Christmas Decorations in a Room With No Fireplace

It's a bit of a pickle, really. All our lives we see glorious images of stockings hanging over an open fire and a garland over the mantle. But it isn't the reality for those who live in small apartments. Tiny living rooms with a TV as the point of focus can make it a bit tricky to decorate for this time of year. So I have tried to come up with a few ideas.

Our decorated living room. Matt was admiring the snow out of the window and there was a sense of joy and peacefulness that I had to capture in that moment.

For those of you who struggling to find space to put a tree, why not try a slim pop-up artificial tree? We bought ours last year and it's small enough to store easily, and fits perfectly in a corner, not causing too much disruption to the layout of the room.

A festive red plant is a great way to introduce Christmas colours and can replace any other old plant of vase of flowers. I love the Poinsettia and I have mine sitting on the new coffee table!

A huge bowl full of baubles is a great way to add decoration without hanging some from rented walls. I bought 2 glass bowls I found in the sale and filled one with baubles and another with a huge tin of Quality Street. Having chocolates available in a pretty bowl is a big part of Christmas for me, and is a wonderful little treat when guests are around. And the bowls can be used for deserts or for potpourri at other times in the year.

Candles are also by far my favourtie way of creating a great atmosphere. Tea lights in a variety of holders scattered around the room create yet another twinkle and they work even better in small rooms (I think, anyway). These can be picked up for around a pound and work a treat at dinner parties and other occasions - so really another cheap but great investment.

The Noel sign on the bookshelf was bought on eBay last year and spray painted silver. It cost just a couple of pounds and sits quite boldly in a place that is already crowded with colour.

Finally, add baubles to doornobs and handles of cabinets. It's the simple touches that make all the difference.