A Christmas tree is one of the most special parts of the holiday season, so making the most out of the short time it's up is essential. This is why we're making a strong case for the kitchen Christmas tree - a fun addition to your cooking space that brings the festive atmosphere to more corners of your home.
Kitchens can often feel like purely practical spaces, but they're increasingly becoming areas where a lot of living also takes place. Whether you have a fully open plan kitchen or an island that family and friends gravitate towards, adding the best artificial christmas tree or a striking alternative into the fold will inject magic into every corner of your home.
1. Move furniture to make room
You might be thinking, where on earth would a Christmas tree sit in an already hectic kitchen? The answer might be simpler than you think - a 6ft tree may indeed be a bit tricky, but reshuffling furniture will allow you to squeeze a respectable-sized tree in.
'With faux varieties, you can position your tree anywhere in your scheme; remember that a lamp table can be stowed until after Christmas to make space, (the lights of the tree can take over), and a faux tree will happily take the heat in the kitchen and a slim tree in the hallway creates a warm welcome for guests,' explains Danielle Le Valliant, head of photography and film at Cox & Cox.
If you have a bar cart or armchair that you can move out of a kitchen for the month of December, this will mean you can enjoy the festive atmosphere in your cooking space, too.
2. Accessorise an island
A Christmas tree can take up a fair amount of floor space, and regardless of whether you have square footage to give, you might not want it to get in the way.
A smaller, tabletop Christmas tree is the perfect solution. You can either go super mini style that acts as a festive plant alternative, or you can choose a slightly taller one, depending on the space you have available. Some of the Ideal Home team look after mini christmas trees in their gardens, which they bring into the kitchen each festive season.
When combined with other festive foliage around a kitchen, your space will look warm and inviting without any one decorative item taking up too much room.
Whether you want to send this letterbox mini tree to a loved one or yourself, it's such an adorable way of adding festivity to a small kitchen.
If you have a little bit more room to work with, this 3ft Dunelm artificial tree will look rustic without impeding too much.
The White Company is one of our favourite places to shop for artificial Christmas trees - they look so authentic and chic.
3. Choose a Christmas twig
Minimalist, Christmas twig trees, like the John Lewis Christmas twig tree, are trending this year, offering a space-saving option that is far more suited to busy, high-traffic rooms.
Twigs are a versatile kitchen Christmas tree, too - you can technically leave it up and decorate for any season, whether it's Easter baubles or birthday greeting cards.
The high street has some fabulous options in different shapes and sizes, with John Lewis in particular wowing us with their realistic options, but you can also head out into nature to create your own. Adding branches to a festive vase along with some fairy lights will be the perfect bit of foliage in a cooking space.
'Opting for something more sparse, like a twig tree, works for countertops but is also a great option for near a window as these barer branches won’t block natural light,' adds Whinnie Williams, Interior Designer and Trends Forecaster for Balsam Hill.
This natural-looking birch tree style is currently the bestselling twig tree on the John Lewis website.
Considering its 6ft size and that it comes pre-lit, this tree is one of the value twig designs I've seen, selling for just £49.
If you're lacking floor space or are after a smaller tree to decorate a console table or a sideboard with, this 3ft birch twig tree is perfect for you.
4. Pick an alternative aesthetic
It's likely that a kitchen Christmas tree is a secondary tree in your home, so it's the perfect opportunity to opt for a different style than in your main living space.
Perhaps your main Christmas tree has a traditional folk aesthetic or a strict colour scheme - a kitchen tree could therefore be a chance to have fun with kitsch baubles or a fun-coloured tree - Ideal Home's Editor-in-Chief, Heather Young, is experimenting with this gold John Lewis Christmas tree in her kitchen this year.
If space is a real issue then there are also wall-hung options that bring the merry spirit into your kitchen. This wooden IKEA tree doubles up as an advent calendar that you can customise yourself.
5. Choose a slimline style
Whether you have a small kitchen or the layout just seriously doesn't allow for a full-size Christmas tree, fear not - slimline trees are the answer.
'Kitchens are high traffic spaces so think smaller scale but still full of personality. A slimline tree tucked into an empty corner or even a countertop mini tree will do the trick,' explains Whinnie Williams, interior designer and trends forecaster for Balsam Hill.
'If you want the look and feel of a traditional tree without the same fullness, slimline trees, such as the Silverado Slim, are a great option. Or you can get a flatback tree which sits flush against the wall - these still give you the same height as a classic tree, just without the bulk.'
This snow-tipped slimline tree offers a slightly different take on tradition.
If you want to treat yourself to a luxury tree that will last, Balsam Hill is exactly where to go.
This slimline tree from Very looks so chic - the base has a Scandi effect which will be perfect in a kitchen.
Christmas is the time to go all out and this certainly extends to our kitchens - the kitchen Christmas tree is the finishing touch to a very merry holiday season.
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