Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2025 i Homes & Antiques

Tell us what inspires you in this issue of H&A. Tag@homes_antiques on Instagram or use the email address, right Christmas is the time of year when our homes truly shine. Cherished heirlooms and thoughtful touches fill rooms with warmth, and every space comes alive with light, laughter and tradition. We're celebrating the season in all its splendour, beginning, naturally, with a dash of your favourite tipple. On page 33, Sophia Cano turns back the clock to explore the evolution of festive frivolity, revealing that our ancestors’ Christmas revelries may not have been so different from our own. If that's not enough to put you in the spirit, our edit of barware (p38) will have you ready to host a glittering soirée in no time. Still haven't finished your Christmas shopping? Fear…

An earthly paradise House of Hackney describes its 2025 Christmas collection as ‘both a love letter to William Morris and a reminder of what truly matters during the holidays’. ‘Love is Enough’, named after Morris’ celebrated poem, includes a set of four cushions with reimagined designs, with a new linen fabric – Earthly Paradise, pictured here on the table and napkins – providing the perfect backdrop. £130 per m. houseofhackney.com Country comfort British brand Sofa.com has just launched its first collection with stylist and interiors blogger Paula Sutton of Hill House Vintage. Paula brings her eye for heritage style to introduce six new fabrics to suit a wealth of homes, including classic stripes, a traditional gingham and two bold florals in fuchsia and china blue. Pictured above is the Bluebell…

‘The serious is barred; no business allowed. Drinking, noise and games… are the functions over which I preside.’ You'd be forgiven for assuming this excerpt describes the familiar festivity of a contemporary Christmas Day. In fact, it originates from Lucian of Samosata's satirical dialogue Saturnalia, on the customary revelry of the ancient Roman late-December festival. You could argue that not much has changed: to this day, many would say that it doesn't truly feel like Christmas until they have a tipple in hand. Over the years, we've celebrated the season with drinking and festivity to varying extents. However, thanks to a hearty helping of debauchery and a few government-mandated attacks on public merriment, our journey to today's boozy Christmas table has been anything but smooth. Raucous roots The ancient Roman…

As a huge Emma Bridgewater fan, I'm delighted to offer Homes & Antiques readers this charming mug and plate set when you subscribe this month! It's just the thing to get you into the festive spirit. Sign up for six or 13 issues and you'll receive this Gingerbread House set, plus you'll save 25% on the newsstand price! PS Subs copies are now posted in easy-to-recycle paper – no more plastic wrap! SUBSCRIBER BENEFITS Save a fantastic 25%* on the shop price Pay just £26.95 every 6 issues by Direct Debit Emma Bridgewater Gingerbread House mug and plate set, worth £44 The perfect Christmas gift Never miss an issue of your favourite interiors magazine, filled with beautiful ways to mix old and new in your home…

For many families, a trip to the panto is an unmissable part of Christmas. The University of Kent holds the David Drummond Pantomime Collection, dedicated to the history of pantomime. Special collections and archives manager Karen Brayshaw explains: ‘David Drummond ran a specialist theatrical bookshop in Covent Garden. Over five decades, he built a vast personal collection spanning four centuries of British pantomime history. It now takes up 35 deep shelves of our storage facility, as well as an entire plan chest filled with oversized posters. There's everything from pantomime dames’ bloomers to a turn-of-thecentury pantomime horse. Every time I open a box, it makes me smile. ‘I'm not a big fan of watching pantomime, but I understand what an important part it has played in the history of British…

In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, Dorothy discovers the Emerald City is an illusion; its citizens are required to wear green-tinted glasses to create the impression the city's walls are built from dazzling green gems. Just like the Emerald City, not every ‘emerald’ is real… Synthetic emeralds are chemically identical to mined emeralds, only they have been commercially grown in laboratories, not dug out of the earth. Under a loupe or microscope, the inclusions appear different, but spotting a synthetic emerald requires specialist gemmological knowledge and experience. Synthetic emeralds can seem like a bargain – a bigger, cleaner, greener stone for much less money – but bear in mind they have poor resale value. Simulants superficially resemble emeralds, but are made of something else entirely. Green…

