How to plan your office Christmas décor

1. Start with the zones

Walk the route a visitor takes and list each space in order. Put most of the budget where the most people see it.

• Reception — the tree, and often an arch or garland around the entrance.
• Lift lobby — a garland or a small tree; lobbies are often shared, so check with the building.
• Meeting rooms and boardroom — table décor for client-facing rooms.
• Pantry and open-plan areas — lighter touches for the team.

2. Decide the palette

Classic red and gold reads as festive at a glance. Brand colours can work beautifully too — a tree in your palette feels considered rather than generic. Frost and silver or bronze and champagne suit neutral, modern interiors.

3. Check the building

Before you book, find out:

• whether your landlord or facilities management must approve décor, especially in shared areas;
• when installation is allowed, and whether the service lift must be booked;
• any rules on lit décor or extension cables.

4. Keep it safe

Décor must never block fire exits, escape routes, sprinklers, alarms or extinguishers. Keep cables out of walkways, and follow any safety requirements set by your building. A good decorator plans around these from the start.

5. Set the budget by zone

Give each zone a share of the budget rather than one number for the whole office. It makes quotes easier to compare, and easier to scale up or down.

6. Write the brief

Send your decorator:

• photos or a floor plan of each zone, with ceiling heights;
• your palette or brand colours;
• access times, lift booking rules and on-site contact;
• your preferred installation and removal dates.

7. Book early

Decorators have limited installation slots each season, and dates close to December go first. Once you have approval and a brief, book — and book the removal date at the same time.