Across smart city flats and chic country cottages, festive décor is shifting. Budgets tighten, spaces shrink, tastes mature. Designers whisper change.
That whisper has become a chorus in 2025: a growing number of stylish households are retiring the towering fir and embracing a sleek, reusable centrepiece that still delivers sparkle and sentiment.
Why fashionable homes are rethinking the classic tree
The fir’s scent and ritual pull on the heartstrings, yet modern living brings new pressures. Smaller rooms resist bulky silhouettes. Allergies challenge natural greenery. Storage and waste weigh on consciences. And in a year where every euro counts, people want objects that work hard, look refined, and last.
Across Instagram-ready interiors, a single figure keeps flashing up: 123 cm — the height of the rattan “tree” quietly stealing the season.
The new wave is clean-lined, tactile and adaptable. Instead of a dense cone of needles or shiny plastic, think sculptural outline, warm natural fibres and a shape that reads festive without shouting. The effect feels boutique-hotel cosy rather than novelty overload.
The rattan switch: the 123 cm Lourmarin that’s everywhere
What it is and why it’s winning
French retailer Alinéa has pushed the aesthetic forward with the Lourmarin rattan tree, a 123 cm frame made from lightweight canes woven into a subtle, conical outline. At €99, it sits firmly in the “treat, not splurge” bracket. The look lands between Nordic restraint and Mediterranean warmth, which explains why it blends with more schemes than it disrupts.
€99, a compact footprint, and natural texture you can dress up or pare back — a formula with rare mass appeal.
Crucially, it isn’t pretending to be something it’s not. You see the structure, you appreciate the craftsmanship, and you build the festive story around it. That honesty gives it longevity. People value pieces they can refresh each year without starting from scratch.
How to style it without spending a fortune
- Trace the outline with a fine warm-white micro light to create a soft halo and avoid glare on screens.
- Stick to three tones — linen, oat and soft gold — for a calm, grown-up palette that lets the rattan breathe.
- Mix textures rather than colours: paper honeycombs, matte ceramic beads, and a touch of velvet ribbon.
- Keep scale in check. Smaller ornaments feel considered on a slender frame and reduce visual clutter.
- Add a woven basket at the base for gifts; it echoes the material and hides plugs and cabling.
Placement that makes small spaces feel bigger
At 123 cm, the rattan tree tucks in where a 180 cm fir would overwhelm. Corners, console tables and window bays all work. If your living room is narrow, place it opposite a mirror to double the glow without stealing floor space. In a hallway, it reads like a sculptural welcome. In a child’s room, it becomes an “wish tree” for handwritten notes clipped on pins.
Because the frame is open, light flows through rather than hitting a dense wall of branches. The room feels lighter and less cramped — a quiet win you notice the moment guests arrive.
Does it actually save money and hassle?
Five-year cost and clutter check
| Option | Typical annual/one-off cost | Storage needs | Mess/maintenance | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural fir (1.8 m) | €30–€80 per year | None | Needles shed; watering | Single season |
| Plastic tree (1.8 m) | €60–€200 one-off | Bulky box | Dusting; assembly | 5–10 years |
| Rattan frame (123 cm) | €99 one-off | Slim profile | Quick wipe; no needles | Multiple seasons |
Prices vary, but the maths often favours the rattan route by year three, especially if you usually buy a mid-range natural tree. Storage is simpler too. A slim silhouette slides behind a wardrobe or under a bed; no wrestling with a huge carton.
Design notes that elevate the look
Light temperature and placement
Warm-white LEDs (around 2700–3000K) flatter rattan’s honey tones; cool white can look stark. Wrap lights loosely — one gentle spiral from base to tip usually does the trick. Hide the battery pack or plug within the base basket, leaving a little slack to prevent strain on the cable.
Colour strategy for different rooms
- Neutral living rooms: creams and pale golds maintain calm; add one accent, such as forest green or rust.
- Busy family spaces: keep ornaments small and lightweight; choose felt or paper pieces to survive enthusiastic hands.
- Minimalist studios: go almost bare — just the light halo and one or two handmade details.
Sustainability and safety, beyond the buzzwords
Choosing a natural fibre piece you can reuse speaks to a wider shift: buying fewer, better things and refreshing them with seasonal touches. Rattan, when sourced responsibly, brings a renewable material into the home. Reuse becomes the headline: the same frame, restyled each year with homemade ornaments, foraged sprigs, or second-hand finds.
Safety matters with any illuminated display. Use CE-marked lights, avoid overloading multi-plugs, and keep cables away from areas where they might be walked on. If placing the tree near curtains or a radiator, give it breathing room so heat and fabric don’t meet.
What owners say they gain — and what to weigh up
The biggest surprise is serenity: less visual noise, easier clean-up, and a glow that feels grown-up yet warm.
- Pros: compact, reusable, easy to personalise, and visually lighter in small rooms.
- Cons: no forest scent, less “full” for those who love abundance, and storage still needed for ornaments.
- Workarounds: pair with scented candles or an essential oil diffuser for the woodland note you miss.
A quick plan for tonight: 30 minutes to a polished display
Extra ideas to extend the season
From Christmas to winter mood
After New Year’s Day, strip back the overtly festive pieces and keep the lights. Swap baubles for dried orange slices, eucalyptus sprigs or neutral paper fans. The frame then reads as a winter lamp, bridging the darker months without feeling out of date.
Make it a family ritual
Set aside one weekend afternoon for crafting: origami stars from old sheet music, salt-dough charms stamped with initials, or tiny envelopes for gratitude notes. Store them in labelled envelopes alongside the frame so next year’s styling starts with a personal archive.
Thinking practically: measurements, storage and care
The Lourmarin’s 123 cm height suits flats with lower ceilings and leaves space for pictures or shelves above. Dust with a soft brush before and after the season. If storing in a loft or cellar, wrap the piece in breathable fabric rather than plastic to prevent trapped moisture. Keep lights separate to avoid tangles and damage.
If you’re on the fence, try this test
Sketch your living room and mark the area a standard 180 cm tree would occupy. Then draw a 123 cm outline in a corner or on a console. Notice traffic flow, sightlines to the TV, and window access. If the smaller footprint eases movement and reduces visual weight, the rattan option will likely feel right in practice.
The bottom line for 2025
This season’s smart money backs tactile minimalism: a €99 rattan frame that lets you write your own festive script, year after year. For style-led homes, it’s less about abandoning tradition and more about editing it — keeping the glow, trimming the chaos, and giving small spaces room to breathe without losing that December magic.
I swapped last year and never looked back. The 123 cm rattan silhouette makes my tiny living room feel bigger, and the warm-white micro lights look elegant rather than shouty. €99 felt fair for something I reuse and restyle. Pro tip: basket base to hide cables = chef’s kiss.
But doesn’t this kill the Christmas scent? I love the ritual of a real fir. A diffuser isn’t the same, imo. Also, 123 cm sounds… small. Won’t it look like a prop on a console instead of a tree?