What Color Christmas Decor Will Make My Home Feel the Coziest? 5 Schemes Other Than Red & Green

Aditi Sharma Maheshwari

Wed, December 13, 2023 at 8:00 AM UTC

4 min read

A living room with green and white decor.

Christmas decor palettes aren't limited to red and green by any means, and we see all kinds of creative color schemes nowadays.

However, these decorating schemes can still be classic and timeless, and they can be slightly more subtle but still ring in festivities. Take a look at these new Christmas decor ideas and transform your home into a cozy space.

1. Purple and green

A living room with purple and green elements, and a large christmas tree in the corner

Consider the elegant and visually appealing combination of purple and green for your Christmas living room decor. Add swathes of green through wreaths and evergreens, along with a tall statement Christmas tree. Pepper in purple through ornaments, throws, or pillows. For a long-lasting purple palette, add it to the curtains and allow this scheme to go on the whole year.

'My go-to tip for Christmas decor each year is to pick a single accent color and bring it in with velvet ribbons and subtle touches like a plaid blanket or new stockings,' says Anastasia Casey of The Interior Collective. 'I love heather purple for holidays, or a fabulous chartreuse to stand out against holiday greenery.'

2. Grey and brown

A room with wooden elements and a grey curtain

If it's a more earthy approach you're looking for (which is also easy to live with all year round), then experts suggest infusing tones such as brown, cream or grey to the living room. These tones have inherent richness yet a more toned-down look. Add a rustic basket and bring your entire space together by adding in a jute or sisal rug. And when you're looking for where to buy Christmas decorations, you could consider brown ornaments and throw in a few bronze accents as well.

'We're leaning towards earthy colors as well as tobacco and browns,' says Guillaume Coutheillas, founder & creative director of frenchCALIFORNIA. 'Luxurious and neutral earthy tones are going to be big. The trend leans towards elegant, smooth, and distinguished earthy tones inspired by ecological awareness and a rising nostalgia for the 1970s. This move towards earthy tones, including a future focus on dark yellow and orange, reflects a blend of environmental consciousness and retro appeal.'

3. Blue, Yellow and Deep Orange

A living room with yellow stools and a blue throw

For a more upbeat palette that elevates the vibe of your home, consider tones such as blue, yellow, and orange. These tones can be used as decor or even as accents – think Christmas table centrepiece ideas. Alternatively, you could spread the colors around in the living room, via pillows, rugs, and candles. The beauty of using these colors on non-permanent decor pieces is that these can be swapped out later in case you prefer to change your interiors.

'I wanted it to feel like a California Christmas, so I kept the green aspect of the holiday season but brought in blues, yellow, and deep orange to highlight the water, sunsets, and the sky here in Los Angeles,' says Linda Hayslett, founder of LH.Designs. 'We don't get snow in LA, but we do get cooler weather, so I kept it light with a touch of cozy to give it that sunny winter vibe.'

4. Shades of pink

A dining room with pink chairs and plum toned trees on the table

Pink is timeless and an always-loved tone. Whether you incorporate it in Christmas dining room ideas or in the living room, these tones can reflect a festive, relaxed vibe and also work perfectly well throughout the year. For a more layered approach, perhaps experiment with shades of pink – think light pink with plum tones. This will give the scheme depth and coziness.

'Colors I'd recommend for Christmas are ones that most people don't think about,' says Linda. 'A deep pumpkin color or pink paired with plum would make a fun and festive look for Christmas because then it incorporates colors from Halloween & Thanksgiving, so you could keep some of the decorations up through all the holidays. Other colors that would be cool to pair with would be black and white. They are great for making a sophisticated, modern Christmas vibe.'

5. Blue and white

A living room with white sofas and powder blue pillows and Christmas decor

Slightly Mediterranean with a beachy undertone, the palette of blue and white makes an ideal companion to chinoiserie lovers and traditionalists alike. This color combination sets a festive Christmas scene, giving the usual green and red a miss. To induce this color, consider adding blue ornaments, beadwork, and navy ribbon, along with a Christmas tree topper in snowy lace, and gold accents.

'A white and light blue is a timeless combination,' says Nishita Kamdar, founder of Studio Nishita Kamdar. 'Consider adding soft pastel shades of both for a beach-side holiday home vibe or warm mountain colonial-style homes. Throw in hints of gold and silver to add some glitter to the scheme.'