On a recent trip to London, I was told that Selfridges department store has the best Christmas decor in the city. As a home and holiday editor, I had to investigate with an afternoon of holiday shopping. (For research, of course!) I expected to find pretty displays of classic ornaments and shelves of shiny gift wrap—but instead, I discovered an elaborate showroom that looked like Buddy the Elf himself had decorated. 

There were fully decorated trees in distinct styles and themes, along with ornaments sorted by colors, shapes, and sizes. The store had plenty of classic Christmas decor, like glittering gold garlands and star-shaped ornaments, but they also had nontraditional decorations in trendy patterns and bright prints. 

From nostalgic paper chain garlands to sparkling disco-style ornaments, these are all the holiday decor trends I loved at Selfridges. 

1. Classic Paper Chains

Cue the nostalgia! The iconic holiday paper chains of childhood are back—this time with a playful modern twist. The chains at Selfridges weren’t actually for sale, but they covered many of the colorful trees in the showroom. Decorate the tree with them for an inexpensive holiday garland, or use them to count down the days until Saint Nick’s arrival.

To make your own, look for double-sided craft papers in colors or motifs that match your holiday decor (I loved the penguin and snowman prints used here!), then cut the paper into strips. Form one strip into a circle, taping or gluing the ends together, then thread the next strip through the circle before securing the ends. Repeat this until you have a chain long enough to decorate a mantel, doorway, or tree.

2. Color-Drenched Trees

Color drenching isn’t limited to paint. This season, take inspiration from the monochromatic Christmas tree schemes at Selfridges by decorating your evergreen with ribbons, filler branches, ornaments, and garlands in the same color family. Not only did the store have several color-drenched trees throughout the showroom (this sparkling gold tree was so dreamy!), but they also had ornaments sorted by color, making it easy to shop for any holiday color scheme.

If you’ve yet to decorate your Christmas tree, consider opting for a classic red and white design. Or, use this trend as an excuse to try something non-traditional, like blue holiday decor or pink Christmas ornaments.

3. Classic Checkered Prints

The classic checkerboard pattern has made a major comeback in interior design over the past few years, and this season we’re seeing it take over holiday decor, too. The trees at Selfridges were decked out in checkered ornaments of all shapes, sizes, and colors, making it easy to select options that easily blend with your existing decor. Grab classic ball shapes in bold colors for a statement-making tree, or opt for something more subtle (but still fun!) like gold and white checkered stars.

4. Disco Decor

We’re trading autumn’s disco pumpkin trend for sparkling Christmas ornaments this year. Disco-inspired Christmas decorations were all over Selfridges’ holiday showroom, bringing a distinctive retro sparkle to the season’s festive decor. If you’re more of a traditionalist, disco ornaments in reds, greens, and gold will blend seamlessly with your existing decor while adding a playful touch. If you’ve been looking for a reason to embrace nontraditional Christmas decor, reach for these sparkling ornaments in bright pinks, teals, and purples.