Jumpstart Christmas 2024: 3 Beautiful Color Trends to Enchant your Home
Christmas is less than 100 days away, and enchantment makers are already hard at work. Let’s jumpstart the holiday season with stunning color themes to inspire your holiday décor! In the coming weeks, we will be sharing DIYs, Food, vignettes, and gifts within these themes and we hope you’ll follow along.
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Goth Rococo
The first color theme for the 2024 holiday season is Goth Rococo. This style juxtaposes the ornate, feminine elegance of Rococo with the darker, moody elements of Gothic and Victorian design. The color story combines playful candy pink and sophisticated French blue, set against a grounding backdrop of black. Accents of metallic gold or bronze add texture and shine, creating a rich, luxurious feel.
Why choose Goth Rococo for 2024?
While Gothic and Rococo may seem like an unlikely pairing, fashion designers have been embracing Rococo elements on the runway for the past few seasons. Rococo, is known for its ornate flourishes—Think ribbons, large bows, damask prints, and scrollwork. These fashion elements are part of the growing move to a larger context of glamor and romance in fashion. But how does a romantic aesthetic fit with goth? A recent trend that highlights this blend is the goth western style we saw in Spring/Summer 2024, which, while evolving into boho, left behind a lasting appreciation for dark, vampy romance or a dark coquette aesthetic. Designers like Simone Rocha for Jean Paul Gaultier, Karl Lagerfeld, and Zuhair Murad have shown us that gothic elements can be seamlessly woven into romantic, tiered skirts and sheer, scrolled fashions.
And it’s not just fashion—pink and pastel colors have been trending in interiors, even for holiday décor. Think of the mermaid and sweet shoppe holiday themes we’ve seen in recent years. For 2024, expect to see even more pink, thanks in part to the Barbie movie’s influence.
Setting the Mood
Rococo is all about opulence, so add maximalist touches like gold, metallic accents, and florals for that signature look. Another emerging trend is chinoiserie. Popular during the Rococo era, it complements pastel colors perfectly, while staying historically accurate. You’ll see chinoiserie-inspired Christmas décor at places like Williams Sonoma, Frontgate, and Amazon.
Finally, to balance the theme, add hints of black. The goal isn’t to overwhelm with gothic darkness but to ground and elevate the over-the-top opulence of Rococo.
If you’re excited to start planning your Goth Rococo holiday, check out our Pinterest board for more inspiration. And if you love pastels but prefer a different palette, take a look at our French Provincial holiday theme from last year, featuring seafoam green and lavender.
Apothecary
Our next color theme is Apothecary. Inspired by the classic apothecary and garden aesthetic, this theme offers a fresh and bright twist on what’s usually a darker, heavier style. The color story combines bright greens with pops of red, set against a neutral backdrop of beige, vanilla, and gray. This look combines glass textures with weathered vintage charm for a unique, timeless feel.
Why choose Apothecary?
Natural and woodland motifs have dominated the holiday space for the past few years. In 2024, we’re shifting from whimsical woods to a more pared-back, garden-focused aesthetic. This shift is largely inspired by biophilic design trends—an interior style seen in the rise of modern organic and Japandi aesthetics, which emphasize minimalism while highlighting natural materials and nature.
We covered the basics of biophilic design in our Nature-Inspired DIY video (which features great gift ideas for this theme), but to recap: biophilia is the love of all that is alive. Biophilic design incorporates nature into living spaces to enhance human well-being.
Another influence on this theme is the renewed interest in farming and homesteading, sparked by the events of 2020, food scarcity concerns, rising food prices, and the pursuit of a simpler, healthier life. As we return to nature, it’s natural that this focus would be reflected in our celebrations. In fact, Raz Imports, a leading wholesaler for holiday and interior decor, has included “Christmas in the Garden” as one of their key themes this year. Expect to see more floral and garden-inspired ornaments throughout the season.
Setting the Mood
Apothecary focuses on nature, making greenery essential. Rather than being overly decorated, this style leans toward simplicity with a touch of vintage charm. Weathered wood and low-shine metallic textures enhance the apothecary feel. Incorporate glass apothecary jars and clear ornaments to add textural interest and keep the theme light.
You can also bring in natural elements like rosemary, dried oranges, cinnamon, and lavender to evoke the herbal healing aspect of the apothecary aesthetic. Accent the greenery with pops of red, along with rustic grays and browns. For an added touch, consider blending in some Nordic or Scandinavian style to round out the look.
If you’re feeling inspired by this color story, be sure to check out our Holiday Pinterest board.
La Belle Afrique
Our third color theme is La Belle Afrique. La Belle Afrique celebrates the beauty of African design with a contemporary lens. Rich browns, bold blacks, and sleek golds create a chic and modern color story. Texture and pattern mixing round out this color story adding elements of soulful exuberance common in African design.
Why choose La Belle Afrique?
La Belle Afrique, meaning “The Beautiful Africa,” highlights the African continent as a rising global power. By 2050, Africa’s population is expected to double, and by 2100, 1 in 3 people will be African. With this growth, there will be a greater interest in and demand for the aesthetics of African design.
We’re already seeing a shift, with brands like Target, Aarhus, and Banana Republic Home embracing bold, safari-inspired designs as well as safari animal ornaments. There is also a resurgence of bold animal prints in both interiors and fashion.
While safari is an obvious interpretation of the African aesthetic, there have also been opportunities to reclaim African heritage by African and African diaspora peoples. Brands are increasingly collaborating with Black and African diaspora artists, such as Sheila Bridges with her Harlem Toile series at Williams Sonoma or Justina Blakeney’s Jungalow brand at Target. In fashion, Hugo Boss has teamed up with Afrobeats musician Burna Boy, and Gap has collaborated with music artist Tyla.
It’s important to remember that Africa is a vast continent with many countries, cultures, and a rich diaspora, making it difficult to define a single “African aesthetic.” As Tapiwa Matsinde, an author, content creator, and design consultant, said on the podcast My African Aesthetic (Season 2, Episode 5): “From my point of view, [African aesthetic] stands for creativity, it stands for soulfulness, it stands for the freedom to explore, and it stands for diversity… it doesn’t need to be put into boxes… So when we use the umbrella term of an African aesthetic, we have to be open to its diversity. It could be bright colors, it could be neutrals, it could be different textures… it’s up to the creator.”
Setting the Mood
La Belle Afrique is minimal and contemporary with bold black, warm brown wood, and sleek gold. With these colors as a backdrop, la belle Afrique is open to interpretation, finding inspiration from a wide variety of African cultures or diaspora influences. Add some fun with safari animal prints for an eclectic take or lean into natural elements and organic shapes by incorporating wood, raffia, and other natural materials. To keep the style contemporary contrast hard, soft, and shiny textures. Leather is another great textile addition for accenting the theme.
For more inspirations, be sure to check out our La Belle Afrique Pinterest board, which is linked in the description box.
We hope these three color stories have inspired you for the upcoming holiday season. If you’d like to follow along with any of the themes, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and stay tuned to the blog. We’ll be sharing DIYs, recipes, and gift ideas all related to these themes in the coming weeks.