A Luxurious Christmas at Home in Portofino

Special holidays like Christmas give owners of luxury houses like those in Portofino Alabang the excuse and opportunity to deck their homes in even grander fashion. It’s time for you to take out the countless boxes of trimmings and decorations to dress up every available nook and cranny of the house. Take out the polishing cream and start working on those special pieces and interesting trinkets you have collected through the years and celebrate your own luxurious Christmas.

Christmas in Portofino

While preparing homes for the holidays is undoubtedly something special for everyone, getting ready for Christmas at your own Portofino Alabang home makes it even more exciting and meaningful. Only a privileged few have achieved the luxury of decorating an Italian-inspired home set among equally beautiful homes in this European-inspired community during the Christmas season.

Live in your own Italian Luxury with Portofino Alabang. | Photo by Brittany Corporation | Luxury Homes for Sale in the Philippines

The holidays are truly great opportunities for families living in the luxurious houses of Portofino to get their creative juices running and design their homes according to a variety of themes, depending on their tastes and influences. Homes are bedecked with thousands of twinkling lights, cheerful wreaths heavy with tinsel, multicolored balls and ribbons. And of course, for the more traditional, the Christmas star or parol is a nostalgic symbol, beautifully designed with chasing lights and colored capiz shells which actually look like the rose windows of the cathedrals of Europe.

If you are one of the lucky ones who own a home in Portofino there are some practical tips that you may consider to help you prepare for that grand and memorable luxurious Christmas celebration with your special friends and families.

How to celebrate a luxurious Christmas

Start by cleaning and de-cluttering your house. Go through every room and every corner of the house to make sure that everything is spotless. Christmas is a time of joy and new beginnings, the end of a long wait, and therefore the home must be a perfectly clean canvas.

Celebrate a luxurious Christmas in your very own Portofino Home

It is the best time to take an inventory of the Christmas ornaments that you already have. Rummage in your attic for things that you can repurpose, perhaps an old and interesting crystal vase that can hold an elaborate Christmas floral arrangement; an old rocking horse that may be refinished like a carousel horse; garlands that can be redesigned with fresh ribbon, golden pine cones and mistletoe. Sometimes, the most unique trinkets are those that you would find in your own home. Get creative and involve your family in Christmas do-it-yourself projects that would be a great opportunity for family bonding.

Pay special attention to areas that will leave a first and lasting impression, like your main door and your foyer. Since your main door is the first thing that your guests will see, you should choose a tastefully designed Christmas wreath that is proportional to the size of your door. Choose colors for your wreath ornaments that complement the color of your door, which serves as the background for your wreath. Consider a theme such as a rustic design with twigs, a Mediterranean design with vines and branches and imitation grapes and berries. Try country theme with vintage silk flowers, evergreens, multicolored balls and ribbons. How about a white Christmas, with your wreath spray painted with “snow”. The possibilities are endless.

A unifying theme that is both sophisticated and interesting should also be part of your Christmas preparation. Although you certainly have the option do an eclectic design, tasteful and classic Christmas decorating calls for what is more traditional and nostalgic.

As your guests enter your foyer, create a sense of warm welcome with a lush floral arrangement with Christmas ornaments such as bells and harps, consistent with your theme. When setting up your Christmas tree, consider the size and height of the room. A small 5 footer tree will perhaps look inconsequential in a room with a high ceiling. Color themed trees that maintain a few colors in its palette are especially elegant but multicolored trees look more festive, like the Christmas trees of your childhood. Glass and crystal ornaments are great for reflecting lots of brilliant light and are truly luxurious. Faux poinsettia flowers look charming on a green tree. You may also consider the different colored trees– orange, blue and even pink. These can be found in the market. With their unusual colors they can be great conversation pieces especially if changing trees yearly is not an issue. Make your home even more festive by hanging garlands with interesting ornaments that you have picked up from your travels.

The dinner table should not be neglected. Spread a beautiful Christmas mantle on your table, lay doilies as placemats. Use chargers under your Christmas-themed plates for formal Christmas dinners, and consider traditional place settings with name cards artfully folded cloth napkins to match all the table linen. Table runners are a nice touch. Your centerpiece size should depend on how long the table is. Floral arrangements should be narrow and just the right height to not encumber people’s conversations.

The most important thing to remember no matter your tastes and preferences for Christmas decorating, is to ensure a relaxed and convivial atmosphere in your home with the right amount of lighting, soft and traditional Christmas music or more upbeat tunes, a comfortable room temperature, Christmas scents like vanilla, cinnamon or berry for the air and seating, and other important add-ons that you know your family and friends would appreciate.

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