I was recently interviewed for an article in Real Homes Magazine (it’s the December 2018 issue so if you’re quick, it’ll still be available) answering the question: Are Real Trees Better Than Fake? It was a friendly sort of debate between myself and a woman with three children with each of us having our own arguments for why we’ve chosen what we have. As you can probably guess from the title of my post, my answer was, of course, ‘No, real trees aren’t better than fake’ but this is simply my own opinion and what’s right for me won’t necessarily be right for you.

glam flocked Christmas tree in gold and red - see more on www.swoonworthy.co.uk

My 2016 Christmas Tree

While I haven’t yet put up my tree this year, I wanted to go into a little more detail in terms of why I always choose artificial over real trees. The truth is, I totally get why someone would want a real tree. Totally. The smell, the ritual of choosing it, the tradition… but, well, it’s not for me. The pros of a faux outweigh the pros of a real one and I’m going to tell you why now…

I’m a blogger

This may seem like a really weird one to start with but it’s actually quite a big reason for me choosing a faux Christmas tree. Ya see, people start looking for inspiration for their own Christmas decorating around November or so. It’s about the time the weather really turns and we start thinking of the cosy winter to come and well, with that, is always Christmas. So in order for me to present ideas and decorating tips before you actually start shopping, I’ve gotta get my tree up. Added to that, most brands want Christmas content to start coming in around November or at the latest, early December. This means I decorate my tree far earlier than what others might do.

Now, real trees tend to need a lot of love if you want them to look exceptionally well after a month of being up. Knowing how much I tend to neglect my plants on a regular basis, I don’t trust that I’d be able to keep a tree alive for the 6 weeks of the ‘Christmas season’ in blogland. It’s just not going to happen. My tree would look dead and brown by 25th December and well, I would kind of like it to last until at least then. So artificial it is.

I’m a perfectionist

Christmas dining room in pink and gold

There was no 2017 tree – we were in the midst of packing for our move and so I opted for decorating just the dining room instead!

I don’t like gappy trees. I don’t like asymmetrical trees. I don’t like imperfect trees. And guess what? We’re talking about NATURE here. Things aren’t ever going to be perfect. The problem is, I’m a bit of a perfectionist. I want a tree that’s completely symmetrical, totally bushy with no weird gaps anywhere. Oh yes, and the perfect height and width for my room. Not much then! The only way I’m going to get that symmetry and perfection is with a fake tree.

I don’t have children

I actually think this is kind of important to consider as well. I reckon if I did have children (you can read why I don’t here), I would love to have that tradition of bringing the kids to the tree farm to choose a tree, strapping it to the roof of the car, bringing it home and decorating it as a family (awww!). There’s nothing that sounds more Chrissmassy to me than that. (Yes, I watch a lot of Christmas films, there’s a certain lovely charm about the whole thing.) But, hey, the fact is – I don’t have kids. And so I don’t have that tradition in my life. I’m not looking for pity here – not at all – it’s just a fact. And here’s why I’m not bothered by that…

It’s less of a hassle

Blogger Stylin Home Tour - Christmas living room - Swoon Worthy

My 2015 Christmas tree

Saying that, the idea of having to add “drive to a farm and choose a Christmas tree” to my already-ridiculously-long list of things to do to prepare for Christmas doesn’t appeal. Not at all. Wayne goes up to the loft, hands down the box to me at the bottom of the ladder and I build the thing in about 20 minutes. Job done. One less thing to worry about. I also don’t have to constantly clean up dropping needles. It will stay looking exactly the same without me having to do a thing (aside from maybe removing my cat from climbing inside of it)!

And one more bonus: I can decorate it exactly how I want and not worry that my kids want to decorate it their own way (which is fair enough of course when you do have children) but I can be as ‘Monica from Friends’ about it as I want to! Ha!

It’s more cost-effective

My 2014 Christmas Tree

Buying real trees is expensive. I have had one of my artificial trees for 8 years, the other 4. So, if you buy a good quality one and take care of it, it can last for years and years meaning you can use the money you save on buying real on what is normally a very costly season!

The Environmental Impact (?)

The whole topic of which is environmentally better is a difficult one because there are so many different factors involved. If you kept your artificial tree for 10 years and then gave it to a local charity (which you should definitely do – please don’t just throw it away!) and they use it for another 10 years, well, the environmental impact of that one tree is going to be very low. However, if you decide to buy an artificial tree every year and chuck your old one into a landfill, the environmental impact will be so much higher.

Many real trees are put in landfill every year (terrible for the environment needless to say) and many places import real trees from other areas – making the carbon footprint of a real tree higher. However, if you buy a real tree from a local farm and recycle it, well, the environmental footprint is so much smaller than fake. So for this, I’d say, do your research and if you do decide artificial is for you, then please do get as much use from it as you possibly can and when you are done with it, please donate it!

Pink and gold mug tea cup with christmas tree in background bokeh

So those are the reasons why I always choose an artificial tree over a real one. And now, do you want to join in the (friendly) debate? Which do you choose each year and why? 


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Swoon Worthy
glam flocked Christmas tree in gold and red - see more on www.swoonworthy.co.uk
Christmas dining room in pink and gold
Blogger Stylin Home Tour - Christmas living room - Swoon Worthy
Pink and gold mug tea cup with christmas tree in background bokeh
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Ad (Press Sample) There are few kitchen products that are considered absolute classics but there is one that I have lusted after for YEARS and that is the utterly iconic @lecreusetuk large casserole pot. 🤩

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My little neglected makeup/dressing room has had a glow up 🥰

#swoonworthy #beforeandafter #dressingroom #makeupvanity #closetgoals
My new rug can't compete with that belly.

Rug is from @laredoute_uk (not an ad) not that anyone cares 😅

#kitchendesign
I've really loved making these pretty reusable Christmas crackers! I'm still in the process of finding cute bits for filling them but they'll definitely be a centrepiece for my table this year!🎄💕

Suggestions for what to fill them with coming soon!

(By the way, I'm not a skilled seamstress so I'm sure my techniques can be improved but just sharing what worked for me 🤗😅)

Let me know if this is something you'd try? ❤️

#swoonworthy #christmasdecor #christmascraft #diychristmas #diycrafts #easysewingproject
On 22 October 2022, I married my best friend! I can't believe it's been a whole year (and one day) I've been calling @2nilup my husband 🥰 We've been together for 15 years now and I simply can't and wouldn't want to imagine my life without him ❤️ 

#youandmeagainsttheworld #2222 

Photography: @violajayphotography 
Flowers: @primroseavenuefloral 
Dress: @camillawithlove
DIY REFILLABLE CHRISTMAS CRACKERS 🎄🎉

I've been thinking about making refillable crackers for so many years now - I just hate the waste the disposal ones create! So I'm so excited I've finally gotten around to starting this project!

I will be sharing more details on how to make them as well as ideas for what to fill them with too so stay tuned for more but in the meantime, what do you think? 

#swoonworthy #diychristmas #christmasdecor #christmascraft #easysewingproject #sustainableliving #ecofriendlyliving
Just wanted to introduce my latest plant baby in my dining room 🪴

It's from @botanique_shrewsbury and it's a Peparomia (I am probably pronouncing it wrong, I keep wanting to say
GUEST BEDROOM REVEAL 🌟

I decided on a whim, 2 weeks before we were expecting visiting family, that our guest bedroom was in desperate need of a refresh.

Well there's nothing like an impending deadline to light a 🔥 under my 🍑 and I managed to clear out the clutter, repaint the woodwork, ceilings and walls and hang wallpaper as well as restyle the room in one week 😅 (Meisha was zero help 😼)

I'm calling it Boho Vintage Victorian Grandma 😆

This wasn't sponsored in any way but the wallpaper and bedding is from @lauraashleyuk and the paint is @earthbornpaints Peach Baby - everything else I already had!

What do you think of the new look? ❤️

#bedroombeforeandafter #guestroom
#bedroommakeover
#beforeandafter
#bedroomdecor #cottagecore #vintagestyle #victorianhouse #ihavethisthingwithpink #bengalsofinstagram
🔥JOIN US ROUND THE FIRE PIT! 🔥

ad | One of my favorite things to do in summer is sit around the fire pit in the evenings with a cold beer 🍻 There's just something incredibly relaxing watching those flames and embers crackle, warming yourself up and taking the edge off falling temperatures as the sun sets!

Thanks to @homefireuk they've made the whole process incredibly easy and enjoyable with their Handy Firepit Bundle which include 2 bags of kindling, 2 bags of natural firestarters and 3 large bags of kiln-dried logs 🪵 for a really great price! 

No more standing around waiting for things to light properly or billowing smoke from wet wood, everything burns beautifully! ☺️ We literally sat around this for hours as the logs last so long, long after the sun set, just chatting and enjoying ourselves! 🥰🍻🔥

Do you love a good firepit in the summer?

#homefire #readytoburn #smokelessbyhomefire #heartofyourhome #logsbyhomefire #summerideas #firepit #gardenideas
San Sebastian photo dump - just a tiny selection 😄

We have had such a fabulous holiday to Basque Country - our first 4 days spent in the beautiful city of San Sebastian, land of pintxos, stunning architecture and some damn good wine.

