December may well be the busiest time of the year, but it’s also a time for getting together with family and friends, relaxing and celebrating. Whether you go big on your Christmas decs, or prefer a more minimalist approach, setting the festive scene is a definite winner when it comes to enjoyment for you and your guests.

It’s not about being perfect, but about creating something that’s unique and personal to you. In the world of home design there’s always a huge push to ‘get things done’ in the run-up to Christmas. It creates an added layer of stress that is not conducive to feeling festive. Rushing to finish, or even start, your project can be the cause of poor decisions and choices that you’ll be living with for years to come.

Pressing pause and focusing your efforts on a few gorgeous festive touches around the home will contribute so much more to your enjoyment of the season. Below are my top three Christmas decorations that never fail to lift the spirits.

A Christmas door wreath is a lovely welcome to friends and family if you’re hosting over the holidays. Over the last few years I’ve developed a ritual of making a door wreath for the 1st of December in a workshop with friends. It’s a joyous start to the season and I get to enjoy it for the whole month, every time I return home.

Next is an advent table display. I love an advent candle, or the Scandinavian approach of four candles, one representing each week in the build-up to Christmas. I make mine on a tray; I gather candles, foliage and anything else I can find around the house and garden.

Go wherever your imagination takes you

Finally, have fun with your Christmas table and don’t save it for Christmas Day – use it throughout the festive season in the run-up to the big day. You don’t have to stick to the traditional red and green Christmas colours – you can go wherever your imagination takes you. Think plentiful winter foliage, candles and twinkling lights; there’s so much inspiration out there.

For me, Christmas is a time to enjoy with family and friends, take a break from work, relax and unwind. We can do this in a perfect home, or we can do it in our home as it is, with a little seasonal sprucing and a few fabulous festive flourishes. However you decorate, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas.