Your Guide to a Country Christmas

For 35 years, season-by-season, we’ve been helping you create contemporary country interiors you love. Cocooning spaces to inspire, to grow with you as your family grows. Where family gathers, the joyful chaos of children reigns, dogs snooze by roaring fires and cherished memories of home, and heart, are made.

Contemporary country interiors aren’t the preserve of old farmhouses and cosy cottages: far from it. These eclectic, welcoming spaces, which embrace slow, seasonal living and celebrate the changing landscape outside, can be created anywhere, town or country. And at Christmas, this generous, layered, organic country aesthetic really does come into its own.

Above: Edward Bulmer's Herefordshire home decorated for Christmas

Think garlands draped over fireplaces. Bountiful wreaths hanging on the front door. Candles flickering and the smell of spruce heavy in the air. Where tactile throws are draped over sofas, cushions a-plenty encourage you curl up, footstools double up as drinks trays and cleverly made curtains and blinds banish the winter draughts. A country Christmas is the perfect blend of modern style and rustic charm – the warmth of traditional festive decor paired with contemporary touches that keep things fresh, calm and elegantly understated.

Above: Edward Bulmer's Herefordshire home decorated for Christmas

Victoria Twinberrow, Holloways Neptune design specialist, shows you how to create a look that’s both inviting and beautifully curated, yet feels timeless.

1. Start with a natural, neutral base

Contemporary country décor thrives on simplicity. Begin by grounding your space with soft, neutral tones. We love Neptune’s Timber paint palette – creamy white Salt; oatmeal Silver Birch, putty coloured Driftwood and Orkney White, a fresh, soft white that adds subtle warmth, all work beautifully together.

These colours create a calm backdrop that allows your Christmas features to shine without overwhelming the room. Natural textures like wool, linen, glass and reclaimed wood instantly bring warmth to a modern country interior. You can buy all of Neptune's emulsion and eggshell paints, plus sample pots, in our Neptune store-in-store. Upstairs in our Interior Design Studio, you'll find the whole range of Edward Bulmer Natural Paints.

2. Bring the outdoors in

It sounds obvious, but a country-inspired Christmas is rooted in nature. Incorporate fresh greenery from the garden – eucalyptus, pine and holly work well and can be woven into wreaths, garlands, table centrepieces and vignettes for console tables. Our Neptune store-in-store and Gift Shop has plenty of faux greenery to fool even the most eagle-eyed gardener.

Make a garland for the staircase or mantlepiece for a soft, classic look, and weave in string lights, pine cones and berries. It’s easier than you think – follow our step-by-step guide. You could add some sprigs of pampas grass or olive branches for a slightly more modern, Scandinavian feel.

How to make a garland

Making a Christmas wreath to hang on your front door, above the fireplace or elsewhere in the house is one of the joys of a country Christmas. Take inspiration from country walks and your winter garden. Bunch sprigs of greenery and woody herbs, wire on to a wreath ring and add in country motifs such as feathers, pine cones, dried citrus slices and finish with an oversized hessian or red velvet ribbon. Again, our Neptune store-in-store has a huge selection of convincing faux wreaths.

how to make a wreath

For a rustic, outside-in look, hang a gnarled branch over your kitchen island or dining table and weave in foliage, baubles and string lights. It makes a striking centrepiece for your festive entertaining. Suspend from a beam with fishing wire, or velvet ribbon.

3. Choose an understated colour palette

While traditional reds and greens have their place – particularly this year, read our Journal for the key 2025 Christmas trends – the contemporary country look leans towards muted, harmonious tones. Think frosted greens, soft golds, Champagne-coloured metallics, blush accents, or deep charcoal as alternatives. These colours feel festive but sophisticated.

Visit our showrooms and be inspired by the Christmas room sets Victoria and the design team have created on all four floors, before you shop for the accessories they've used to create them. 

4. Blend rustic and refined

A real Christmas tree will always be the heart of the home. Non needle-drop trees are necessarily more expensive than traditional ones, but will last well beyond Christmas and look and smell heavenly. Buy them from your local Christmas tree farm – the heavier the better, as they will be newly-cut. Offcuts can be used to make garlands and wreaths. In homes with very young children or sensitive pets, a high-quality faux tree works just as well. There are plenty here to choose from in our showrooms, some pre-lit.

This year’s cottage core trend is for natural materials like wooden ornaments, paper stars, ceramic baubles and or hand-tied velvet ribbons. You'll find felt animals, ceramic houses and wooden stars on the shelves of our Gift Shop, along with warm fairy lights for a gentle glow. Keep the overall design cohesive by sticking to two or three core colours – and don’t forget the velvet stockings in our Neptune store-in-store for a delightfully luxe, yesteryear feel.

5. Layer soft textures

Country Christmas style is all about comfort. Add knitted throws, faux-fur cushions, and wool blankets to your sofas and armchairs. Layering creates depth and makes your home feel warm and inviting during chilly evenings. Invest in a chunky knitted tree skirt or woven basket-style base to give your tree a charming, contemporary rustic finish. Our Interiors Room is full of mirrors, scatter cushions, rugs, throws, baskets and lamps to instantly transform your home this Christmas.

6. Create simple, stylish tablescapes

For festive dining, pair hand-thrown, textured tableware with linen napkins and understated centrepieces. A rustic wooden table can be dressed with a eucalyptus centrepiece, candles in mixed heights, and perhaps a few handmade touches like kraft-paper place cards. Use muted tones and natural elements to achieve a look that’s effortlessly chic. Read our Interior Designer Annie Blackledge's blog on effortless hosting and the art of Christmas tablescaping.

The Art of Christmas tablescaping

7. Add warm, ambient lighting

Warm lighting is essential for achieving that cosy country feel at Christmas. Mix twinkling lights, pillar candles, lanterns, and LED micro-lights to create pockets of gentle glow throughout your home. There are traditional and LED candles in almost every colour and size in our Gift Shop, plus decorative string lights and LED lamps.

A contemporary country Christmas scheme brings together simplicity, the natural world and understated elegance— charm without clutter. With a few thoughtful touches, you can create a festive atmosphere that’s timeless, cosy, welcoming and beautifully fresh.