 1.8m Garland

homeessentials.co.uk

£20.00

This bushy grey Christmas garland is a great way to add some extra sparkle to your home. It's ideal for hanging around a door frame or on the mantelpiece.

Felt garland — best Christmas garlands

Felt Tree Christmas Garland

Finish off your festive decorating with this mini felt tree and snowball Christmas garland. Simple yet cute, you could even entwine with micro lights for a special touch.

Traditional garland — best Christmas garlands

2.7m Berry and Cone Christmas Garland - Green

Keep it simple with this faux fir Christmas garland adorned with berries and pinecones.

Rose garland — best Christmas garlands

Frosted Rose Swag Christmas Garland

This Christmas garland is perfect for placing on a fireplace or to use as table centrepiece. It has silver-grey foliage, pink roses, gold berries and a scattering of glittery pinecones.

Tropical garland — best Christmas garlands

Glitter Fan Leaf Garland - Green

Bring a tropical twist to Christmas this year with this glitter fan leaf design. It features multiple fronds and works great on a mantel or shelf, or layer up with a faux fir garland for a full, bushy look.

Reindeer garland — best Christmas garlands

Warm White Reindeer Light Up Garland

marksandspencer.com

£15.00

Complement your interiors with this light-up garland from Marks & Spencer featuring an array of gorgeous white reindeer. This is nice to use as a tree garland.

Bauble garland

Vintage Mercuried Bauble Garland - Blush & White

We're big fans of this vintage-looking bauble garland from Cox & Cox. Perfect to drape over doors, windows, banisters, and mantels.

Star garland — best Christmas garlands

Star Streamers Wooden Garland

notonthehighstreet.com

£14.95

Deck the halls with this red star garland. It's simple, yes, but oh-so stylish.

Gold garland — best Christmas garlands

Habitat 2m Enchanted Christmas Gold Foliage Garland

Habitat argos.co.uk

£15.00

Go gold in your home with this eye-catching gold foliage garland – the ultimate head-turner. Perfect for trailing over bookcases, bannisters, and mantelpieces, it has a gorgeous shimmering finish.

Pre-lit Christmas garland — best Christmas garlands

Light Up Bauble Garland

marksandspencer.com

£19.50

This pre-lit garland includes 25 lights nestled amongst coloured baubles in different sizes and finishes. Drape this along a sideboard or windowsill for a festive makeover, or use it to decorate your Christmas tree.

White eucalyptus garland — best Christmas garlands

White Eucalyptus Lit Garland

This versatile white eucalyptus garland doesn't have to be hung across the fireplace: why not place it on your table as a beautiful centrepiece instead?

Garland for kids' rooms — best Christmas garlands

Reindeer & Christmas Tree Felt Christmas Garland

Kids will adore this felt Christmas garland with felt green trees and reindeers. Measuring at a length of 1.35m, it's ideal to drape across bedframes, shelves or mantels.

Star LED garland — best Christmas garlands

1.8m Snow Tipped Brush Christmas Garland

The Tree Company Argos

£110.00

With LED star lights throughout and fibre optic tips, this Christmas garland includes red berries and pine cones on a backdrop of green tree tips. It's ideal as a door garland or stair garland.

Champagne-toned garland — best Christmas garlands

Pre-Lit Champagne Garland

This champagne-coloured Christmas garland is perfect on a mantelpiece or sideboard. Adorned with bay leaf branches, magnolia leaves, pine and berries, plus clear beads, the 15 white LED lights will create a wonderfully warming glow. And, this one is a current best-seller!

Pinecone garland — best Christmas garlands

Nostalgia Christmas Garland - 6ft

Intertwined with natural pinecones, red berries and cedar, this artificial garland is perfect for adding a little nature into your home. Style along a table or mantel.

Eucalyptus garland — best Christmas garlands

Eucalyptus Leaves Greenery Garland

Winlyn amazon.co.uk

£24.99

Looking for something you can keep up all year long? This green eucalyptus garland is just the ticket, with a simple foliage look. Perfect to wind up a staircase.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io