After a rather drab festive season in lockdown for many of us in 2020, Christmas 2021 is shaping up to be a whirl of parties and entertaining, but how do you avoid a festive faux pas if your hosting skills are a bit rusty?
If your plans involve hanging garlands from the ceiling, placing a high-end real fir tree in the corner of the room, and kitting out your home with white fairy lights, you might run the risk of looking rather December 2019.
According to an expert party planner, the chic modern host will opt for a fake tree, or even better a wooden one, 'floorscape' their room rather than decking the halls and ditch passé and 'clinical' white lights for colourful bulbs.
Habitat has joined forces with London-based 'Party Architect' to royalty, Johnny Roxburgh, to reveal his expert hosting advice for the season ahead, to ensure your Christmas celebrations are the height of good taste.
And were better to turn for advice than the holder of a Royal Warrant who has planned events Buckingham Palace, Holyrood, Highgrove and Windsor, including the Queen's annual Christmas staff party and Prince William's 21st birthday.
Johnny said: 'Christmas is my favourite time of the year to host. This year, celebrations are back on the agenda! I can already feel the excitement and festive cheer. With 40 years of party hosting under my belt, there's a few effective tricks of the trade I can reveal.
A simple, elegant wooden Christmas tree will look marvellous and is great for young families who want to avoid clutter
DO: Try a fake tree
I would usually gasp at the thought of a faux tree, but I have seen a huge rise in popularity amongst my clients for these over the last two years.
My recent trips to Paris show that Parisians are clocking onto this trend too - all the top ateliers were shying away from real trees and instead had faux trees that looked beautiful. Forget complex hoover manoeuvres before guests arrive, artificial trees don't drop needles or create a mess and can be used again and again.
At one celebrity party I worked on we used a faux silver tree which shimmered and reflected beautifully in the light. This also works well in a small space; a normal tree might swamp the room, but this will fill the room with light and glitter when dressed with fairy lights and decorations.
Alternatively, a simple, elegant wooden Christmas tree will look marvellous and is great for young families who want to avoid clutter. Weave fine wire lights around the tree and gold tone decorations on the tree shelves. This is an effortless way to incorporate a Scandinavian twist into the home.
DON'T: Use real candles
I'm not talking lavish candelabras and crystal chandeliers here. Low lighting is an easy way to make your Christmas setting instantly stylish. You'd be amazed at the amount of knocked over candles or 'napkins on fire' scenarios that happen at dinner parties.
Opt for reusable LED candles, a practical and safe alternative to the real deal. They flicker magically on a dining table without the worry of Christmas cracker ends catching or wax covered tables.
They're a great addition to any household and far more cost-efficient than candles. Even the Royal Household are famously careful about Christmas costs. Similarly, LED lights outside the front door create a glorious glow that will impress guests upon arrival.
Habitat has joined forces with London-based 'Party Architect' to royalty, Johnny Roxburgh, to reveal his expert hosting advice for the season ahead, to ensure your Christmas celebrations are the height of good taste
DON'T: Hang tinsel from the rafters
This Christmas, we're decorating the floor. Forget decking the halls, 'floorscaping' is the latest trend to know. This is the cherry on top of Christmas decorating and is well worth the clear up job, your guests will be impressed.
Utilise the floor space by weaving garlands between presents under the Christmas tree and add fake snow to corners and the bottom of table legs.
I also use toy trains snaking through the presents or travelling through the dining table. Both can be bought cheaply, and look adorable, creating the wonder of a Christmas morning.
DON'T: Sit couples together
A good host will always have a seating plan. I never understand why partners, husbands and wives insist on sitting next to each other at the table. We see each other all the time! Christmas is a time for mingling, so sit couples separately.
A long, narrow table is a great option so that there's no shouting over one another and you can talk to people opposite (great if you're not over the moon with who you're sitting next to).
Lots of my celebrity clients love a u-shaped table - easily recreated at home with three tables from around the house - because it makes it easy to clear plates without the awkward shuffle behind guests. It also creates a performance space for after-dinner games.
To cater for extra guests, don't worry about adding extra chairs even if they don't 'match'. After all, the more the merrier.
