If you’ve been a regular around here for some time, you may recall the bloggers collaboration project I was involved in around this time last year. Blogging can be a bit of a solitary mission at times so I jump at the chance to work with like-minded creatives. Joining forces with my dear, and seriously talented friend, Linda at Live Loud Girl for another styled Christmas shoot was a no-brainer. Despite having our own distinctive styles, she and I have a shared love for interiors and styling.

The theme for this year’s look was a minimalist take on holiday styling with lots of white, splashes of black and plenty of greenery and natural textures.

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1, 2 Glassware from Crate & Barrel | 3 Wonki Ware bowls from Tribe, Design Letter dessert plate from D.tales, dinner plates from Crate & Barrel | 4 Marble board from Crate & Barrel, Canapés courtesy of The Lime Tree Cafe | 6 Ferm Living gold ornament from MarMarLand, House Doctor bauble from D.tales | 7, 8 handmade rosemary wreath | 9 Marble utensil holder from Crate & Barrel

As you can probably see, we pared things back quite substantially, opting for a very chic and simple look. If you fancy doing something a little different around the house this year, you might want to consider some of these somewhat unconventional ideas.

Minimalist botanical arrangements

You know I’m crushing on this little trend as I recently dedicated a whole blog post to it! Use the branches or offcuts of real Christmas (fir) trees and a selection of other greenery to display in a collection of glass vases. Be sure to have arrangements of varying heights. This look makes an impressive visual statement in your entryway or on a sideboard where you plan to serve a festive meal.

Unconventional tableware

Make your festive gathering a memorable one with a tablescape of quirky and unique pieces. Consider organic and natural looking crockery and serving dishes, personalized plates, black flatware and marble serving platters to impress your guests. Linda and I also loved the flat-bottomed wine glasses for something different from the norm.

Exposed bulbs and fairy lights

The Christmas tree needn’t be the only thing lighting up for the festive season – set a contemporary Christmas mood using a combination of exposed bulbs and/or fairy lights in your hallway, living room or anyway, really. You can also be super thrifty by re-using these funky light fittings around the house after the silly season. Have you seen how awesome they look as a bedside light?

Display ornaments somewhere different

Have you thought about letting some or all of the ornaments go AWOL from the tree? This is a perfect opportunity to embrace the old adage, ‘why be normal?’ If you have a beautiful collection of ornaments, hang them from the rafters to create an eye-catching and playful corner… and confuse the kids 😉

Keep it real

Do yourself a favour and get a real tree! There’s nothing quite like it and there’s just something magical about that smell in your home at this time of year.

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1 White ottoman, Wonki Ware bowls and wire bowl from Tribe, Design Letter plate from D.tales, gift tags | 2 Canapés by The Lime Tree Cafe | 3 Wine glasses and black flatware from Crate & Barrel | 4 black candle holder from The Bowery Company | 6 No.57 paint effect by Jotun Paints, Muuto & Frama bulbs by D.tales | 7 handmade rosemary wreaths (DIY tutorial coming soon)

Linda and I had such fun styling this Christmas look together – we hope you find some inspiration in here for doing something a little different this year.

Be sure to keep an eye on my social media pages for some behind the scenes pictures from this shoot, where we also hosted a fun little social gathering. More of that on the blog later, but for now, I’d like to give a special mention and enormous thank you to the generous individuals and companies who sponsored this styled photoshoot.

• The Studio for the shoot location and photography by Jannah Whalley and Artur Ismailov
• The Lime Tree Cafe for their delicious treats and keeping us fuelled on caffeine
• Jotun Paints for their beautiful paint effects
• D.tales for our awesome goodie bags
• Innovative Hiring for their awesome cocktail tables and amazing service