Baby, it’s cold outside! The leaves are gone, the snow has fallen and the temperature has dropped, but you’d never know it here. It may be winter outside, but the fresh fabrics and bright palette inside offer a new take on Christmas cheer.

This holiday, we’ve got a spring in our step, a perky outlook and a summery disposition thanks to decor that peels back and brightens up the typically heavy layers of holiday tradition. Green is citrine. Red is fuchsia. Velvet is linen. Bells and angels are chinoiserie and fauna. It’s amazing how the simple use of fresh colours and light fabrics can revive the holiday spirit. Why, if you didn’t know better, you’d think it was Christmas in July!

Bear fruit
Summery fabric, used on the dining chairs and as table linens, is also wrapped around hurricane vases. Hits of bright turquoise keep the table from looking too fussy, while juicy oranges make a healthy holiday favour.
Colour code
The key to creating this kind of look is to choose your fabrics wisely. Picking fabrics in two or three colour families allows you to mix and match almost any patterns. And don’t overlook your closet – you can repurpose old dresses and shirts that might not live to see another summer!
Blue Christmas
A tropical-inspired centrepiece filled with blush and white roses, citrine hydrangeas and eye-catching blue poinsettias provides ample colour and texture to the tablescape.
Set for summer
The power of an ornament is incredible: it alone can make a “dog-day” table setting feel holiday. To recreate the effect, tie a name tag to a satin ribbon and embellish with a small ornament (a favour that guests can take home for their own trees). Make your own napkins by cutting or tearing fabric into 20-inch squares and leaving the edges unfinished (or frayed for that shabby-chic summer look). Alternate colours and patterns while sticking to your overall palette to maintain a whimsical vibe.
Preppy trimmings
Thin strips of fabric tied to the tips of Christmas tree branches make a summery substitute for tinsel. For texture, fray the edges by hand-tearing your fabric: using scissors, snip a 1- to 2-inch cut at the top of the fabric, then use your hands to tear along the grain in one swift motion – with gusto! – to the bottom.
Fancy feet
These mossy green silk stockings with leafy ruffled cuffs and citrine presents inside perfectly play off the raspberry-coloured ornaments interspersed among them. Because both stockings and ornaments are strong holiday symbols, a festive scene can be set with pretty much any colour or pattern. A boxwood garland is a holiday element that also takes advantage of the season’s natural flora.
Crowning glory
A traditional boxwood wreath takes this guest bedroom, decked out in light cotton in tropical colours, from merry to Merry Christmas.
Perfect package
Employ an array of playful prints (florals, toiles and botanicals) as gift wrap and ribbon. For the best results, use lightweight fabrics, like cotton and linen, as they’re easier to work with.
Calling cards
With their pink background and red-winged blackbird illustration, these greeting cards seem to say “Happy Spring!” But the white cloud (we like to think it could double as snow) and sparkly border hint at the holiday just enough to suit our scheme.
In the pink
When using a palette limited to only two or three colours, add interest through texture. The tactile appeal of this ruffled strip on the toss cushion bridges the gap between plain and over-patterned.
Tray secrets
Line a serving tray with textured fabric and ground it in the season with your favourite holiday candies, cookies and libations. With the help of pretty papers and a glue gun, a store-bought gift bag is easily transformed to suit the colour scheme.