Prepping your home for Christmas? Tell Valspar what theme or colour scheme you're going for & you could win a £300 Love2Shop voucher NOW CLOSED

[ZaneMumsnet]

Christmas is fast approaching so now is the time to make sure your home is looking fabulous and ready for all the guests and festivities. Valspar would love to hear how you’re planning to ensure your home wows this year.

Valspar says: “The home is at the heart of Christmas, it’s the place where friends and family gather to spend quality time together, so it’s the perfect time to give it a refresh to make sure it’s looking at its best. Valspar’s unique colour matching technology can replicate any colour the eye can see, so whether you hope to spruce up the paint in the hallway in a shade to match a favourite fabric, or create a striking feature wall to match a festive bauble and complement your beautifully decorated Christmas tree, Valspar has it covered. Simply take a colour sample to your local B&Q and the exact shade can be matched in paint form.

Valspar’s super scrub formula also makes it perfect for busy family homes. After the party season, walls can be wiped down and scrubbed clean without chipping or compromising the colour – so whether there’s been a gravy explosion or a cranberry sauce mishap, you don’t have to worry.”

So, do you have a particular colour scheme you're going for when it comes to prepping the home for Christmas? Perhaps you’re going for a neutral theme, with handpicked Scandinavian decorations? Or will you be keeping traditional and filling your home with reds, greens and golds? Maybe you plan to get crafty and make your decorations from scratch?

However you’re planning to decorate this Christmas, Valspar would love to hear about it!

Everyone who adds a comment to this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will receive a £300 Love2Shop voucher.

Thanks and good luck,
MNHQ

PS: To give you a little bit of inspiration, visit Valspar's Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest

[zeetea]

I'm doing a full on 'Autumn Clean!' Scrubbing floors, deep cleaning the oven/fridge, sorting out the gutters and drains, clearing out wardrobes and the loft - I love a sparkling clean house for Christmas with plenty of space to put all the new stuff afterwards :D
I have a pretty neutral style so sticking to a gold and silver theme, it's lovely and twinkly in the evenings!

[Admarks]

Having moved in to our first home as a married couple last November, I really want this year to feel like a proper Christmas. Last year was spent with no tree, minimal decorations and on garden chairs as our sofa didn't fit through the lounge and nowhere would deliver before Christmas!

We are half way through redecorating and have gone for a neutral theme - we are hoping to finish one more room before Christmas as we are hosting this year and so all hands to the decks for the next few weeks!

Our Christmas theme is whites, golds and glass when we dust off and decorate our tree. I'm looking forward testing our gas fire and having our cable knit stockings waiting with the wooden nativity on the mantle. Despite the colour theme, I always have a poinsettia or two - the minute I see them I know Christmas is coming!

Christmas is as much about the smells and so mulled wine/spice candles will be out from 1st Dec!

We are hoping that this will be our last Christmas as a couple, still waiting for the BFP for #1 (glass baubles will hopefully be relegated in 2016!).

[hopelessadventure]

We're in the middle of decorating so our house is in chaos so I think that Christmas decorating will be a welcome break. I'm going for a traditional tree this year but with no additional decorations. I just want simplicity. But the tree is the best part. I love to come home turn the lights on and shut the world out.

[MrsLittner]

We're very dull, the same decorations tend to go in the same place each year .

We have a very neutral colour scheme through all of the house. I have bought some new fleecy throws though for the front room and I always have some Christmas scented candles to make the house feel cosy. Closer to Christmas I like lots of holly around the house in vases etc.

Just waiting for some new blinds for the dining/kitchen as this year we are likely to eat more often in there and again, it would be nice to make it a bit more cosy.

[FeelingSmurfy]

We went purple and silver one year but the next we all agreed we preferred our usual red and gold. We have a mix and match of ornaments we have collected over years too, but those are the base colours

[CopperPan]

Ours is a mish mash of bits we've collected over the years. Probably the main colours are light blue and lilac, but that's not completely deliberate. We always remember when we got particular decorations, as we take turns to pick a new one each year.

[CheeseAtFourpence]

We have a traditional theme in the house - stockings on the fireplace, a few lovely bits and pieces here and there such as an old musical snow globe and wooden reindeers.

It fits with our neutral decor and takes me back to my childhood.

[Thecatknowsshesboss]

I tried having a tree one year with only two colours and it looked ok but really was quite boring. Now we have DD we have some homemade tree decorations and one chosen by her each year which make the tree really special. We also have to make sure we get shatterproof baubles as the cat (14!) still likes playing with them.

[Frolicacid]

Ours is a bit of a mix of lots of things, but mainly red and green. I have loads of baubles bought from woolworths for our first house that are very sentimental to us. We been scented candles most days, but swap from vanilla to Christmas spice as of the first of December.

