The career trajectory of JJ Acuña reads like a global odyssey—one that stretches from a quiet Texas suburb to the skylines of Hong Kong and, most recently, Manila. Across each locale, he honed an approach he calls “spatial DNA”. It’s a bespoke methodology that weaves client aspirations, cultural context, and intuitive materiality into environments that […]
The Complete Buyer’s Guide for Elevated Essential Christmas Decor Ideas
With just a few weeks before the holiday season fills our homes, now is the perfect time to start thinking about Christmas decor. But don’t let the excitement, rush, and panic-induced impulse lead you to purchase stacks of random, extra, and single-use furnishings. Our handpicked collection presents a complete buyer’s guide of elevated essential Christmas items that will go with every style and last for the following merry times.
Christmas Tree
First on the list is this holiday’s very own centerpiece—the Christmas tree. Choosing a tree with lush and realistic leaves and branches is the key to achieve an impressive evergreen decor. And if you’re looking for a stylishly and consciously enhanced full-sized tree, you’re going to love these selections.
This limited edition VINTERFINT Artificial Christmas Tree from IKEA is the prime choice for both outdoor and indoor use. With a height of six feet and 10.7 inches, you can create a stunning holiday display that will provide ample room for your other festive fancies. It’s also needle-free and easy to disassemble. So, you don’t have to worry about messy clean-up or needing lots of extra storage.
But what’s more fascinating about this Christmas decor is its sustainable materials. Made of at least 50 percent recycled plastic, it’s a product that will not only brighten up your holiday season, but also lighten your environmental footprint.
Meanwhile, if you’re into a magical, snowy scene, Our Home’s Frosted Christmas Tree is the perfect pick. Available in seven, eight, and nine feet, this towering tree offers a breathtaking and grand focal point for your space. The flocked branches covered in a layer of faux snow brings in a wintery ambience that will evoke the cool, crisp feeling of the Yuletide.
Christmas Lights
For an extra cozy holiday look, you simply can’t skip adding lights to your Christmas decor. Classic icicle, string, and rope lights may be common staples. But if you’re up for exploring more unexpected chic ways to brighten your space, you might want to consider these options.
IKEA’s STRÅLA pendant lamp, for instance, gives off that minimalist and warm holiday glow. Made of powder-coated steel, it’s an item you can place anywhere in your home. It might look nice hung up by the window, affixed to a wall, or set out on a table. Its battery operated dainty diodes with a built-in timer makes it convenient and versatile.
You can also opt for softer and more intimate lighting with a set of Crate and Barrel’s Spruce Tree Taper Candles. These unscented white candles embody three different snow-covered Christmas tree silhouettes to add a touch of whimsy. With their miniature size, you can easily fit them on regular taper holders and place them on your dining table.
Wreaths, Garlands, and Lanterns
Now that we covered the basics with a tree and lighting, you can add more layers to your decor with wreaths, garlands, and lanterns.
Unlike the usual branch or flower wreaths, Crate and Barrel’s Faux White Mini Berry Wreath mimics a cluster of creamy berries wrapped around frisky, realistic twigs. This unique design exudes a simple, clean, and contemporary look and also contains six percent post-consumer recycled materials. So, you know you’re making a sustainable choice when you hang them on doors, windows, mirrors, and walls.
Give your tables, staircase railings, doors, and windows a festive Filipino touch with this Christmas Décor Garland from Kultura Filipino. At five feet in length, it features various natural materials like raffia and other woven fibers. Battery-powered LED Christmas lights twined around its body easily add a bright and cheerful ambiance to your space.
If you want to add more Filipino touches, Millie Monday’s handcrafted Vigan Parol is the perfect addition. This contemporary take on the classic parol features a sustainable paper with printed Vigan historical infrastructures.
Christmas Figures
Christmas simply isn’t complete without the iconic figures that bring the holiday to life.
Let’s start with Santa Claus, but with a twist. Instead of his typical red and white uniform, this miniature Santa decoration from Kultura Filipino offers a more localized version. Sporting a salakot and a green barong, this resin figure fully captures the essence of a Filipino style Christmas, complete with a puto bumbong cart!
Another chic Santa decor to add to your cart is this Crate and Barrel’s Carved Wood Santa Christmas Tree Ornament. With its rounded form and neutral colors, it offers a cute, minimalistic, and organic flair. You can also hang these Brass Metal Angel Ornaments to incorporate a different texture.
And finally, Joan Anderson’s throw pillow collection features classic winter animals embroidered on a soft wool-blend fabric. Snuggle up with a fox, reindeer, polar bear, or penguin. They’re the perfect companion for a good book and a warm drink.
Selecting the right holiday decor pieces can add warmth and style to your space without feeling rushed or excessive. This complete buyer’s guide to staple Christmas decor helps you create a festive atmosphere that’s both practical and beautifully balanced, so you can enjoy the season with thoughtfulness and flair.
Read more: Something Light: How would you design your Christmas tree?
A growing coalition of heritage conservationists and cultural advocates is calling for the urgent call to declare the Pasig River a National Cultural Treasure (NCT). They cite the river’s irreplaceable historical, cultural, and ecological significance. The move comes amid renewed concerns over the Pasig River Expressway (PAREX), a controversial 19.37 kilometer, 6-lane expressway that critics […]
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For Unveiling Perspectives, Quezon City-based art gallery Kaida Contemporary assembled a group of artists to create different compositions that portray their daily lived experiences. It shows them in a way that illustrates their individuality as artists, with different materials that are important to them and their craft as a whole. “Art has a way of […]
Six years and a global pandemic later, I finally found my way back to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center for this year’s Art Basel Hong Kong — but this time, with my husband, litigation lawyer and business owner, Atty. Fred Young. Founded by gallerists in 1970, Art Basel is the leading global platform […]
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