Christmas is the time of year to bring the outside in. Fragrant pine trees are decorated with twinkling fairy lights and placed in the corner of sitting rooms and the halls are decked with boughs of holly.

If you want to achieve a cosy, country Christmas interior this year, opt for rustic finishes layered with festive sprigs and snuggly soft furnishings such as woollen throws and tartan cushions. Keep the fireplace stocked up with logs for a continuous warm glow that will make your space comforting, sociable and perfect for entertaining with close friends and family. (Read The Field’s guide to Christmas gifts for the sporting man.)

If you have a neutral sitting room scheme, brighten it up with festive colours and create a Scandi-style theme by opting for a large pine tree laden with red and white decorations. Dress the mantelpiece with garlands of glossy green holly, scarlet berries and pine cones, and place a large, wooden vintage-style trunk in the centre of a thick woven rug for a makeshift coffee table and storage for cosy throws and blankets.

Be inspired by the Highlands for this year’s country Christmas interior and transform your space into a festive winter cabin with statement pieces like a tartan wing chair, a shaggy sheepskin rug and a single cushion embroidered with a Highland cattle motif. (Read The Field’s definitive Christmas gift guide.)

18 ideas for country Christmas interiors

1. Make it a Christmas to remember

Get creative and craft rag garlands and card strings to decorate a cosy fireplace. Mix the colours of a countryside Christmas in pine green and holly red along with ditsy florals and traditional tartan in stockings and throws. Carve rosy apples into tea light holders for another shot of red and dress the mantel with cheery cyclamen and eucalyptus.

2. Make the most of red and green

Welcome the magic of Christmas into your sitting room with a deep winter palette. A smart herringbone sofa looks cosy set against smoky green walls and layered with a knitted throw, while a floral rug keeps the room pretty and toasty for present opening. The real tree is given a less-is-more approach with rustic wood-cut stars and pretty paper shapes in vibrant red.

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3. Go far out with foliage

Be bold with fresh foliage to make a big impact in a white modern sitting room. Stick with evergreens such as eucalyptus and ferns for fragrance and longevity, then go supersize for a playful twist on the traditional festive wreath. The simple colours evoke the snow-topped forests of Scandinavia, working well with the soft grey sofa and faux fur throw. A few festive ornaments finish the look while retaining a laid-back feel.

4. Combine copper with rose gold

Create a beautiful focal point at the over mantel mirror with an abundance of long tapered candles in different metallic finishes. A few generous copper baubles will tie the tree in to the whole rooms décor and create a harmonious festive feeling without dominating the room.

5. Cheer up an armchair

Make yourself comfortable on a winter’s evening in an armchair wide enough for curling up in. The bare branches of winter trees create a geometric pattern perfect for a cushion fabric; add rusty tones in stripes and hexagons to keep the look fresh and contemporary.

6. Add winter warmers

Layer up the cosiness with woollen blankets and cushions for fireside armchairs. Keeping additional throws close to hand in baskets or blanket boxes will allow your guests to snuggle up on sofas, armchairs and window seats without having to ask. Look for Christmassy designs in keeping with your furniture and your tree for a room scheme that looks effortlessly co-ordinated.

7. Create a warm atmosphere

Go for winter woollies in a big way with a cable-knit covered wing chair and heaps of textured cushions and throws. A white-flocked Christmas tree is a gentle reminder of frosty mornings.

8. Arrange cosy armchairs around the fire

The crofter look inspires this sitting room, with armchairs in heather shades and rustic furnishings set against subtle grey walls. Pep up the purple content with a floral Christmas garland.

9. Add chunky knits for a laid-back look

Warm up around the sitting room fire with chunky knits on the sofa and a sheepskin rug draped over the footstool. Add festive style to the mantelpiece with a star, candlesticks and wintry green garland.

10. Create a chalet-style sitting room

On a frosty Christmas night, gather around a country-style stove in the sitting room, with a curtain at the door to ward off draughts. Cosy up your favourite chair with a festive stag cushion.

11. Add plenty of festive throws

For the timeless atmosphere of a country club, pick out plump sitting room armchairs in stripes of rich scarlet and blue. An angel-motif cushion ups the comfort, while a berry-tipped wreath adds a festive note.

12. Make use of tartan for a warm atmosphere

Look to the highlands for your Christmas theme, choosing a luxurious checked wool carpet and tartan wing chair, with a shaggy sheepskin to make your sitting room extra cosy. Deck the tree with jolly reindeer.

14. Opt for a laid-back scheme

Choose sequin-trimmed linens for extra special cushions to dress a loose-covered armchair. The sparkly theme continues with gold and silver gift wrap for the presents under the tree.

15. Create a folk art Christmas sitting room

Theme the Christmas tree in colours taken from framed napkins and tea towels depicting beasts and birds of the forest. Panel-effect wallpaper provides a country-style backdrop in the sitting room.

16. Light candles and get cosy by the fire with cushions and throws

Create a warm atmosphere by lighting candles on the mantlepiece. Cheerful red and white cushions and crocheted or knitted blankets set the scene for a country Christmas away from it all with good friends. Stock up with a tub of bubbly to toast the season.

16. Go Scandi-style

This snug family sitting room is perfect for a traditional Scandi-style Christmas. Treat yourself to red and white decorations and accessories, which will work well with wooden furniture. A vintage-style trunk is a great makeshift coffee table and can also be used to store throws and blankets.

17. Keep things light and bright

With distressed wooden furniture, this pale scheme has a feminine touch and would suit a vintage-style sitting room for Christmas. Fill the room with lanterns and candles and a pale linen sofa to go with neutral walls and flooring. Rather than a traditional-style Christmas tree, pick a white artificial design instead and hang pretty decorations in pink, silver and other shimmering shades.

This article was originally published on our sister site Ideal Home, the destination for home decorating ideas and project tips.

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