Christmas tends not to be kind to people who, like William Smalley, enjoy “a calm space, a quiet space.” Rather, with the foliage and the decorations, the lights and the cards, the glut of twinkly-wrapped sweets and presents that stack up in the hall waiting to be delivered to teachers, neighbours and the post-office (and, worse, arrive ready to be placed under your tree, wrapped in paper not of your choosing) the sheer surfeit of stuff is enough to tip even maximalists over the edge - let alone anyone who “feels physically uncomfortable in spaces that have too much stuff in them.”
William’s top tip is “to go away skiing and avoid Christmas altogether” – however, that’s not always possible. And, as we’re all familiar with Charles Dickens’s classic A Christmas Carol and don’t want to be labelled a Scrooge, the question is what advice can William and other decorating experts give to help those who favour restraint over full abandon when it comes to this time of year?
Actually, a tree is far from compulsory for a minimalist Christmas, especially if you haven’t got the space; as an alternative, branches in a vase will still give a sense of the season. Though, “if you are obliged to have a tree get the best and densest spruce you can and enjoy it as nature intended,” says Philip Hooper, joint Managing Director of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, implying that you don’t need to put anything on it. Though scale is important; “your tree should be proportional to the size of your room,” says Francis Sultana – for if it isn’t, it will jar with its surrounds, further upsetting a minimalist eye. You can use props to play with its height; Francis uses a Fredrikson Stallard side table as a plinth
Ruth Sleightholme, House & Garden’s Decoration Editor, describes “leaning into atmosphere, rather than a look,” – which essentially means avoiding the clichés of leaping reindeer, faux snowmen, and all the rest. Philip seconds this: “looking to the natural world rather than the artificial one would seem to be the most poetic way to enjoy a Christmas with the minimum of decorating and fuss. Baskets or wooden bowls of large pinecones evoke the spirit of winter, similarly a mass of clove-pierced oranges gives you the smell of a festive season and a nod to colour with their browns and oranges.”
“Repetition is the key to simplicity and is always stylish,” Philip continues. “Wreaths of single leaves like bay or eucalyptus look perfect on a modern door (no need for a ribbon), whilst plain pots of white narcissus are all the flowers you need, especially if lined up in rank and file order across your Nakahima table.”
Rose Uniacke mentions creating “a kind of convivial intimacy” using such greenery with candles. And “you want a sense of warmth and light,” says Ruth, pointing out that certain textures will also help with this, “a satin ribbon, a lustreware jug – and glass.” If you’ve decided against a tree, a bowl of minimalist baubles on the table (look at Issy Granger’s) says Christmas in a very understated way. But don’t feel that you have to shape-shift your style; Francis explains that he likes his decorations to have “an artistic focus”, in keeping with his modern, art-filled interiors. At the centre of his table is a sculpture by André Dubreuil, along with black candles, which gives “a masculine, geometric edge.” Ruth suggests perhaps picking just one thing – “which might be fairy lights” – and using nothing else.
“Hide the cards in a drawer, nothing destroys the cool calm of a simple interior as much as the random taste of other people’s bonhomie,” says Philip. He’s right, and the same goes for wrapping paper, to which there are two solutions. The first is to stash every incoming present out of sight until the very last moment, the second is to re-wrap according to your own aesthetics. Wrapping, William explains, is his favourite aspect of Christmas, “it should have as much care as the gift inside.” He has a theme each year, such as “wrapping first in silver paper and then again in gold, always with very crisp edges, and no bows, ever.”
If you're trying to have a minimalist Christmas with children, you need to negotiate their taste, too – and very few children are natural minimalists. Know that some families have more than one tree, entirely so the children can go wild with tinsel, glitter, and whatever they’ve made in the playroom or snug.
If you’ve got garden, and an appropriate tree, there’s no reason why you can’t rig that up with fairy lights and enjoy looking at it through a window at night. It can be space saver too – if you’re in a flat, but have got a balcony, that balcony might just be the ideal spot.
But in a larger way, remember that Christmas spirit isn’t entirely dependent on your home. There are Christmas markets, carol services, light-strewn walks, and pantomimes and plays a-plenty. You can even, if you’re feeling brave, go and see A Christmas Carol at The Old Vic, and remind yourself that it wasn’t that Scrooge was a minimalist so much as a Christmas-denier, and the two are not the same thing at all.
