It’s the most wonderful time of the year but it’s also the time when London’s ultra-wealthy get to splash the cash as they deck their halls.
“The process often begins early, sometimes as soon as the last Christmas season has ended, with luxury interior designers or specialist Christmas stylists starting to come up with concepts and ideas, before coming in late November to orchestrate the entire transformation,” says Robin Edwards, partner at London property agent Curetons.
Average budgets tend to be between £15-20,000 but, for something really special, this might stretch up to £80,000.
“Extravagant installations are usually where the big budgets are allotted to, things like 24/7 falling snow over their temporary ice rinks,” says Vicky Floros, interior designer and founder of Vicky Floros Studio. She flags that, for many Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individual’s (UHNWI), this might be the only time of year when they get to spend a significant amount of time at home with family and friends.
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So, what are London’s ultra-wealthy spending their festive budgets on in 2025 and how are they decorating their homes? We asked nine experts for their take.
As you’d expect, our experts have come across plenty of extravagant Christmas decorations and this year is no different. “I think many in our industry have heard of the 5-carat, diamond-encrusted star tree topper circa £615,000 that someone once had,” says Floros. “We know there are more people than you think asking for live reindeer and hundreds of decorated Christmas trees running throughout every available space in their house.”
She’s also seen £30,000 Swarovski-encrusted wreaths, husky dogs and sleighs, and had requests for elaborate train installations that run around the entire ground floor.
Nina Harrison, buying agent at Haringtons UK, highlights that many of the super wealthy aren’t afraid to make a statement with their Christmas style: “Huge wreaths on the front door, full-size nutcracker soldiers on the steps, giant ribbon bows stretched across immaculate white stucco.”
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A key trend this year is the use of personalisation and customisation in ultra-luxurious festive decorations. “Those delicate touches – a family name etched onto a glass bauble, or a soft velvet ribbon embroidered with a personal message – make festive styling feel so much more meaningful,” says Yasmin Ulhaq, founder of Glenfield Property Management.
Think Christmas colours and you’ll probably conjure up cherry red and green but that’s not the case when it comes to the 2025 colour palette of the ultra-wealthy.
“Deeper rich tones are definitely going to be the colours of choice this Christmas – burgundy is very popular this year in the fashion industry, and I expect that to translate into Christmas interior decor too,” says Ulhaq. “Rich, heritage-inspired tones of green, navy, and oxblood create a sophisticated foundation, especially when paired with indulgent textures such as velvet, leather, and brushed metals.”
For those wanting a more minimalist approach to their December decorations, white and black are a popular choice. “Think less red and green, more ivory and champagne with soft lighting that feels like candle glow. It’s quiet luxury translated into festive form,” says Amber Taylor, stylist and creative director of Pink Cove.
Talking of quiet luxury, that’s another trend London’s wealthy elite are embracing this advent.
“People assume ultra-wealthy Christmas in London is all about ten-foot trees and glitter overload, but the real power move now is controlled luxury,” says Becky Fatemi, executive partner at Sotheby’s International Realty UK. “
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“Every bauble is colour-matched to the interiors, and every light is positioned by someone who also dresses film sets… Even the scent of the house is planned. Mayfair isn’t filling up with pine and cinnamon; it smells of bespoke candle blends created for each room. The whole point is to make Christmas feel effortless, but behind the scenes it is a military operation.”
It’s not surprising that the trend towards quiet luxury means craftsmanship is more important than ever. “Rather than focusing on brands, clients favour a creative and collaborative process, drawing inspiration from art, and architecture to ensure each design feels authentic to their home,” says Andrea Koday-Vörös, founder of Knightsbridge Property & Lifestyle Management.
One-of-a-kind pieces are made with the intention that they will be kept for years, and even generations, to come. “Artisans are brought in to handcraft decorations using hand-blown glass, reclaimed wood, or vintage fabrics,” says Rachel Stringer of Raleigh Realty. “The combination of elements produces eternal beauty because custom baubles made from gold or crystal become individualized possessions.”
Christmas is a welcome relief at this, the darkest time of the year, so how to light it is at the forefront of many wealthy Londoners’ minds. “Lighting requires individual attention because it turns Christmas trees and mantelpieces into focal points while creating warm ambiance,” says Stringer.
Average budgets among the ultra-wealthy tend to be between £15-20,000 for Christmas decorations but, for something really special, this might stretch up to £80,000. · Tim Grist Photography via Getty Images
Outdoor lighting done right can transform a home’s exterior. Edwards highlights “intricate lighting installations, designed to complement the property’s architecture, whether it’s a stucco-fronted Belgravia townhouse or a glass penthouse overlooking Hyde Park.”
Tablescaping – how a dining room table is dressed – has also become a key Christmas trend. “The new status symbol isn’t the size of the house or the price of the champagne, it’s the table,” says Fatemi. “The biggest budgets go into tablescaping: Hermès linens, hand-blown glass, floristry with its own mood board, personalised crackers filled with something far more interesting than a plastic puzzle.”
Of course, greenery is always a Christmas must but, this year, it’s about more than just the tree. “Over the top and really excessive dressing of mantles are all the rage at the moment, but not so much with sparkle, more with a lot of foliage and very dramatic oversized silk and satin embroidered ribbons,” says Floros.
There’s also an attention-to-detail in the greenery on show adds Taylor: “They’ll commission bespoke garlands to complement their dining chairs or have wreaths designed to match the fabric of their drapery.”
Garlands are often styled with candles or high-end velvet ribbons, while Adam McGrory of MR Mouldings has seen “everything from bespoke sculptural trees and custom lighting schemes to imported fir trees from Scandinavia and full-room garland installations”.
While some UHNWIs don’t bat an eyelid about importing decorations from Bergdorf Goodman in New York or fir trees flown in from the Alps, others take a more environmentally friendly approach, looking for festive decorations made locally.
“Sustainability now plays a central role, with many clients opting for British-grown foliage, foam-free floral designs and reusable pieces that combine beauty with responsibility,” says Koday-Vörös.
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