Experts bring Christmas warmth and cheer indoors

Across the city, shopping malls are once again festooned with glittering decorations, the air is filled with the sounds of carols and the scent of pine needles, and excited little faces are whispering secret wishes into Santa’s ear. Hong Kong loves to dress-up for Christmas, but you don’t have to go outside to enjoy that special festive cheer – with a little planning and imagination you can bring it right into your own home.

Philippa Haydon, owner of homeware  emporium Bowerbird, says Christmas in her house is a busy, jolly affair.  She says: “Having five children and extended family, we enjoy spending time [together], which means Christmas is a pleasure rather than a chore.  I am a visual person and love creating settings that inspire and carry your imagination to another place, Christmas is no exception.”

Bowerbird is filled with treasures, everything from lamps and vases to tables, rugs and soft furnishings - all purchased with Haydon’s critical eye.  This sense of style is something the interiors expert applies equally to decorating for Christmas, whether it’s in-store or at her own home. “If you're starting afresh with Christmas decorations, then theme will be critical,” she says. “I suggest picking a palate of up to three or four colours that work together and sticking to that.  I pick a theme for Bowerbird each year and start by looking for inspiration. For me, that's trade fairs but also Pinterest and similar apps are a great source of information.”

Haydon says for her family, purchasing a Christmas tree heralds the start of the festive season at home. “I love to have a real tree. The scent of pine is synonymous with Christmas and signifies the start of a long and exciting holiday.”   At Bowerbird, this season’s tree decorations include a range of stunning handmade opaque white porcelain ornaments, from robins perched on twigs to rabbits, poodles, feathers and reindeer horns. If you live in some of Hong Kong’s smaller spaces then substitute a tree with something like the store’s collection of branches,  including acorn and pine, that will support decorations and look beautiful in a vase, as a table centrepiece or on an entry table.

Hong Kong offers a multitude of stores across the city selling decorations to suit every décor and space. This year, Indigo Living has even opened a dedicated Christmas shop in Repulse Bay.  Yvonne Lacey is the company’s accessories buyer and her suggestion when looking for decorations is to remember Christmas is about having fun, so add decorative elements to your home that will make you smile. Mix and match to add interest.  The latest decorative Christmas themes, she says,  include metallic silver, gold or bronze along with bright pops of colour in tones such as turquoise blue or festive red.