Choosing ornament colours
The same gold set looks different against a white wall and a dark green one — and you can plan for that in advance.
By wall colour
| Walls | What works |
|---|---|
| Light, neutral | gold and silver stand out most |
| Dark or coloured | white and clear ornaments add light and don’t get lost against the background |
| The room already has a colour accent | pick up one of the existing colours in the ornaments rather than adding a new one |
By lighting
Warm yellow light enhances gold and red and dulls silver and pale blue. Cool white light does the opposite, flattering silver and clear ornaments.
One rule for every room
Choose one main colour and one accent, and match the rest of the ornaments to them. Three or four colours on one tree usually look like “whatever we found” rather than a considered set.