1. Conjuring tricks Estimate £1,000–£1,500 Sold £4,700 When a musical automaton of a conjurer was consigned to Roseberys’ Fine & Decorative sale, specialist Jack Wallis knew it would strike a chord. The piece was amongst 10 automata up for sale that day, and was highly coveted by collectors. Jack comments: ‘This charming automaton is almost certainly French. The fine quality and subject matter indicate one of the top makers of the 19th century, such as Jean-Marie Phalibois or Marie-Emmanuel Cruchet, who are known to have created automata featuring magicians and tightrope walkers.’ The turban-clad conjurer performs the classic cups and balls trick, when a ball switches between two cups as if by magic. ‘Automata appeal to collectors because they sit at the intersection of art and engineering: part-machine, part-toy, part-sculpture.…

BUY NOW Early English porcelain Interest in early English porcelain at auction reached its peak in the 1990s and early 2000s, when demand and sales soared. Since then, the country's top collections have become well established, and the most dedicated enthusiasts are now only focused on acquiring the rarest and most exceptional examples. As a result, many low and mid-market pieces – once highly sought after – have become surprisingly affordable. This change presents new investors and followers with a way to obtain beautiful, historic porcelain at accessible price points. Whether you're looking to start a collection or add to an existing one, the current climate offers the chance to own a piece of British ceramic history that might have been out of reach just a few decades ago. SELL…

THE PARTNERSHIP Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler hosts Brownrigg British interiors icon Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler has joined forces with celebrated dealers Brownrigg, showcasing a selection of its antiques in the brand's Pimlico Road showroom. The in-store collaboration offers an artful view of how styles and periods can sit happily together. ‘Working with Brownrigg enables us to pick the pieces that we feel most complement our relaxed room sets, with their antiques effortlessly sitting alongside our own designs,’ says joint MD, Philip Hooper. sibylcolefax.com THE EXHIBITION The winter programme at Museum of the Home As the days grow colder and darker, head to the Museum of the Home to explore how seasonal festivals, culture and personal traditions shape the ways we spend time at home. There's a chance to…

Christmas has become the ultimate consumerist holiday. We eat and drink to extremes, overspend on presents, and throw caution aside when it comes to party outfits, nights out and festive activities. Once the spirit takes hold, it's easy to get swept up in indulgence and forget the season's most important gift: spending time with loved ones. And that, of course, shouldn't cost the earth. This year, opt for an approach that's kinder to the planet, easier on your wallet, and far more creative. 1 GO GREEN According to the Carbon Trust, an artificial tree needs to be used for at least 10 years to offset its carbon footprint – yet most last only four. This time around, choose a real tree that's FSC-certified, organic, and locally grown. After the celebrations, repurpose…

Selina Gardner's love of antiques began early, with childhood memories of rummaging in dusty second-hand shops, setting up a stall selling porcelain figures and old books outside her home at six years old, and spending birthday money on bric-a-brac. ‘My first proper buy was a 1930s oak side table, which moved with me from home to home in my younger years,’ she says. Over time, her tastes shifted from simple mid-20th-century post-war style to the grander aesthetics of the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian eras. ‘I just adore the colours, shapes and textures found in homes of these times – especially in 18th- and 19th-century Scandinavian and French interiors,’ she says. When she and her husband Stuart first viewed the 1930s brick-built Surrey property that they now call home, they found…

The kindness of a saint has given us a Christmas tradition we've cherished for centuries. History loves a good story, and the genesis for this one comes from the extraordinary life of 4th-century Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra (in today's Turkey). It generated numerous legends, from his calming of a storm at sea to, most famously, his generosity to a widowed man with no money for his daughters’ dowries. A number of versions of the action he took have survived. Nicholas knew the girls’ father wouldn't accept money from him as a gift but, according to one version, he'd noticed how each evening the daughters hung their washed stockings to dry by the chimney, so he climbed down the chimney and put bags of silver coins inside them. Another account…

Cliveden House From festive afternoon teas and private dining to decadent new-year stays, there's Christmas cheer aplenty on offer at Cliveden House. For the ultimate experience, book the three-night ‘Christmas House Party’ from 24th-27th December, and follow in the footsteps of iconic parties past. Canapés, champagne and carols will usher in Christmas Eve, while Christmas Day offers a plethora of opportunities for fine festive dining, as well as the chance for some family time, a wintry walk, or relaxation in the spa. Enjoy a butler's tour and Christmas cake on Boxing Day, followed by an evening of food, music and dancing to round off the celebrations. clivedenhouse.co.uk Down Hall With its distinguished history and Italianate-style architecture, Down Hall in Essex is an atmospheric place to stay at any time of…

