As the season’s change, the air becomes brisk, and the holiday season quickly approaches, there are many traditions to look forward to.
To kick off the holiday season, we often start by hauling out the decorations and setting up the Christmas tree.
Although it requires some work, setting up the Christmas tree is no mundane chore. For many families, it is a sentimental tradition done with enthusiasm and care.
After all, the Christmas tree is the star of the show throughout the holiday season!
With this, it is important to put meaningful thought into the exact placement of the Christmas tree.
Oftentimes the tree is placed in the center of attraction for gathering, celebration, and the making of precious memories … in the living room.
Ideally, your tree should fit seamlessly into your living room and enhance the space rather than intrude on it. Achieving this may require a little bit of rearranging.
Not to worry! This article will provide you with a step-by-step process to follow while deciding where to place your Christmas tree this season, how to effortlessly rearrange your living room around it and personal tips from a design expert.
Grab yourself a tall glass of eggnog and read on …
Before You Get Started, Consider Your Space
Story Time …
Magaly del Castillo, the in-home interior designer at La-Z-Boy Cyrville, just adores the Christmas season.
She describes the process of arranging the living room around the Christmas tree as “warm and fuzzy.”
With this being said, she reminds us that it isn’t always a smooth process, and “we all have that one story” where things have not gone as planned …
Every year, Magaly chooses the Christmas tree with the help of a family member. She says to her children, “just please do not let me choose anything taller than me.” Yet every year, without fail, she ends up hauling home a tree with a trunk too tall and branches too wide!
Last year was no exception for Magaly. The process of Magaly and her daughter attempting to get the Christmas tree through the front door was comparable to a scene in a sitcom. “It was hilarious,” Magaly reminisced.
Finally, the mother and daughter duo managed to get the tree into the stand. As they took a step back to admire their hard work, they burst into laughter realizing they had scraped up the entire ceiling.
Although Magaly’s story is relatable and heartwarming, you may want to avoid this type of hilarious chaos.
So before marching out to pick out a Christmas tree, it is important to first consider your space.
Start by taking a step back and looking at your living room. Consider the size, scale, and proportions of the room.
If your living room has tall ceilings and wide-open spaces, a large Christmas tree might be the perfect way to fill the space and achieve a warm and cozy feel.
With this, bigger isn’t necessarily better.
If you live in a small apartment, on the other hand, you may opt for a tabletop tree or a smaller potted Christmas tree this year.
If you are extremely limited in space, you may not have room for a Christmas tree at all. In this case, Magaly recommends dressing up a fireplace or coffee table keeping in the Christmas theme.
At the end of the day, the intention of decorating for the holidays is to make the space festive and cheerful.
Magaly reminds us that “meaning is what rings true this time of year. It is most important to make your space feel like a welcoming place for family and friends.”
Whether you have an abundant amount of space or are limited, there are many ways to arrange your living room to embody Christmas tradition and festivity.
Plan a Focal Point
You have already considered the logistics of space and size. Now it is time to decide on the spot in your living room where you will enjoy your tree the most and still be able to live around it.
Magaly suggests finding a focal point in your living room, somewhere that draws the eye allowing you to see it all the time.
There is only one season a year that we get to enjoy the charm of a lit Christmas tree, so we may as well place it where it can be admired!
Some popular focal points for the Christmas tree in the living room are:
- A corner of the living room
- Beside a fireplace (but not too close)
- In front of a big bay window
- Behind the couch
Once you have chosen your focal point, stand back, and look at the spot you have chosen from all vantage points. Maybe even have someone stand there with their arms out, just like the branches of a full tree.
While examining this particular spot, it is important to think about functionality. Consider walkways and potential traffic in the area.
Make sure the tree won’t be blocking the TV. It is also crucial to ensure that the tree isn’t too close to the fireplace or a hot light source.
Even Consider the Feng Shui of the Room …
Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese method of interior design that originated over 6,000 years ago.
This tradition is meant to optimize home design and decor to bring about happiness, abundance, and harmony.
In that sense, it sounds like Feng Shui and the holiday season have some values in common.
Why not arrange your living room around your Christmas tree in a way that will enhance the “natural energy” in your home.
According to the Feng Shui belief, the specific placement of your Christmas tree can channel different types of energies.
- East: Health and Family
- Southeast: Money and Abundance
- South: Fame and Reputation
Depending on your values, this may play a role in determining where you decide to place your Christmas tree this holiday season.
You May Have to Remove or Rearrange Some Furniture
According to Magaly, the most common mistake that she sees around this time of year is overstuffing the living room.
In order to enjoy the Christmas tree to its full potential, you may have to remove or rearrange some furniture.
Take a look at your living room with the Christmas tree in mind and ask yourself, what furniture could you live without?
Just for this season, consider putting some spare side tables in storage to make some extra room. Magaly says that “sometimes even removing a chair can make the whole room feel airy and light.”
Although it may feel overwhelming, embrace this part of the process, and don’t be afraid to get creative with how you decide to rearrange the furniture. Channel that exciting energy you had as a child rearranging your bedroom!
A great way to declutter a living room during the holiday season is by finding a use for furniture in other rooms of the house. For example, a bench can be nicely reused in an entranceway.
Also, now is the time to make use of furniture that serves multiple purposes. Consider replacing a traditional side table with nesting tables. These tables are compact which makes more space while also providing functional value when guests need a place to rest their drinks.
Similarly, ottomans serve great multi-purposes through the holiday season. They take up little room while acting as either a seat or a serving table.
Finally, Haul in the Tree & Start Decorating
After all this consideration, planning, and rearranging, the rest of the process should be relatively effortless … and fun!
It is time to dust off those boxes and rally the troops.
Finally, haul in that Christmas tree, place it in the perfect spot, and let the decorating begin.
Given that the Christmas tree is the main attraction of the home during this time of year, Magaly suggests that you let the tree theme dictate the decor in the rest of your home.
With this, the theme that you choose for your tree should stay consistent throughout the rest of the living room and in other parts of the house as well.
Most importantly, Magaly acknowledges that everyone has their own way of thinking about Christmas. “The Christmas traditions we form within our homes are based on memories, history, and background.”
Magaly encourages you to let those unique traditions and personalities come through in your own Christmas tree decor. “Make it your own!”
What’s Next?
Now all that there is left to do is wait for Santa to come plunging down the chimney!
In the meantime, you may be considering upgrading some home furniture or decor in preparation for hosting guests during the holiday season. You may even want to gift a loved one with a new piece of La-Z-Boy furniture.
Our elves here at La-Z-Boy Ottawa & Kingston would be happy to help you find everything you are looking for.
Visit us at one of our local showrooms or schedule a visit in advance to meet with a personal consultant or design expert.
We look forward to helping you make this holiday season special in whatever ways we can!