What your Christmas decorations say about you – and which tribe do you belong to?
In my 20 years writing about interiors I’ve found there are 7 clear Christmas decorating tribes - find out what your tree says about you.
In my 20 years writing about interiors I’ve found there are 7 clear Christmas decorating tribes - find out what your tree says about you.
You never forget your first Christmas tree. Mine was a small, tinselly affair barely a foot tall, perched beside my bed when I was six. I wrapped presents for my favourite toys and tucked them beneath its spindly ‘branches’, decorating it with tiny baubles, homemade paper chains and a star fashioned from tin foil.
Each year it emerged from the loft a little barer and more bedraggled, until eventually it was relegated to the bin. It would be another 15 years before I had a tree of my own again – this time a proper six-foot Nordmann fir, ready to be dressed entirely to my taste.
Since then, I’ve stayed largely faithful to the same decorative formula. It’s unapologetically Scandi-leaning: red and white felt ornaments, red gingham ribbon (no tinsel, ever) and what I consider tasteful baubles shaped like Christmas puddings and gingerbread men. Do I get bored? Absolutely not.
I relish the ritual, the familiarity, the comfort of unpacking the same decorations year after year.
That said, my job means I get to live out my Christmas decorating fantasies vicariously through others – and I’ve seen it all. Black trees, twig trees, upside-down trees (very big about a decade ago), festooned with giant bows or blinking multicoloured ‘chilli’ lights.
And I’ll admit it: I judge every single one. Because whether you realise it or not, the way you dress your Christmas tree says far more about you than you might think.
So in no particular order, here are some of the most popular decorating approaches I see and what I think they say about you.
I’ve also enlisted Josh Branigan, Furniture and Home Interiors Expert at furniture and homeware retailer Cuckooland for a second (and probably kinder) opinion. Which of these styles ring true with you?
The traditionalist’s Christmas tree plays by the rules — and they wouldn’t have it any other way. Expect a tightly edited colour palette (red, green and gold are the holy trinity) and a carefully curated selection of decorations. Baubles and bells reign supreme, topped off with a star or angel that has earned its place through years of loyal service.
Nothing too quirky or homespun is allowed anywhere near the branches of a traditionalist’s tree. If there are glitter-glued creations or pasta angels in the household, they’ve been diplomatically relocated to a separate “kids’ tree” in another room.
Your tree itself is equally dependable. It might be a faux fir that’s been unpacked every December for decades, or a real one bought from the same farm, on the same weekend closest to the 1st December, without fail.
However it arrives, it’s decorated with precision and purpose — because for the traditionalist, Christmas cheer is all about order, tradition, and knowing exactly where everything belongs.
Even before you step inside a nature lover’s home and you might think they’d been ‘growing Christmas’ all year long. From the wreath on the door – handmade with fir, holly sprigs and pine cones foraged locally – to a star made from woven twigs topping the tree, everything has been foraged and found outside.
The tree itself is, of course, real — ideally a bit wonky and smelling strongly of pine. Needles on the floor are simply part of the experience, like sand at the beach or mud on hiking boots. Lights are soft and warm, woven gently through the branches rather than wrapped tight, creating the feeling of a forest clearing at dusk.
Ornaments are rarely shiny and almost never plastic. Instead, branches are home to wooden animals, felt mushrooms, cinnamon sticks tied up with twine, and at least one decoration that prompts the question, “Is that squirrel/angel/elf made from… a pine cone?” Yes. Yes it is.
“Dried citrus slices, wooden ornaments and soft, natural foliage reveal a fondness for texture, tactility and organic materials,” says Josh.
“There’s a gentle, grounding quality to this style that offers quiet refuge during such a bright and busy season.
“If this aligns with your taste, then you are most definitely the Nature Lover, someone who brings the calm of the natural world into their festive home.”
The party animal’s Christmas decor is not here to be subtle. It’s ‘a mood’ as the kids might say. More is more, the brighter the better, and if you can’t see an ornament sparkling from across the room (or, let’s face it, across the street), it needs more glitter.
Expect a joyfully chaotic colour palette – neon pinks, electric blues, lime greens – and a lot of metallics.
Ornaments clash proudly and without apology. Disco balls dangle next to novelty cocktails and busts of David Bowie and Freddie Mercury, and there are decorations that light up, spin, or both. There’s probably a tiny Santa wearing sunglasses in there somewhere. Sentimental heirlooms exist, but they’re all now wearing tinsel.
The tree itself is most likely fake, and probably pink or white or black, rather than the traditional green. It doesn’t matter, as long as it can handle the weight of the decorations and the occasional enthusiastic dance move.
Because let’s face it, even decorating it is an excuse for a party. Lights are layered. Then layered again. Flashing, colour-changing, music-synced — if there’s a setting called “too much,” it’s been switched on.