#sansebastian #travelgram #photodump
A little kitchen reshuffle today so I thought I'd share 🥰

It's been 4 years since we created this space and it's still one of my favourites ♥️

#kitchendesign #kitchendecor #kitcheninspiration #kitchenideas #openshelvingkitchen #kitchenstyling
Ad 🩷 Before and after Deck makeover! 🩷

This little decked patio was looking worse for wear after a wet winter but @frenchicpaint came to the rescue with their beautiful Dusty Blush Alfresco Paint, perfect for all your outdoor projects!

The deck has been a few colours over the past few years but this is definitely the most fun and gives the whole space such a tropical vibe - even in Shrewsbury! 🏝️ 🦩🍹😄

The paint has incredible coverage and was so nice to use - I loved the tools they provided too, especially the oval brush which got into all the nooks and crannies easily!

Let me know what you think of the new colour! 

#frenchicpaint #beforeandafter #deckmakeover #gardeninspiration #gardeninspo #outdoorproject
So on a whim I decided to paint the bedroom pink yesterday 😅🩷

This room has been neglected for so long as I've wanted to fully redecorate for about 3 years now but there are always other bigger priorities or a lack of time/energy/money so I keep putting it off 🙃🙃🙃 (tell me I'm not the only one) but happily this didn't cost a penny as I used what I already had although it did take me the best part of a day!

I went through my paint stash and found that I had extra @coatpaints Percy from when I did the living room early last year -- well I'm not one to let something this good go to waste (honestly this paint is absolutely wonderful to work with and has amazing coverage) and my goodness it's just so pretty in here 🥰 I also moved my pink curtains from my office into here and the whole room just glows!

I might actually be able to live with the mural a little longer until the room gets the attention it deserves! Let me know if you like the change ♥️

*For those who are wondering, it used to be white walls and I had grey curtains! 😅

#swoonworthy #bedroomdecor #bedroommakeover #bedroomdesign #pinkpinkpink #pinkinteriors
A little photo dump from my recent living room shoot because I still love to dig into the details of a still photo 😄💕

#swoonworthy #swoonworthyscents #livingroominspo #livingroomdesign #photodump
ad How to De-stress at Home in 6 Simple Steps 😊

April has been #stressawarenessmonth and so I've teamed up with the wonderful @frenchbedroom to share a few simple tips in creating a cosy sanctuary at home!

One of my favourite ways to add a feeling of comfort and relaxation is with glorious touchable textures and the stunning Mulberry Silk ruffled cushion from French Bedroom not only looks spectacular but feels incredible too! Pairing this with other feel-good fabrics will add depth to your design and will beg you to sink in and unwind 😍

French Bedroom are also now stocking my own home fragrance brand @swoonworthyscents candles, adding another element of calm with scent to your home. I chose No 02 Sunday Morning for my living room with rejuvenating Jasmine and refreshing pine and lemon notes 🥰

Check out my latest blog post for more tips on creating a relaxing sanctuary in your home via the link in my bio!

#swoonworthy #swoonworthyscents #frenchbedroom #livingroominspo #livingroomdesign #calming #aesthetic #cottagecoreaesthetic
Who needs pancakes when you can have Lemon Drizzle Cake with Lemoncello glaze?! 😉🍋

I've had such a craving for this cake for a while so figured I'd make it today! This is a recipe from @bbcgoodfood and it's rather gorgeous 🥰

#baking #lemondrizzle #lemoncake #bakewithlove #shrovetuesday
Are you lucky enough to be owned by a cat? 🐈🐾

#bengallove #bengalsofinstagram #bengalcat #bengal #catsofinstagram #catlife
Finally managed to get the gallery wall completed in our hallway!

I couldn't have been happier with @violajayphotography capturing our little intimate wedding in October and knew as soon as I saw the photos I had to print them for our home! I admit, I've never been one to hang photos but it's probably because all we ever had after 14 years together was selfies 😂🤷🏽‍♀️ I'm so pleased we finally have some lovely shots of us together 🥰

Do you have photos of you/your partner/your family up around your home?? 🤔

#gallerywall #autumnwedding #hallwaydesign #hallwayinspo
✨These little vintage copper pans needed some TLC! ✨

After searching for a while for vintage copper pans, I found these on eBay - they looked quite grim on the ad but I knew they could be shined up nicely! A little @barkeepersfriend later (not an ad!) and I'm loving how they look in my kitchen 🥰

Let me know if you like the new addition ❤️

#kitcheninspo #kitchendesign #vintagestyle #kitchenstyling
Oh hey living room, nice to have you back ☺️

I always feel very ready to remove the excess of Christmas decor pretty much as soon as the 26th arrives but I've been later than usual this Twixmas as we've both been unwell the last couple weeks 🤦🏽‍♀️ Nevertheless, I've managed to get things packed away and I styled this little faux arrangement today for my coffee table so ya know, small victories 😄🙌🏽

#livingroom #livingroominspo #fauxflowers #coffeetabledecor