Christmas decorations must be over the top this year

In recent years, the Christmas trend leaned towards minimalist decorations. However, this year marks a decisive change of direction: in response to last year’s essentialist proposals, now considered too impersonal by the public (like when Kim Kardashian decorated her Hidden Hills home with twelve white trees illuminated by LED lights), Christmas has become a stage for creativity and imagination in full maximalist style. Supporting this theory is the recent Pinterest trend report, which revealed a 600% increase in searches for "red Christmas trees." This trend aligns with the “unexpected red” theory presented on TikTok by New York interior designer Brooklyn Taylor, who explains in a video the importance of color in enhancing spaces. Further proof of the 2024 Christmas eccentricity comes from John Lewis, which introduced pink Christmas trees. «We introduced our first pink Christmas tree for Christmas 2024, a shade that can be dressed in a maximalist way with unique decorations or more subdued with silver touches,» says Lisa Cherry from the Christmas buying team. This year, innovations range from disco ball garlands in full Studio 54 style to silver mushroom decorations.

With a nod to the nostalgia of the early 1990s, the more is more aesthetic caters to increasing public demand for new, vibrant, flashy, and eccentric decorations. The general attitude, geared towards a triumph of excess, is confirmed by Julia Nevell, owner of the London shop Choosing Keepings, who sells glass ornaments featuring King Charles III’s face, Brussels sprouts, and EU flags. Decorations must not only be kitsch and exaggerated but also sparkling, custom-painted, and as realistic as possible, in case someone wants to hang a figurine of Queen Elizabeth on their tree. The growing synergy between luxury brands and cities worldwide aligns with the maximalist shift in London, Paris, Milan, Rome, Washington, and New York. Among the most notable collaborations this year, Paul Smith decorated the Christmas tree at London’s Claridge’s Hotel, embellishing each of its 100 branches with playing cards, stamps, and dice. Additionally, bird songs greet guests at the Mayfair emblematic hotel daily. Exaggerated, kitsch, ironic, and over the top, it stands out from The Diamond, the glass and undecorated tree created by Jimmy Choo for Christmas 2022. In London, jewelry designer Andrew Logan joined forces with Selfridges to create a true maximalist tableau with a dreamy touch, showcasing large-scale installations such as Pegasus - Birth, Life, and Death and The Universe of Smiles. In Paris, Kevin Germanier was invited by Galeries Lafayette to apply his inimitable “upcycled glamour” touch to the store’s Christmas decorations. With fiber optic lighting, Logan drew inspiration from the theme of light, also featured in his collections.

In Italy, the opulence of Dior’s Christmas tree in Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele stands out, with a 14-meter-tall fir inspired by the splendor of Versailles, adorned with golden flowers and topped with a star symbolizing the couturier’s good fortune. Bulgari lit up Piazza di Spagna in Rome with an elliptical installation inspired by the serpent, the brand’s emblem. Across the ocean, there’s the extra-pop proposal by Christopher John Rogers for the boutique hotel Riggs in Washington. The designer, beloved by Rihanna, Cardi B, and Kamala Harris, collaborated with Farrow & Ball, the legendary British wallpaper company, to create the tree. Five days were spent crafting oversized hand-painted decorations depicting lobsters, shallots, sardines, and macadamia nuts. Freedom, joy, and boldness are the codes of a playful and visually impactful choice. Once again, Swarovski contributes in New York with the precious Christmas star atop the iconic Rockefeller Center tree: designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, the jewel is composed of approximately three million crystals. An ode to abundance and beauty in all its forms. Meanwhile, at Balsam Hill, a global leader in Christmas tree distribution, new discoveries show the average height of purchased trees has grown from 1.9 meters to 2 meters, with a 26% increase in customers opting for even taller trees.

The more is more trend is also thriving on TikTok, where it has been validated with dopamine decor, leveraging vibrant and shiny textures to evoke a sense of well-being. Christmas trees are fun, exaggerated, and even fill small spaces that capture attention. Coordinated colors, metallic shades creating highlights, velvet or satin maxi bows, feathers, and mix-and-match materials and prints are all the rage. This year, we couldn’t miss the decorating choices of the ultimate lifestyle influencer Martha Stewart, who on her website suggests bronze, silver, and gold Christmas trees with extra decorations matching the metallic variations. In Washington, the White House goes big—maximalist, even—with 83 fir trees, three kilometers of ribbons, and endless garlands and Christmas lights. This year’s theme, chosen by the First Lady, is «A season of bread and light.» A hymn to joy, a sparkling kaleidoscope of excess. Farewell sad beige, welcome magic.