Cozy living room with decorated Christmas tree, wooden table, modern chairs, and soft rug on wooden floor.

Tips for indoor and outdoor Christmas lighting

Light takes on a very special role during the holiday season: It gets dark outside early and the cities become a sea of twinkling fairy lights, candles and Christmas decorations. The windows of many houses are decorated with candle bows and the gardens are alight with glittering stars. At home, we create seasonal mood lighting, and maybe enjoy a nice, hot cup of tea while we look out into our beautifully illuminated Christmas time garden. We have put together a few tips for getting your festive lighting just right!

Winter garden scene with snow-covered trees and warm white LED outdoor lighting for terrace and paths.

When should you put up your illuminated Christmas decorations?

In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Christmas decorations traditionally appear around the first advent Sunday in December. In the UK, Ireland and the US, lights start going up as early as December 1st. According to church traditions, you should definitely wait until after Allhallows, which is the Sunday before the first advent.

Winter garden with candles and LED star and tree-shaped decorative lights in snowy garden at dusk

Finding the right Christmas lights for outdoors

Despite the fact that you will spend a lot less time in the garden in winter, you should still not forget about it come Christmas. Just imagine how wonderful you will feel, looking out into a beautifully illuminated garden, while snuggled up on the couch in your favourite blanket!

Lights for the garden are not just for Christmas either! We recommend installing an outdoor lighting system that can withstand wind and weather all year round and won't have any problems if temperatures drop below freezing. Just think about it: How wonderful will a snow-covered tree look with the right illumination! As a nod to the festive season, you can replace individual light features with outdoor deco elements like bright stars or a tree-shaped object. Your neighbours will be amazed!

And with a little luck, you'll get a nice powdery snow cover to complete the scene.

Create the perfect Christmas mood indoors

Your home is decked out with festive decorations, and the shopping list for your big advent dinner is complete. Now you can relax and put your legs up – but somehow... it isn't perfectly cosy yet? Maybe your Christmas lights don't create the expected cosy and nostalgic mood you intended?

Cozy living room with black floor lamp, brown sofa, and Christmas table decoration with candles and wreath.

Make sure that the lamps emit a warm white light. 2,700 - 3,300 Kelvin will ensure comfortable, yet soft lighting over the dining table. Neutral white lamps with more than 3,300 Kelvin may be perfect for baking cookies, but they really aren't suitable for mood lighting. Gold light lamps, on the other hand, are a perfect choice for a festive mood. And they also look amazingly decorative.

Choose lamps with tunable white or RGBW feature if you'd like to remain flexible with the light in your living area. Then you can always adjust the lighting to your needs. Watch this video to find out how that works:

Gold or silver crown mirror lamp look stylish and beautiful all year round. At Christmas, however, they take on a whole new role, as these colours are basically synonymous for the season. Choose matching baubles for your tree, and the Christmas look for your living room will be complete!

Lamps and luminaires with a colour change function are your best choice if you like a colourful Christmas at home. An indirectly lit TV could be switched to red light for a romantic movie or to match the red candles on the advent wreath on the coffee table. You could also use smart luminaires to underscore the mood and the purpose of your festivities.

Bedroom with blue wall, black bedside table, and decorative wooden star lamp with LED lighting for cozy ambiance.

How do I create illuminated Christmas decorations?

Light is also a great asset when it comes to decorative objects. The shops are filled with endless options to get you into a Christmas mood. How about if you created your own eye-catching, illuminated Christmas decorations this year. You could use our flexible LED strips that are easily attached to all kinds of smooth surfaces and can bend into literally any shape. How about an illuminated wooden star? The flexible LED strip offers functions like dimming or colour change – for example red or green – which are easily controlled via remote control.

Children in particular, are excited about their advent calendars to count down the days to Christmas. Have you ever thought about illuminating an advent calendar you have created yourself? All you need is a couple of branches from the forest, a wooden slat, some white acrylic paint and an LED strip to make your kids' eyes sparkle with excitement. And if you don't have a wall socket where you want to put up the advent calendar – well, then you can use battery-powered fairy lights for the branches.

Paulmann Tip:

Plan your Christmas lights well before time! Like every year, Christmas comes along a lot faster than you think. Maybe you should start your Christmas lighting concept right away to be sure you have everything you need for your own Christmas miracle in your home and garden when the time comes. Then there won't be anything left to worry about and you can truly relax and enjoy your festive season.