Hibernaculum

An eco festive styling guide for winter comfort...

A hibernaculum is the winter dwelling place of refuge for animals to overwinter. The winter season is a time of excess, but that doesn't mean it can't be considered and eco-conscious. Below are our favourite trends and ideas for beautifully sustainable festive styling through Autumn to Winter.

Embrace the slower pace and feather your nest to see out the winter months. 

Make the most of available horizontal surfaces.

Tables and side boards are great areas for festive displays and are easily updated and changed as the season shifts. Spend some time foraging for different flowers and natural elements like pine cones and conkers and add them to bowls of scented decorations. Dried flowers are a great way of bringing beautiful seasonal colours in from outside and can be personalised with things like feathers and wire flowers to create a highly unique display.

Use natural materials.

Glass, wood, fabric, metal and natural decorations or ornaments are the most environmentally friendly ways to accessorise. Not only do they last a lifetime and can become family heirlooms, but they also have a much lighter environmental footprint.

Reusable homewares are the ultimate must for a sustainable festive decor.

Choosing cloth table runners and luxury reusable linen napkins that will last you a lifetime, instead of paper, is the easiest and simplest way to start being more sustainable. It also makes it much easier to build a colour palette from if you already have a starting point. Stick with neutrals if you enjoy changing up colours regularly or pick a favourite colour or pattern to enjoy time after time. Switching to using cloth gift wrap or recycled paper for presents during the festive season is also an easy swap. You can even match the two to create a really cohesive feel to your entire festive theme. Reusable advent calendars that you can add your own small gifts to are a great way of keeping the fun each year without huge wastage.

Make it unique

Using handmade decorations adds a luxurious feel to any decor. Whether you buy handmade or have a go at making your own, recycling excess material and creating bespoke products to suit your style is a great way of sustainable styling. The key to creating a sumptuous and cohesive feel is to choose carefully and plan for the long term. Think of it as building a collection that each year you can add to, mix and match.

Scent matters.

Scented candles or diffusers are a wonderful way to create atmosphere in your home, not just during the festive period but all year round. Scent is one of our strongest senses and certain fragrances will evoke a festive, wintery atmosphere. Musky accent scents like teakwood, tobacco and frankincense are great for an autumnal feel, and accents like cinnamon, orange and clove will add a very festive note. Try and use beeswax candles that have a hemp, cotton or wood wick as these are the most sustainable. Coconut, soy or rapeseed wax are also more environmentally friendly options, avoid anything with paraffin in. You could have a go at making your own using natural oils as a fun rainy day activity.

Grow Green.

Growing or making your own decorations is a really fun way of adding your own personalty to your festive scheme. Using dried local foliage and flowers is a really sustainable way of not only highlighting the natural beauty to be found in your local area, but also a great way of getting out and exploring the overlooked spaces we inhabit. Birch twigs, holly and ivy make a great base to build from. If you’re after something more long term, you can use favourite scrap fabric and add decorative elements or create a super luxurious feel by embellishing and beading your fabric wreath.

Use LED lighting.

Using up to 80% less energy, this is a really simple and easy switch to make not just your seasonal decorations more sustainable, but any and all decorative touches you use throughout the year. Switching to solar powered light for outdoor lighting reduces both environmental impact and light pollution. Get a timer switch for both and reduce your energy consumption even more!

Natural beauty.

As you move into December and the festive feeling begins to intensify, add extra pops of colour and intrigue by adding handmade dried fruit decorative garlands. Dried orange, cinnamon and pine cone displays add a wonderfully festive feel to autumn and winter displays. Include additional pieces to existing displays to create a really cohesive feel throughout your home.

Create a feast for your eyes.

For December’s festivities go all out and let your imagination run wild by creating and decorating a gingerbread house (which can then be shared with guests over a delicious hot drink of choice). Bowls of mixed nuts and clementines add interest and warmth to sideboard displays.

Style your gifts sustainably.

As pretty as many Christmas papers are, many of them are not recyclable and create a lot of waste. Consider buying handprinted recycled paper as a sustainable alternative, or have a go at making your own. Using sustainable twine, add dried fruit, birch twigs and berries to wrapping to add a luxe feel. If you’re using cloth, have a go at the Japanese Furoshiki technique, or look up some origami folding techniques to add that extra special gifting element. If you’re using a plain paper or fabric, adding multiple decorative ribbons and layers of ribbon will add an extra special feel.

Maximise minimalism.

For a truly sustainable festive approach, you could rent your Christmas tree, have a pot planted growing tree or embrace the minimalist approach and have a wall mounted wooden tree. Add layers of decorations and lights to create a stand-out display.

Last but not least.

Decorative plants are an excellent way of making subtle decorative alterations throughout the year. Christmas cacti, Poinsettias and rosemary are all great options that can be grown in pots throughout the year and then shown off to their full glory at Christmas time.