Most office Christmas decorations are bought in a panic in late November, put up by whoever volunteered, and end up looking like a box of tinsel went off near reception.
Here's what actually works in a Toronto office — the kind with clients in reception, a kitchen that gets used at noon, and nobody with a spare afternoon.
1. Pick Three Zones and Forget the Rest
The most common mistake is spreading a small budget across a whole floor. Everything ends up looking sparse.
Choose the three places people actually see — reception, the kitchen or lounge, and the entrance — and put everything there. One fully dressed reception beats a strand of lights in every room.
2. One Good Tree, Not Four Small Ones
A single tall tree in the busiest space reads as intentional. Four short trees scattered around read as leftovers.
If you do one thing, do this.
3. Go Artificial Indoors
Real trees drop needles on carpet for six weeks, and building management usually has opinions.
Premium artificial trees and garlands look identical in December to how they looked in November. Nothing browns, nothing sheds, and nobody inherits a watering schedule. Save the fresh cedar and pine for outside, where the cold keeps it perfect.
4. Run a Garland Along the Reception Desk
The highest-impact, lowest-effort piece in the building. It sits at eye level for everyone who checks in and takes up zero floor space.
Lit, with cones and berries in one colour, it does more work than a tree in a corner.
5. Pick One Colour and Commit
White, red or blue as the primary across ribbon, ornaments and berry picks — that's the difference between a decorated office and a decorated garage. Mixed colours look busy in a space that already has branding, signage and screens fighting for attention.
Law firm or finance office that doesn't do red and green? A white orchid in reception and a garland in muted greens still reads as festive, without the Christmas.
6. Decorate Around the Plants You Already Own
If your office has plants, they're the best decorating asset you have. Garland worked around the base of a floor planter, a few cones tucked into the soil, lights threaded through a Dracaena.
Cheapest idea on this list. One of the most effective.
7. Decide Now Who Takes It Down
January is the part nobody plans. Decorations go up with enthusiasm in November and come down grudgingly in the second week of January — usually by one person, alone, with a step ladder.
Decide in advance who owns removal, or hire it out so removal is part of the deal.
Book Before Halloween
Installers have a fixed number of days between mid-November and mid-December, and they fill in the order deposits arrive.
- By October 31 — confirm your package and colour
- November 10 to December 10 — installation
- January 5 to 15 — removal
Reading this in late November? You can still ask. You'll just be choosing from what's left.
Or Have It Done For You
Benji's has looked after plants in Toronto offices for over 40 years. Holiday decor is the same job in a different season: we build it, install it around your schedule, and come back in January and take every piece of it away.
See the packages and prices: Office holiday decorations in Toronto
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