My Complicated Relationship with the Christmas Tree: A Study in Self-Inflicted Chaos

Every December I stage a small, interior-led meltdown in the name of holiday spirit. Consider this my annual report - plus a gift guide.

I don’t have a green thumb. I love plants in theory, but I’ve never been willing to sacrifice visual square footage to a small indoor jungle. I appreciate objects more than foliage, and the whole plants clean the air argument only works if you own enough of them to qualify as a greenhouse.

Maybe that’s why, growing up, our Christmas tree was never a real…