Colours to combine with red for a designer Christmas look
03.2022
Discover the colours to complement classic red for a designer Christmas 2021 decorative theme
The colours of Christmas – red and so much more
If you had to name one colour that you associated with Christmas, it’s more than likely that you would say red. Whether it is due to the traditional images of Father Christmas in his bright scarlet outfit, holly berries, poinsettia plants or even the pohutakawa tree, this bold vibrant colour is perfectly suited to the passion and joy of the festive season.
While it may be the dominant shade of Christmas, however, red is not alone. In fact, it combines beautifully with other traditional and not so traditional colours to create a symphony of visual cheer as we decorate our homes to reflect the jollity and fun associated with this much-awaited time of the year.
We take a look at the more traditional Christmas colours, together with the trends for Christmas 2021 and finish with 5 designer décor ideas to get you and your home in the Yuletide spirit.
Traditional Christmas colours
The traditional palette of Christmas colours is not hard to guess, with red, white and green much-loved choices throughout the decades, if not longer. If we want to add sparkle to the mix, silver and gold are a must as they combine with any colour you can think of and bring that touch of bling that this time of the year calls for.
While the above may be the longstanding favourites, each year we tend to see new trends when it comes to colours to complement the classic Christmas red. We take a look at what they are for 2021, and round off with 5 ideas for a stylish Christmas decorative theme.
The colour trends for Christmas 2021
For Christmas 2021, alongside the traditional theme of white, red and green (with gold or silver substituting white if desired), there are 3 main trends when it comes to festive combinations, all of which centre around red:
- red and grey
- red white and black
- red, green, black and gold
Red and grey together is all about contrasting the idea of frozen nature that is part of the landscape in colder parts of the world at this time of the year with the strength and vivacity of the moment. The combination of red, white and black is a nod to tradition, but the addition of such a forceful colour as black introduces a sense of modernity to the décor.
The final combination takes the contemporary feel up yet another level and is even more striking with its juxtaposition of black and green, two deep colours, with the brightness of red and gold. The effect is a series of varying illuminated touchpoints around the house, bringing unexpected flashes of colour.
If these bold shades are all a bit much, however, and you prefer a more muted or subtle Christmas theme, but don’t want to completely lose the warmth and seasonality of red, you can turn to a trend introduced in 2020. Pink and gold is just as alluring this year and pastels, in fact, work beautifully in both dark and pale environments and also in combination with brighter colours such as green.
Now that we have established the colour combinations that are on trend for Christmas 2021, let’s take a look at 5 design ideas that bring them to life.
5 ideas for a designer-themed Christmas
With the above colours in mind, here are the 5 ideas we have chosen to express them through natural stone, as envisaged by leading names from the design world:
- Ellipse wine cooler: snowy white marble
- Alma: a delicate pink sculpture that brings to mind the Nativity scene
- Fontane Bianche wall hook: the green of a Christmas tree
- Pietra L06: a doorstop in seasonal red
- Pietra L07 umbrella stand: at one with nature
Let’s take a look at each in more detail and emerge ourselves further in the Christmas atmosphere.
Ellipse wine cooler: snowy white marble
The Ellipse wine cooler has an almost ethereal spiritual quality that is perfectly in tune with the Christmas period. As white as traditional driven snow, this beautifully proportioned piece in Bianco Carrara marble brings austerity and grace to the table or sideboard. Minimalist and sophisticated, it never fails to delight, making it an ideal gift if you can bear to part with it.
Alma: a delicate pink sculpture that brings to mind a Nativity scene
One of a pair of miniature houses designed for us by Patricia Urquiola for The Village collection, Alma is part of an eclectic but elegant community of multi-coloured pieces that represent the multicultural nature of the world we live in.
Made from gorgeous Rosa Portogallo marble, with distinctive veining and intense variations of tone, this exquisite object of high design transmits the warmth and intimacy that each of consciously or subconsciously aims to create in our own home.
Fontane Bianche wall hook: Christmas tree green
The Fontane Bianche wall hooks are a series of delicate contemporary accessories that add designer flair to even the most commonplace wall. For our Christmas theme we have chosen the version in Verde Alpi, a stunning green marble with intriguing patterns created by Mother Nature herself. Available in three sizes, each piece is carved from a single piece of stone then hand-finished by one of our Tuscan artisans, creating a deceptively simple mini-sculpture that is as decorative as it is useful.
Pietra L06 doorstop: seasonal red
The Pietra L06 door stop has the power to stop you in your tracks with its striking form and colour. Carved from a single piece of vibrant Rosso Francia, a deep red marble streaked with suggestions of white, and topped with an original flourish in the form of an iron hook, it is an arresting accessory that transforms a banal, somewhat old-fashioned object into a contemporary designer accessory.
Pietra L07: at one with nature
The Grigio Versilia Pietra L07 umbrella holder is perfectly in tune with the palette of Christmas colours we looked at above. Its circular base in this wonderful cool grey marble with dramatic swathes of white evokes the wintry elements of a Northern Hemisphere Christmas. Finished with an elegant matt steel structure, it is an innovative and stylish interpretation of an accessory that is often neglected in the design stakes.
While red is almost unquestionably the colour most of us immediately associate with Christmas, we have taken a look at a selection of other hues that complement it to bring out the festive feel with a Made in Italy designer touch.
We hope you found the 5 ideas of how to incorporate these colours in your Christmas décor useful and inspiring, but if you would like to know more, please get in touch. And of course, besides choosing pieces for your own home, perhaps something has caught your eye for that hard to buy person on your gift list. We have many more original and stylish gift ideas on our website, so all that is left to say is happy browsing!
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