Christmas Interiors: Urban Style!

We all know that I have a preference for contemporary, urban design when it comes to interiors and due to its versatility, there’s no reason why this style can’t be extended to this festive time of year.

I’ve decided to ditch the more traditional trappings of Christmas decor for a much more rugged and edgy aesthetic but don’t fret, there’s plenty of sparkle, greenery and sumptuous texture to ensure that the riches of festive styling are still intact!

Are you ready to take a little trip to the dark side this Christmas?!

It’s ok, you’re in safe hands, I’ll guide you every step of the way.

So without further ado, here’s my design in all its lush, edgy and unconventional glory!  I’m 100% sure that you’ll want to click on this image to fully appreciate all the various design elements of this interior!

My starting point for this design scheme was that kooky ‘alternative’ Christmas tree.  It’s so blinkin simple but soooo effective AND it’s perfect for any room in your house.  Hallways, awkward corners, or small spaces: this tree WILL perform!  The addition of fairy lights transforms it into a whimsical little wonder and the copper star?  LOVE!  And let’s not forget the rustic charm of the rope!  Grab the rope ladder tree at Rocket St. George and a copper star at Etsy!

Rope Ladder Christmas Tree: Rocket St. George

I decided that this space was going to be dark, dark, dark!  Why?  Because it adds a sense of drama, and mystic splendour!  Plus, dark hues soften the urban, contemporary design elements and enriches the overall tone.  AND dark colours provide a sublime backdrop for metallics.  For this space, I’ve used Farrow and Ball, Railings (corner walls).

To add even MORE richness I’ve included the MOTHER of all statement walls: SLATE! This is without a doubt the strongest design element in this room.  It’s downright sexy!

Yes, I said SEXY.

It dominates the room with its lush textures and moody dark tones and is highlighted to perfection with the lighting.  This wall BEGS you to touch it! London Stone has a nice range and if you’re from Northern Ireland, Haldane Fisher can hook you up!  However, if you’re after a quick-fix, with minimal upkeep, there’s no reason why you can’t use a good quality imitation.  The peeps at Dreamwall have a good selection.

Imitation Slate: Dreamwall

I’ve used a restrained colour palette in this space, there’s a few reasons for this.  First of all, this room is texture heavy and contains many eye catching elements.  We don’t want additions of colour to compete with everything else going on in this interior.  I’ve taken inspiration from the piece of art for added pops of colour around the room (also adds consistency).  The curtains are a similar pale blue that can be seen in the art (satin fabric to help visually lift the back wall) and the copper tones have been replicated in various accessories throughout the room (vase, baubles and star).  The greenery also adds a welcome dollop of contrasting colour against the dark hue of the slate wall.

By reigning in the colour palette, the art is allowed to take centre stage, which is aided by having a dark background.  I spotted this piece in Rise Art, by artist Marion Jones and was instantly drawn to the textural copper tones.  It’s eye catching without being too in your face.  Win-win!

Rise Art

Let’s talk about the oars.  I saw an interior a few months ago that had oars resting against a wall and I immediately adored it.  I wouldn’t consider myself an oar lover but it’s just so unexpected to see oars resting casually against a wall in this type of arrangement, so I decided to include them.  If you fancy partaking in a little oar shopping, you can pick these up at Houseology – admittedly I’ve used a pale shade of wood to act as a visual contrast to the darker hues in this space.

I’ve decided that rugs placed under sideboards are a winning combo.  It just makes the whole arrangement much more cohesive.  Yes, I’ve used the same sideboard that I included in my pink and navy design scheme (but changed it to pale wood – the beauty of CG!!).  This rug adds a nice little visual treat with its subdued pattern and can be purchased at Heal’s.  By the by, I’m seriously impressed with the vast range of rugs on offer from Heal’s: bravo!

Rug: Heal’s

Nothing says ‘party time’ more than a disco ball.  It was a no brainer, it was being included in this design scheme (I love it’s retro quality too) but I decided to position it on the floor as opposed to hanging it from the ceiling; it’s a casual vibe that appeals to me.  There’s more visually uplifting elements like the festoon lighting and globe candleholders that all help to soften and add warmth to this design scheme.

When I set about accessorising the sideboard, no matter how many times I arranged and rearranged, it STILL looked flat.  I walked away from my laptop (as I usually do when I hit a creative wall), made a cuppa and pondered…

And then divine inspiration hit me.

A GARLAND!  Ok, it’s more a garland-type-thingy.  Either way, it looks cosmic!  I’ve included ivy, ferns, a few twigs, tiny red flowers and chucked in some baubles for good measure.

The cat picture, which was used in a previous design scheme is the work of Roo Abrook; I couldn’t resist including it.  This cool picture is just too quirky for words!  Finally, the copper bottomed vase is from Habitat – it’s chunky, includes copper and has a textured top section, what’s not to love?!  And lastly, the gorgeous grey chair is from one of my fave Scandinavian Designers, Muuto.

Copper and Black Vase: Habitat

So there you have it, a contemporary, urban styled Christmas interior that STILL includes all of the traditional elements of Christmas but in an unexpected way!

Got some alternative Christmas design tips?  Drop ’em in the comments below!