Over-the-top Christmas decorations are back in style, with tinsel, foil garlands and brightly coloured lights reclaiming pride of place in living rooms across the UK. After years of minimalist and neutral festive trends, shoppers are embracing bold, mismatched décor inspired by the 1980s and 1990s.
Industry experts say the shift toward retro-themed Christmas styling began last year but has gathered momentum in 2025. Event stylist Harry Bradshaw from At Last Events says people are increasingly drawn to “fun, excess and nostalgia” after a long period of pared-back celebrations.
Retailers are seeing the change reflected in sales. Habitat reports growing demand for colourful bells, bows, oversized baubles and paper decorations, while Primark says Gen X, millennials and older Gen Z shoppers are buying items that remind them of childhood Christmases. Marks & Spencer has seen strong sales of tinsel rosettes and tree skirts, and John Lewis reports a 180% rise in sales of retro-style decorations this year.
For many, the trend is about more than aesthetics. Felicity Hayward, 37, from Margate in Kent, says decorating her home this year has helped her reconnect with happier memories. After discovering vintage foil stars in a charity shop, she spent months hunting for retro decorations that reminded her of Christmases spent at her grandparents’ home in the 1990s.
Following several years without decorating—due to the pandemic and the loss of her grandparents—Hayward says her brightly decorated living room now brings comfort and calm. “Some people might think it’s tacky,” she says, “but all those colours make me feel at peace.”
