'It just sets the tone as soon as you walk into the space' – elevate your holiday hosting game with Shea McGee's easy but effective candle decor tips

We can always rely on interior designer Shea McGee when it comes to creating cozy spaces in time for the festive months, and her approach to holiday decor this year has won us over.

Taking to Instagram, Studio McGee posted a video in which Shea talks through one of her favorite hosting tips for the fall and winter months, and it's all about candles.

Whether you're planning on hosting guests for Halloween or Thanksgiving, or are already preparing your Christmas decor ideas, Shea's approach to decorating with candles is certain to take your hosting game up a notch and have your guests swooning over the cozy feel.

'When you’re hosting for the holidays and you want to add that holiday feel into your space, there are a few things that I like to do that always always work,' Shea begins the video. 'And the first is to incorporate different types of candles.'

'So I love a holiday scent, I think it just sets the tone as soon as you walk into the space' the designer adds. While the appeal of scented candles is a go-to for lots of us at this time of year, it's also worth considering the actual design of the candles themselves.

For Shea, it's about incorporating different designs, which when styled in a room together reflect seasonal colors and a range of interesting shapes: 'I like to mix the shapes of my candles in the space'.

Decorate with scented jar candles

Starting the scheme with a scented jar candle, Shea opts for a dark green glass style 'with a really beautiful faceted edge and then a gold rim' which is displayed on a woven tray on an ottoman that centers the living room.

Below, you can shop some of our favorite scented jar candles, a quick and easy way to fill your home with a festive feel this holiday season.

Display tall taper candles

Taper candles can then be used to complement your jar candles, ideally adding another color to provide some contrast and create a layered look.

In Shea's case, taper candles in a red hue with 'this really beautiful twist detail' are arranged in hurricane vases on a console table, adding an instantly festive look with the winter color scheme.

Taper candles also work wonderfully displayed across festive tablescaping and you can experiment with varying heights and colors styled beside one another for added interest.

Arrange candles in hurricane vases

If you're looking for a way to add interest to your candle displays this year, hurricane vases can really elevate the look. Not only do they transform simple candles by making them appear as more of a statement, but Shea adds that they can work just as well beyond the holiday season by swapping out the colors:

'I love that the hurricanes work in the holidays and they feel like you bought them for the holidays but then you could switch out the candle and it would work all year round.'

Below, you can shop a selection of glass hurricanes, depending on whether you want to display delicate taper candles or chunky pillar candles.

Whether you're hosting festive gatherings or are simply looking to elevate your space to enjoy during the cozy evenings, these candle ideas will soon have your space feeling snug.