Create a joyful atmosphere with themed seasonal design

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Vintage, retro or enchanted? What type of Christmas do you plan on having?

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According to the experts at one of Canada’s largest home improvement chains, one of these three options is what they expect Canadians will turn to when it comes to decorating their homes this year.

“We monitor trends in interior design and product design and select those that we consider most important in order to determine the styles of future collections,” said Lydia Thammavong, Rona’s head designer, styles and trends. “It was only natural that retro, quiet luxury and vintage styles emerged as the key trends for the 2024-25 season, while still being free to inject a classic and timeless touch into each of them.”

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The three holiday collections — Enchanted Forest, Retro Fun and Vintage Elegance — each evoke and intend to create a story, style, and a joyful atmosphere, said Thammavong.

For a cozy decor that’s both rustic and chic, Thammavong said to look no further than the natural and shimmering Enchanted Forest collection. This theme is all about quiet luxury and the beauty of nature, elevated by stylized, textural details that add glamour. Refined, shimmering ornaments add a subtle pop of colour, contrast and personality, and stand out beautifully against a neutral colour palette and natural materials such as pale wood and burlap.

“The collection (Enchanted Forest) is rather natural and neutral but with the accents of pink and gold, we open the door to a more whimsical and romantic universe,” said Thammavong. “We can choose to harmonize or contrast with the decor in place.”

Quiet luxury is a trend that first appeared in fashion and has since spread to interior design. It advocates a neutral and enveloping palette with a lot of richness in materials and textures. Layering is favoured and allows you to mix materials, textures and colour accents.

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Retro Fun, meanwhile, is inspired by the world of fairy tales, grandma’s baking and winter imagery as its retro colour palette features whispers of bubble gum pink and baby blue against a backdrop of vibrant green and classic red. Some ornaments are knit in wool to evoke the warmth of handmade gifts, while others feature a satin or reflective finish to add a little sparkle.

As for those interested in the Vintage Elegance option, it celebrates nostalgia and the esthetics of yesteryear with stylized ornaments that are at once timeless and traditional. The dark, rich colour palette of burgundy reds, navy blues and antique greens evokes the elegant bourgeois decors of bygone days, said Thammavong. Textured ornaments with velvety, pearly finishes and highlights of gold and glitter deliver a moody, chic and elegant decor.

“Holiday decorating can seem like a daunting task but our collections demonstrate that it doesn’t take a lot to add wow factor to your space,” Thammavong said. “Even simple accessory or ornament updates can transform a room’s ambience from ordinary to extraordinary at minimal expense.”

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Each collection, noted Rona, was put together so that everything fits together perfectly, like ready-to-wear collections.

“But they also offer endless possibilities for a daring customer who would like to shop among the three collections and give free rein to their imagination by mixing the ornaments in order to personalize their decor as they wish,” added Thammavong. “For example, nothing prevents you from adding touches inspired by the forest in the Retro Fun or Vintage Elegance collections. This would dilute the main style but would be original and give a personalized and unique decor. The Enchanted Forest collection offers more neutral decorations, in white or wood for example, which mixes more easily with the other two.”

As to what Rona has noticed so far as the countdown to Christmas is quickly coming to a close, Thammavong said “all three collections delight our customers but Retro Fun seems to have captivated our customers with the joy of life it conveys.”

Separately, Rona has also noticed a high demand for outdoor inflatables.

“It seems that people want to spread joy and happiness in their neighborhoods, to lift their spirits during these tumultuous and uncertain times,” said Thammavong. “Given that Retro Fun seems to be the most loved, it can be assumed that people need to surround themselves with more cheerful and bright decor to cheer themselves up.”

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