There is a particular kind of Christmas that never goes out of style: a fire lit, a plaid throw over the arm of a leather chair, the smell of pine, and a tree dressed in deep green, burgundy, and brass. It is the Ralph Lauren Christmas look — classic, warm, and a little bit grand, without ever feeling like a showroom. It borrows from English country houses, old ski lodges, and the kind of Christmas morning you remember from childhood, even if yours looked nothing like it.
The good news is that this style is a formula, not a fortune. It runs on three things: tartan plaid, rich texture, and warm metallics. Get those three right and the rest falls into place, whether you live in a farmhouse, a city flat, or a suburban semi. These seventeen ideas take you room by room — tree, mantel, table, and the small touches in between — so you can build the look gradually, one piece at a time.
1. Let Tartan Plaid Be the Anchor
Every Ralph Lauren Christmas starts with plaid. Choose one tartan and let it repeat through the house: a throw over the sofa, ribbon on the tree, a runner on the dining table. The classic red-and-green Black Watch or a deep red Stewart tartan both work, and keeping to one pattern stops the look from turning busy.
You do not need to buy everything in plaid. Two or three pieces are enough — a throw, a couple of cushion covers, and ribbon are the classic trio. Keep the rest of the room in solid colours that pick up the plaid’s tones, like deep green, cream, and warm brown, so the pattern has room to breathe.
2. Dress the Tree in Deep Green, Burgundy, and Gold
The Ralph Lauren tree is not a rainbow. It is a restrained palette of deep green, burgundy, and gold or brass, with warm white lights throughout. Start with the lights — two hundred per foot of tree is the rule for a full glow — then add large baubles in those three colours, and finish with ribbon and a few statement pieces.
Hang the biggest ornaments deep inside the branches, not just on the tips, so the tree has depth instead of looking like a flat triangle of baubles. A mix of matte and shiny finishes matters more than the number of ornaments: matte velvet baubles next to gleaming brass ones is what gives the tree its expensive, layered feel.
3. Use Wide Velvet Ribbon Instead of Tinsel
Wide velvet ribbon is the single easiest upgrade you can make to a Christmas tree. A two-and-a-half-inch ribbon in deep green, burgundy, or chocolate brown, looped in generous swags from the top of the tree down, looks like something from a hotel lobby — and it costs a fraction of what most people spend on ornaments. The same deep brown works year-round in our chocolate brown rooms.
Cut the ribbon into lengths of about a metre and tuck each piece in at the top and out at intervals, letting it billow rather than pulling it tight. The ribbon should look draped, not wrapped. If you have any left over, use the same ribbon to tie the wreath on the door and the garland on the mantel, and the whole house will feel deliberately coordinated.
4. Bring in Brass Everywhere You Can
Brass is the metal of this look. Brass candlesticks on the mantel, brass bells on the tree, a brass tray on the coffee table, brass picture frames on the wall. Unlike silver, which feels cold and formal, brass glows warmly in firelight and lamplight, and it suits the deep colours of the season.
You do not need to buy new brass. Charity shops and flea markets are full of brass candlesticks, trays, and small bowls for very little money, and a gentle polish is all they need. Mix old and new without worrying: a slightly tarnished vintage candlestick next to a new brass ornament looks collected over time, which is exactly the point.
5. Build the Mantel Like a Country House Fireplace
The mantel is the centrepiece of a Ralph Lauren Christmas, and it is built in layers. Start with a thick garland of real or good-quality faux greenery — pine, cedar, and fir mixed together — draped across the top and allowed to spill over the ends. Then add brass candlesticks of different heights, and finish with a few ornaments tucked into the greenery.
Stockings hang in a neat row below, and the rule is that they should match each other. Knitted or plaid stockings in cream, red, or green, each with a small monogram or a name tag, look far more considered than a random collection. Keep the mantel symmetrical enough to feel calm, but not so perfect that it looks staged — one thing slightly off-centre keeps it human.
6. Hang Matching Plaid Stockings in a Row
Stockings are where the plaid earns its place on the mantel. Choose one style — knitted cable, tartan, or plain wool with a fur cuff — and buy or make the same one for everyone in the house, including the dog. The matching row is what makes the fireplace look like it belongs in a Christmas film rather than a jumble sale.
If you are making them, felt and wool are forgiving fabrics, and a simple rectangle with a cuff is genuinely a beginner project. Add a small brass bell or a sprig of dried greenery to each cuff, and hang them from brass hooks or simple nails wrapped in ribbon so the fixings disappear into the garland.
7. Set a Tablescape With a Plaid Runner and Brass Chargers
The Christmas table is where this style shines brightest. A plaid runner down the centre of a dark wood table, brass charger plates under plain white or cream plates, and tall taper candles in brass holders are the whole formula — and it works whether the meal is a full roast or a simple supper.
Layer in texture rather than colour: linen napkins tied with velvet ribbon, a sprig of rosemary or pine on each plate, and a small bowl of cranberries or pinecones running down the middle as a low centrepiece. Keep the centrepiece below eye level so guests can see each other, and use unscented candles if the food is fragrant — pine-scented candles belong in the living room, not over the turkey.
8. Add an Equestrian Touch
The equestrian influence is what separates a Ralph Lauren Christmas from a generic red-and-green one. It can be as simple as a pair of old riding boots by the front door, a leather-bound book or two on the coffee table, or a framed print of a horse on the wall. Leather, brass, and dark wood are the materials to reach for.
If you ride or know someone who does, borrow an old saddle blanket or a worn leather strap and drape it over a chair or use it as a table runner. It does not need to be precious — the slightly worn, well-used quality is the charm. Even a set of leather coasters or a brass horse-head bookend will nod to the theme without turning the room into a stable.