“Vibrant colours, playful baubles and lights that sparkle in every shade reveal a love of energy, joy and celebration,” says Josh. “This looks most at home in eclectic, expressive interiors where personality is part of the design.”
“The atmosphere created is lively, warm and instantly uplifting, turning the home into a natural gathering place. If this is how you decorate, then you are unmistakably the Party Animal, someone who brings festive cheer wherever you go.”
“Crisp white lights, a limited palette and a perfectly coordinated scheme suggest an appreciation for order, calm and contemporary design,” is what makes a Modernist Christmas decorator, according to Josh. “Every decoration feels intentional, chosen to sit harmoniously within a clean, understated interior.”
The modernist’s Christmas tree is less a festive free-for-all and more a masterclass in restraint. The colour scheme is tight — monochrome, metallics, or perhaps a single accent colour if they’re feeling rebellious.
Matte finishes are preferred. Ornaments are evenly spaced and carefully edited. Each bauble earns its place, and if two are too similar, one will quietly be removed for the sake of balance. Novelty decorations are treated with downright suspicion.
The tree is immaculate. Whether real or artificial, it’s tall, slim, symmetrical, and suspiciously free of gaps. Lights are woven with mathematical precision, and in crisp cool white with not a blink or flash to be seen. The topper, if present, is minimal — a simple star, a geometric form, or nothing at all… because negative space is a design choice.
Decorating is a calm, focused process. There is no chaos, no last-minute improvising, and absolutely no “just pop it there.” For the modernist, Christmas cheer comes from clarity, cohesion, and the quiet satisfaction of a tree that looks exactly like it belongs in a very tasteful December magazine spread.
Perhaps the most exhausted of all our festive decorators is the Trend Follower. For this tribe, Christmas decorating doesn’t begin in late November, or even at the first hint of winter, but the very moment they return from their summer holiday.
While everyone else is unpacking sandals, they’re already setting up Pinterest boards, analysing social feeds, and quietly clocking which influencers have started “teasing” their Christmas content.
They know what’s in before it’s officially in — whether that’s giant bows, draped garlands, colour-drenched trees or a very specific shade of festive brown. By the time December arrives, they’re executing a vision months in the making.
Chicken wire, Command hooks and cable ties are purchased in bulk, ready to support on-trend winter wonderlands, over-the-top front door arches and living room grottos that look suspiciously like a styled shoot. This year it’s oversized bows tied to every available surface. Next year? Anyone’s guess — but rest assured, they’ll already be preparing for it.
By Christmas morning, the trend follower may be running on fumes, held upright by caffeine and festive spirit alone. If they wake up exhausted with sprigs of holly in their hair and glitter on their still-smiling face, don’t be alarmed. It’s simply the price of being ahead of the curve.
Tree? What tree? If you can’t see one, you’ve probably arrived at the home of a decorating Grinch, who can’t think of anything worse than clearing up trails of pine needles and finding glitter embedded in their sofa cushions six months from now.
Instead their home features subtle nods to Christmas. A door wreath here, an arrangement of fir sprigs there, maybe even a small herd of golden reindeer on a sideboard.
But of all the Christmas Grinches, this one is the most forgivable. “When decorations are pared back to a simple wreath or a single carefully considered arrangement, it often reflects a preference for simplicity and space,” says Josh. “There is real beauty in restraint, particularly in minimalist homes where clutter is kept firmly at bay.”
“This measured approach brings calm and clarity to the season, offering a subtle nod to festivity without disturbing the flow of the room. If this feels familiar, then you are an understated Christmas Minimalist, a refined version of the so-called ‘Grinch’, but with undeniable taste.”
Last but not least, we have my favourite of the Christmas decorating clans – the sentimentalists. These are the festive folk for whom every decoration has a story, and aesthetics come second to nostalgia, family history, and emotional value.
They may love a theme, with baubles from every country they’ve visited, ornaments that resemble all the family’s favourite foods, or maybe one slightly baffling animal collection that’s grown organically over the years.
Sometimes nothing matches, but everything matters. Each decoration is tied to a memory — a first Christmas in a new home, a childhood craft project, a gift from someone who simply insisted it would “look lovely on the tree”.
The tree is a living archive. Handmade ornaments sit proudly beside shop-bought classics, and yes, the glitter-glued pasta creations are front and centre here, because they were made with love and tiny, sticky fingers.
Decorating takes time, not because it’s precise, but because every ornament sparks a story that must be told, usually in full over a glass of mulled wine. For the sentimentalist, Christmas cheer isn’t about perfection — it’s about remembrance, connection, and the comforting glow of a tree that feels like home.
(Hero image credit: Getty)
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