We spoke to some of the experts about how to create the perfect Christmas look without making your home look like Santa's grotto!

Colours and themes

EACH YEAR, 'the' colours and themes for the current Christmas are announced in early Autumn. But whether you're a trend-setter who creates a whole new look every year, or a traditionalist who drags out the same box of decorations from the attic year in, year out, it's all about what you want. And if that means inflatable snowmen in your porch, and a flashing Santa climbing up the walls of your home, then be confident and go for it. The Christmas trendsetters won't like it but what the hell!

"Every summer the buyers meet at all the big Christmas shows, and decide on the new look for the Christmas season, which is why you hear a lot about the new seasonal trends as early as the autumn, " explains Lucy Turner, Visual Merchandising Supervisor with Brown Thomas.

"This year we have a range of different looks because we know that people have different styles and tastes. Our 'Nordic' range is a very natural look which focuses on the use of wood, twigs and other natural materials. It has a slightly New England folk art feel and would suit a lot of homes. We also have our classic look, which is always popular and concentrates on using rich reds and creams."

"Then we have what we call our 'Champagne Story' and our 'White Story' which are more contemporary and focus on the use of white, silver, blue and gold. You would create that icy, frosty look by using delicate glass tree ornaments which can be dotted around the home, along with crisp white fabric, and centerpieces on tables with a mix of blue and silver colours, " says Turner.

But whatever the look you're after, Turner's advice is to decide on it and then follow that theme. "Once you know what you want you can get the look with lots of chunky candles, tea lights, table-runners, ribbon, and a centerpiece."

Deirdre Murphy of Habitat says that red will be predominant colour in the coming weeks. "This Christmas we are focusing on feasts and festive gatherings - celebrating in style with those you love! This year red is the only colour to use. Layer tones and textures to create a warm, glamorous atmosphere using shimmering metallic tones on table ornaments and tree trimmings. Give your walls and mantelpieces a soft glow with clusters of twinkling garland lights and light scented candles to create the perfect welcoming ambience for your guests. Make your dinner table extra special by adding coloured crystal and decorative serving plates to luxurious white porcelain dinnerware, " says Murphy.

Sally Bendelow, Head of Design at Marks & Spencer, says Christmas is a good time to give the whole home a new seasonal look, and it doesn't have to end at the living room door. "Christmas is a great time to spruce up the other rooms in your home, particularly the bedrooms. You can incorporate your tree colour themes through richly decorated and exciting bed linen and lighting."

However, Lucy Turner says you don't have to spend a fortune to style your home for Christmas. "If you have a really good tree, whether it's real or artificial, a beautiful wreath for your door and a stunning centerpiece for your table, you will have created a real sense of Christmas, and an impressive look for your home."

Fabric is another important feature when preparing your home for Christmas. Drape rich-coloured fabrics over tables, sofas and beds to carry your Christmas look right through the home. Rich reds and deep purples work really well at this time of year.

Lighting

WHILE traditional fairy lights on trees and around windows will always achieve that festive look, in recent years, the trend has been towards more contemporary lighting.

Garlands of tiny flowers draped across a mantelpiece or around mirrors add a real sense of atmosphere, but the good thing is they are not just specific to Christmas and can be used for parties or entertaining throughout the year.

"Be creative with your lighting, " says Lucy Turner. "If you don't have a Christmas tree, draping lights on a bay tree or on other indoor or patio plants can look great, particularly for those who live in apartments or smaller homes and don't have space for big trees.

If you live in a house, make a feature of your staircase with garlands of lights."

Habitat's Christmas range includes 'Bijou Trees'. Made from garlands of twinkling red or metallic crystal lights, they have flexible branches, which mean you can use them in their tree shape, or as flat lines which can be hung along walls or wrapped around corners.

In general the festive look is all about creating a cosy midwinter feel, so use lots of lamps dotted around your home, and stock up on instant fire-logs that burn for around two hours, giving that Christmas glow to your home.

The great outdoors

INCREASINGLY, Irish people are decorating their gardens more than ever. And while outdoor decoration sends shivers down the spine of the Christmas fashion police, who deplore the use of inflatable snowmen in porches and oversized lighted santas complete with sleigh and reindeer sliding over the rooftops, decorated gardens can really add to the style of your home at Christmas. And as with most things less is more. Outdoor lights in either white, blue or red can look great, particularly if draped through planted areas or dotted in trees.

"A really beautiful wreath can be enough to make your home look warm and welcoming at Christmas, " says Lucy Turner. "You can either buy a wreath, or make one yourself. We find that buyers love the high-quality artificial ivy and eucalyptus for making wreaths. Then you can add anything you want to it from pine cones to dried flowers.

Table settings

WHATEVER theme you opt for this year, be it cool silver or the more traditional reds and creams, you can carry it through to your table, " says Lucy Turner. "You don't need to go out and buy new tableware for Christmas, but you can bring any colour or theme you want to your table with lots of big candles, tea lights, napkins and one nice centrepiece. This is a fairly inexpensive way to get the look you want, " says Turner.

According to Emily Chalmers, author of Table Settings: stylish entertaining made simple, it's not difficult or even expensive to create an exotic Christmas look for your table.

It just calls for a bit of creative thinking. "Red, gold and green are the traditional colours of Christmas, but employ them in a more unexpected way for an exotic festive table. Banana leaves from an oriental supermarket are the table covering for this setting. Bold and beautiful flowers continue this theme - orchids or dramatic amaryllis would both be perfect, " advises Chalmers.

"Candles intensify the warmth and festivity of the occasion, so sit them on thick candlesticks or old wineglasses. You could give any odd saucers or candleholders a makeover with a quick blast of gold spray paint. Little gifts in bags made from metallic organza at each place look great, " advises Chalmers.

Apart from the main dining table, don't neglect other tables that can be dressed for the season. Side tables, console tables in hallways, or coffee tables in living rooms can be decorated with candles.

According to the experts, keep to the one colour or theme. Don't mix and match colours and styles. A large Christmas plate or platter, which can be purchased very cheaply in any of the chain stores can be used to group several candles. Silver or decorative dishes with brightly wrapped sweets or chocolates looks really festive, as do pine cones placed on tables and sideboards.

Trees and plants

BELIEVED to have originated in Germany in the early 700s, the Christmas tree remains the most popular symbol of the festivities, and many people now have an indoor and outdoor tree in their home. While nothing beats the smell of a real tree, artificial trees have become more popular in recent years, initially because they caused less mess and didn't have to be disposed of, and nowadays because of the environmental factor involved in cutting down so many trees each year.

But if you're not going to invest in a really good tree, real or artificial, then don't do it. There is nothing sadder than the sight of a cheap false tree or a thinned out real one with the top lopped off!

"The Christmas tree and the colours you use to decorate it give the overall look to your Christmas styling, so it's important to get it right, " says Turner. "Classic reds, greens and creams can look great, particularly if you like the traditional Christmas look. If you want something more contemporary and fresh, you could go for the icy, frosty look with some deep blues added in."

Plants are a great way to add to your festive styling, particularly as so many plants have traditional associations with pagan and Christmas festivals. Ivy was always a symbol of everlasting life in pagan religions and featured heavily in Celtic and Druid winter solstice festivals. Pots of ivy look great both indoors and outdoors at this time of year and can be used in your wreath. Bay or laurel trees are another popular Christmas plant. Early Christians adopted them because they symbolised the triumph of humanity over the world, through the birth of Christ.

The Christmas Rose, Poinsettias, Holly, Rosemary, Mistletoe and Amaryllis are all very popular Christmas plants which not only make great gifts, but look wonderful dotted around the home in bright-coloured planters.