[Sansfards]

Just chucked a bit of Valspar up on the walls, genuinely! Neglecting all the rooms crying out for a tart up we opted to do the only one that didn't really need it because it'll be cosy for Christmas. Job well done

[OohMrDarcy]

To get ready for christmas I do a big winter / pre christmas clear out and declutter in all rooms, then I go through and do a deep clean everywhere (starting this weekend), that means its all ready for the decorations and cleaning kept to a maintenance level whlst they are up

I don't redecorate for christmas!

Colouriwse, in the lounge I have ice blue / sliver / glass and lots of greenery everywhere else

[Buttons23]

We have just bought a new dining table so it's here for Christmas. I also do a declutter and a deepclean in November so then the decorations go up in the first week of December.

We have not got the money to change the theme of decorations every year but we do buy our ds a new tree decoration and I might buy one or two bits if they catch my eye.
I love Christmas scented candles around the house this time of year as well.

[ChippyMinton]

I'll be having a tidy up and shift furniture around to fit the Christmas tree in, and make space to extend the dining table.

Rather than put everything out at once, I prefer to gradually add stuff, starting with advent calendars and a wreath on the front door on 1st December, then decorate the hall and finally the tree, and maybe some outdoor lights in mid December.

[Purplehonesty]

We moved into our new barn conversion three years ago.
I bought a gorgeous piece of elm and have been drying it out:
On Sunday it's being fitted above our log burner so I will have a lovely fireplace to hang our stockings on.
Can't wait!
Other than that; we are decorating in red, natural wood and gold. It's going to look lovely; I've made some red bunting and bought some red and beige tartan type cushions and a new rug.
Just need a mirror now to hang above our fireplace!

[librarypictures]

Our colour scheme is neutral (wooden floors and white walls) usually have a real tree with blue and white lights with silver and blue decorations. Then we have lots of scented candles about - Yankee Candle in Christmassy scents bought when on offer throughout the year. Also bring out the school made decorations too.

[elvisthehamster]

DH says he is going to decorate the kitchen and dining area before Christmas -a bit scared as to when this is going to happen and the chaos that will the follow!

We usually have a silver decorations on the tree , I also like traditional red and white scandic type ones too. The children pick a new bauble each , every year to add to the collection which brings back nice memories when we put up the tree together.

I love decorating and getting the house ready for christmas , everything always seems really bare again when it is taken down in January!

[Theimpossiblegirl]

We always have a big declutter and clean before Christmas. Then when we put up the tree and lots of sparkly lights, I can enjoy a tidy house. It also makes room for presents.

[voyager50]

We also have a big clear out of clothes, toys and other things that are no longer used to make room for Christmas presents.

[wannabestressfree]

We have had a huge extension that is crying out for flooring and paint - it's half done.... Has a beautiful dome in the middle too....
We are going Scandinavian in colour scheme and hoping to get it done pre tree and chrsitmas :)

[campocaro]

All our Christmas decorations are i storage overseas tihis year and we are on v tight budget so we are thinking hard about colour schemes . Looks like it will mainly be reindeers, berries and lights -candles and twinkly strands of lights. Concentrating on one room and a very pretty windowsill as we goup stairs

[Birdienumnums]

After trying a fake tree for the past two years we're having a proper tree this year!! It just doesn't feel like Christmas without a real tree. We'll use all of our favourite decorations, there's no real colour theme but there is lots of red and white.

[CiderwithBuda]

Redecorating two rooms including opening up a fireplace in one and installing a gas stove and an oak lintel as a mantelpiece. That gets done this week - fingers crossed. Wallpapering one wall and repainting the others. New sofa and leather armchair. Painting a bookcase. Then new rug and possibly lamps.

Other room - spent an hour or so during the week trying out various Valspar testers believe it or not! Still not settled on a colour. Thought I wanted a warm gray with a hint of purple but they are all too purple. Back to the drawing board. New tv unit and sideboard ordered and sofa. Need to declutter games and DVDs this weekend.

Other than those rooms the rest of the house will just get a good clean an pe declutter.

I go all out with Christmas decorations. Bought the house as I could see potential for four Xmas trees! I restrain myself and limit it to two main ones and a few mini displays. Decorations are added to every year. Have lived in a few different countries so have decorations bought in various places so lots of memories attached.

Won't be able to start until decorating is finished which will hopefully be by weekend of 5th Dec.

[zippyants]

Hoover, dust, mop - there's not end to the cleaning in prep for the decorations going up! Everything has to be perfect and then the last steps are to put the wonky star on the tree that always bends to the left or right and then put the Christmas music on the radio.......love it :)

[TrollTheRespawnJeremy]

I feel like I am chasing my tail most of the time and Christmas is no exception!

Ultimately, so long as the place looks reasonably festive, I don't care. I just want somewhere warm to do crafts and watch Christmas movies with DD

[Quills]

We (or rather, I) always do a deep clean of the front room before the decorations go up, and declutter the children's toys, DVDs etc. My Christmas theme is fairly traditional with a Nordic twist, but the girls have their own small tree in their room which they have full rein to decorate in all its garish glory!

For me, the atmosphere is very important for Christmas, so lots of baking, Christmas scented candles and cosy throws over the furniture.