Christmas is coming and you want your house to shine? Do you want to create a friendly and festive atmosphere around your home? Here are a few tips on how to brighten up your surroundings.

Trends for 2016

Before you rush to the first decoration shop, you might want to know what the trends are for this Christmas 2016. Well, it's all about natural, barock'n roll (warm colours with touches of gold) and vintage. So instead of going to a shop, you can go through your parents' old stuff and find a light garland from the 1970s! Make sure it still works properly... You can also think "white Christmas" for a timeless and elegant decoration.

A bright house

Having said that, it's time for the action, and the illuminations! A few efforts are all it takes to obtain the most beautiful lighting atmosphere, so there's no need to try to copy this pensioner who each year plugs in 7,500 metres of garlands on 600 sockets. In any case, it's too late, he does it three months in advance! For your part, you can simply put garlands in front of the house, with water droplets or shooting stars for example, surround posts and tree trunks with tube garlands, create a path of photophores... Inflatable structures that light up from the inside are also a great success. Let your imagination run wild, but a word of advice: draw your lighting on paper beforehand rather than improvising once you're up on the ladder.

Some precautions

Your house will certainly be beautifully lit, but beware of the next electricity bill, which could make you disappointed! Choose garlands with LED bulbs or even solar energy. Other precautions to take: make sure your lights are suitable for outdoor use and don't overload your power strips.