Award-winning entrepreneur, journalist and model Rachel Ducker shares her tips on creating the perfect festive home cinema, with a little help from Wayfair style expert, Nadia McCown Hill
For me, watching that first Christmas film of the year signifies that it’s just around the corner. From Home Alone to Love Actually, the list of Christmas classics is almost as long as the Grinch’s well-groomed green fur.
We have all spent far too much time at home recently and, I am sure you will agree, looking at the same four walls has become rather boring.
So, I have decided to step out beyond them – to my garden – and with a bit of creativity and imagination I will create my own Christmas grotto to watch my festive flicks in.
Here are a few ideas of how you can do this yourself.
Get into the festive spirit
Whether it’s a white Christmas or not, set up a gazebo to protect your viewing party from the elements (and the cold). A portable pop-up gazebo can be easily popped up and taken down, while a permanent one is anchored to the ground. The latter will usually include a floor to withstand more extreme weather conditions, but anything goes as long as it’s waterproof.
Baby, It’s Cold Outside
To keep things from getting frosty, layer several outdoor rugs on the ground. These are immune to the elements and can be reused come summer time for picnics and outdoor playdates. They also provide the ideal base for giant floor pillows, faux furs, pouffes and stylish bean bag chairs. Confort is definitely key here, so pile on cushions and blankets for an extra comfy setup.
Heat things up
The great thing about outdoor movie nights in winter: it gets dark early, so the kids can enjoy their favourite flick before their official bedtime. Just make sure everybody is nice and warm, wrapped up in knitted throws, faux fur blankets, cotton fleeces and woolly wraps.
Deck the Halls
For cosy lodge vibes, stick to a classic Scandi colour scheme of red, white and grey. Pair it with traditional patterns, faux fur, and sparkling decor for a truly festive vibe. With Wayfair’s extensive selection of cushions and decor, this look is easy to recreate at home and on a budget. An LED light-up box lets viewers know which Christmas classic is on tonight.
Cheers to Christmas
Have yourself a merry little Christmas with a bar cart fully stocked with treats. Hot drinks such as Chai tea, mulled cider or a crowd-pleasing hot chocolate topped with a generous helping of whipped cream and a handful of marshmallows will keep your belly warm all night. Serve in elegant stainless-steel mugs for some extra festive sparkle. The must-have for a proper movie night, freshly made popcorn served in old-school popcorn boxes. Arranging sweet and savoury treats on a tiered cake stand makes for an elegant finish.
Light It Up
Recreate a starry-night look by decorating your gazebo with string lights. Light nets and curtains are ideal to cover larger surfaces. For an authentic winter wonderland feel, incorporate some fun lit reindeer displays in your decorating scheme. After all, there is no such thing as too much when it comes to fairy lights.
Watch it like a pro
Finally, after the scene is set you will need that all important equipment to view your films on, projector screens are far more reasonable that you may think and easy to store away and there are some great projectors on the market like this APEMAN Projector LC650.
Whilst we are still constrained with what we can or cannot do, this is something you can achieve with your family without breaking any rules – the hardest thing you will have to do is choose the film!