Fabric Wallpaper Nothing compares to the charm of traditional green and red at Christmas. Elevate the look this year with the addition of rich jewel tones. Opulent raspberry and plum give a modern twist to vintage that adds depth to a classic scheme…

Ceramicist Ellen Hayward loves to make small things. Specifically, tiny people and animals, most of whom stand no more than eight centimetres tall. She makes ladies in brightly coloured dresses and gentlemen in stripey jumpers – some have their hands on their hips, some wave their arms in the air. Many sport a jaunty hat or a bird perched on their heads; the ladies have tall beehive hairdos in a myriad of colours, some of which have fallen skew-whiff, off to one side. There are dogs and cats too: black and white poodles with coiffes to rival their mistresses, and orange foxes with bushy tales. Despite their diminutive size and the simplicity of their decoration, there is no shortage of personality in Ellen's menagerie. Individually – and particularly when grouped…

Brought up in her beloved grandmother's house and enjoying close relationships with two great-aunts, artist, gardener and vintage seller Karen Burgess learned early to treasure the beauty of the past. These women's cabinets, filled with delicate floral china, vases, plates and pots, were more than ornaments – they were keepers of family stories. ‘I was amazed by how they knew everything about each piece, from the maker to the journey it had taken to become theirs,’ she says. Karen began gathering her own collections at around 14 years old: her first choice being a Victorian covered soap dish decorated with pink roses. ‘The appeal of collecting wasn't about value but beauty, and the way each piece connects me to the threads of other people's lives,’ she says. Today, her passion…

Today, almost all performances can be digitally preserved. Go to a concert – Taylor Swift, Tom Jones or Bon Jovi – and most of the audience will be recording the experience on their phones. Plays, operas and ballets are streamed from top London theatres to cinemas nationwide. In the run-up to Christmas, nativities and school shows are eagerly filmed by proud parents, and then archived in the cloud, possibly forever. In the past, a theatre performance existed only in the moment it was staged. When the final curtain fell and the audience went home, the experience was gone. A script might be reused, the production mounted with a different director, but a show could never be exactly recreated. It lingered only in memory. Costume and set designs appeal to collectors…

As co-head of the UK jewellery department at Bonhams, Kate Flitcroft works with many rare and valuable gemstones. Among the many jewels she's encountered, she's captivated by carved emeralds from the Mughal Empire, a powerful dynasty that ruled India from the mid-16th to the 18th century. From the mountains and rainforests of Colombia, Spanish traders carried the precious stones on an epic journey, travelling thousands of miles across land and sea to India. There, craftsmen carved them with intricate floral motifs or religious verses, before they were set into jewellery, caskets, or ceremonial weapons for the Mughal royals. ‘The colour green was considered sacred, symbolising paradise and eternal life, and emeralds were believed to promote wisdom and healing,’ explains Kate. ‘Centuries later, there's something otherworldly about them. The stones still…

Whether you call it Christmas, Winterval or just ‘the holidays’, the period between late December and early January is cocoon time: a cessation of work and routine activities. It begins with traditions – making a Christmas pudding on Stir-up Sunday, gathering in cards and gifts, and putting up the tree as early as you dare. This is the backdrop for family get-togethers, festive drinks, ice skating and carol concerts big and small. Whatever the weather and wherever you are, as one year ends another begins, we make merry. 1 Green and mean Doesn't everyone love the Grinch, Dr Seuss’ storybook recluse whose hatred of Christmas transforms into a heartwarming spirit of goodwill? The Grinch has become one of Theodor Seuss Geisel's best-known creations, and first appeared as a black-and-white drawing in the…

1 Grace Decorative This is a bricks-and-mortar shop in Warminster, Wiltshire, with a website and Instagram account run by Teresa and David Wilkinson, who also exhibit at in-person and online fairs. Their stock is full of goodies, including vintage haberdashery (buckles and sets of buttons are great budget options), antique French mother-of-pearl rosary beads, gorgeous gently worn hair slides, cufflinks, tie pins, and earrings. gracedecorative.co.uk; @gracedecorative 2 Heritage House London Cox & Cox co-founder Lizzie Thornton-Allan runs this Instagram shop specialising in antique and vintage decor, and it's a lovely place to browse small pre-loved pieces for the home. A little shell soap dish would fit perfectly in a stocking, as could small jelly moulds, a porcelain basket, salt cellars, linen napkins, and hand-tinted bird engravings. heritagehouselondon.myshopify.com; @heritagehouselondon 3 Old French Things This…