9. Go Dark Green in One Place
One deep, dark green moment gives the whole scheme its depth. It could be a velvet cushion on the sofa, a painted side table, a green velvet ribbon on the wreath, or — if you are feeling brave — an accent wall in a deep hunter green. The green should be dark enough to look almost black in low light.
The reason it works is contrast. Against cream walls and warm wood, a single dark green piece stops the room from feeling washed out, and it makes the reds and brass look richer by comparison. If a whole wall feels like too much, start with textiles: a green velvet throw or two green velvet cushions will do the same job for a fraction of the commitment.
10. Layer the Lighting Until the Room Glows
Christmas lighting in this style is warm, low, and layered — never a single bright ceiling light. The formula is three sources per room: the tree lights, candles on the mantel or table, and a lamp or two with a warm bulb. Keep every bulb at 2700K or below, the colour of candlelight, and the room will glow like a lodge at dusk.
Put the lamps on dimmers if you can, and use real candles where it is safe to do so — in heavy brass holders, on a tray, away from the garland. Fairy lights are not just for the tree: a strand woven through the mantel garland, or coiled in a glass jar on a side table, adds a soft sparkle that electric ceiling lights can never match.
11. Stack Leather-Bound Books as Decor
A small stack of old leather-bound books on the coffee table, the sideboard, or the mantel is one of the most convincing Ralph Lauren touches, and it costs almost nothing. Charity shops sell them for a pound or two, and the worn spines and faded gold lettering add a sense of history that new decor cannot fake.
Use them as a base: a stack of three books with a brass candlestick or a small pinecone arrangement on top turns a bare surface into a styled one. You do not need to read them, but do pick books with attractive spines — deep red, green, and brown leather look best, and gold tooling catches the light beautifully.
12. Dress the Entryway Like a Country House Hall
First impressions matter, and the entryway sets the tone before anyone reaches the living room. A wreath on the door, a plaid throw folded over a bench or draped over a chair, and a pair of boots by the door — that is the whole look, and it takes ten minutes.
If you have a console table in the hall, add a small arrangement of pine branches in a brass or ceramic jug, and a bowl for keys that is actually attractive. A lantern with a real candle by the front door finishes the scene and gives guests a warm light to walk toward on a dark winter evening.
13. Choose Ornaments With a Story
The best Ralph Lauren trees have ornaments that look collected over years: glass baubles, brass bells, small wooden horses, monogrammed initials, and a few pieces that mean something to the family. Buy one beautiful ornament a year rather than a box of twenty matching ones, and the tree will grow more personal every Christmas.
Mix materials deliberately: glass for shine, wood for warmth, brass for glow, and fabric for softness. Hang a few ornaments on ribbon of different lengths so they sit at different depths, and put the most special ones at eye level where they will actually be seen. A tree full of stories beats a tree full of matching baubles every time.
14. Create a Hot Drinks Station With a Brass Tray
A small drinks station — cocoa, mulled wine, or simply good tea — is a lovely practical touch, and it is very much in the spirit of this look. A brass or wooden tray on a sideboard or kitchen counter holds the mugs, a jar of marshmallows or cinnamon sticks, and a small jug of cream, and suddenly the kitchen feels like a ski lodge.
Use mismatched mugs in deep colours rather than a matching set, and add a small sign or a handwritten tag if you like. The station works all through December, not just on Christmas Day, and it is the kind of detail guests remember — the house where there was always something warm to drink.
15. Layer Plaid Pillows and Throws on the Sofa
The sofa is where the look becomes something you can actually sit in. Two plaid cushion covers, one solid velvet cushion in deep green or burgundy, and a folded plaid throw over one arm is the complete recipe. The mix of plaid, velvet, and wool is what makes the sofa feel layered rather than decorated.
Fold the throw neatly rather than draping it artfully — a crisp fold over the arm of the sofa or the back of a chair looks more like a country house and less like a department-store display. Keep one throw within reach for cold evenings, and the sofa will do its job all winter, not just at Christmas.
16. Wrap Presents in Kraft Paper and Plaid Ribbon
The presents under the tree are part of the decoration, so wrap them in the same palette. Brown kraft paper, plaid or velvet ribbon, and a sprig of pine, rosemary, or dried orange tucked under the bow — that is all it takes, and it looks far more expensive than shiny patterned wrapping paper.
Use the same ribbon you used on the tree so everything ties together, and write the names on small kraft tags with a gold pen. If you are wrapping a lot of gifts, buy the paper and ribbon in bulk and wrap in batches; a stack of matching presents under the tree is one of the most satisfying sights of the season.
17. Let Real Greenery Do the Scenting
No candle can match the smell of real pine, cedar, and fir, and this style depends on it. A real wreath on the door, a garland on the mantel, and a few branches in a jug on the dining table will scent the whole house, and they look better than any artificial version.
Buy the greenery fresh and keep it watered — a garland in a damp oasis or a wreath misted every couple of days will last for weeks. Add cinnamon sticks, dried orange slices, and a few pinecones for texture, and skip the scented candles in the same rooms: let the greenery be the fragrance, and the house will smell like Christmas without trying.
A Ralph Lauren Christmas is not about buying a whole new house full of things. It is about choosing a palette — plaid, deep green, burgundy, and brass — and repeating it with confidence from the tree to the table to the front door. Start with the plaid and the lighting, add the brass and the greenery, and let the rest build up year by year. The look gets better the more lived-in it becomes, which is exactly why it never goes out of style. If you love building a look from vintage finds, our grannycore Christmas ideas show how to do it with thrifted treasures.