November has only just begun, but it’s already Christmas in Amanda Holden’s house! The TV personality and radio host has officially decked the halls, and she’s set the bar high when it comes to this year’s Christmas decor inspiration.

With an impressive entryway display, statement wreath and giant tree, Amanda certainly hasn’t held back. But, in my opinion, her festive look is the perfect example of a toned-down take on the trend I’ve been seeing everywhere this year.

So far, the general consensus seems to be that ‘more is more’ this holiday season, with maximalist trends like Merrymaxxing taking over. As the name suggests, this trend is all about bringing festive fun to your home, with the help of everything from tinsel tree skirts to funky Christmas bows. And while Amanda has adopted some of these decor ideas, her scheme ultimately shows that you can go all-out for Christmas, without appearing too kitsch.

While there’s certainly nothing subtle about Amanda’s Christmas scheme, her use of festive foliage means that the overall feel is opulent and refined, rather than cluttered and chaotic. ‘Although everything is on a huge scale, the greenery stops it from feeling too over-the-top,’ explains Gareth Davies, Design Director at Classic Interiors.

‘Amanda has used these enormous arrangements of foliage around the front entrance. The greenery has lots of different textures, which makes the arrangements interesting even before you notice the ornaments,’ he adds. ‘And, because the decorations are built around natural-looking branches rather than endless baubles, they almost feel like an extension of the house itself.’

‘In this case, the foliage is not just there to make the space feel festive; it's actually helping to frame the home,’ agrees Victoria Robinson, style and trend expert at Hillarys. ‘Greenery works hardest when it feels like an extension of the room itself rather than something that's simply been added on for Christmas. Here, our eye naturally follows the garland up the staircase, which draws attention to one of the room's best features’

Amanda’s clever use of foliage, along with her tight colour palette, has allowed her to embrace some of the fun Merrymaxxing motifs, in a way that stays true to her luxe style. ‘Amanda's decorations are a brilliant example of why choosing a consistent colour palette can be much more effective than just buying lots of beautiful individual decorations,’ agrees Gareth.

‘She has carried deep green, teal and gold tones from the front entrance right through to the enormous Christmas tree inside. Everything feels connected, even though the decorations themselves are quite different,’ he adds. And the decorations themselves are also something to behold.

As a staple of merrymaxxing, oversized ornaments have been around for the past few years, and they’re still going strong in this year’s Christmas decor trends, too. From bows, bells and statement reindeer, Amanda has effectively balanced the super-sized elements of her scheme to avoid overwhelm.

‘Supersized ornaments are having a serious moment. They’re brilliant because they bring the drama without blowing the budget. You just need a few of these big beauties and you’re halfway there.’ says Whinnie Williams, Interior Designer and Trends Forecaster for Balsam Hill. ‘But it all comes down to scale and layering. The visual weight of your foliage needs to balance the scale of your oversized item, not fight it.’

‘What stands out about Amanda's Christmas styling is that she's decorating with scale rather than quantity. It would have been easy to keep adding more and more decorations, but she's shown a fair bit of restraint and that's exactly why it works so well,’ adds Victoria. ‘The larger pieces have room to breathe, which makes the whole scheme feel more considered and, ultimately, more expensive.’

Recreate the look

Although Amanda had help from a professional floral artist to bring her festive vision to life, there’s no reason why you can’t steal Amanda’s style yourself.

‘The biggest takeaway from Amanda's scheme is that a few oversized decorations will often create far more impact than lots of smaller ornaments dotted around the room,’ says Victoria. ‘When you pair those statement pieces with plenty of greenery, the overall look feels layered and luxurious without feeling cluttered or overdone.’

So have a go at experimenting with scale and layering this Christmas. Just remember to keep your colour scheme tight and practise intentional restraint, rather than throwing everything at your home at once. These festive buys will help you get started.

Has Amanda inspired you to transform your home into a winter wonderland? Or is it still too early in your eyes?