Innehållsförteckning för Dec-2018 från 25 Beautiful Homes

The countdown to Christmas has officially begun. This may simply mean getting in the mood for festivities, or it might be the deadline you’ve set yourself to finish a project. I was in that position last year. We were desperate to complete our renovation, even though we weren’t hosting any major shindigs; there was just something compelling about being ‘in’ for the holidays. To help you get into the spirit, each of this month’s houses is dressed for the Big Day. Decorating solutions abound, from garlands and trees to crackers and baubles. So much sparkle, so many touches! I am personally inspired by the Northern European homes and their takes on seasonal style. One favourite is Jet van Buren’s house in the Netherlands (page 76); this chimes with me as…

Maggie Black enjoys every minute of the time she spends choosing and putting up her Christmas decorations. ‘I keep some from year to year – they bring back so many happy memories – but I also like to add a few new ones to be fresh and a little on trend,’ she says. ‘I adore unwrapping my stash of decorations, deciding which ones will make the final cut.’ After more than 30 years in the property, Maggie and her husband Mike have an amicable arrangement: Maggie, a retired nurse, is in charge of the decorating while Mike, a local GP, does the gardening. ‘It works for us,’ says Maggie. ‘I’m never bored – I’m constantly tweaking things. The house is versatile and I have repainted it a lot over the…

After a long-running house renovation that has meant spending recent Christmases with family and friends, Estelle Derouet and her husband Jon Savage are determined to make this year special for their 10-year-old son Louis. ‘He was only three when we moved here, so it’s about making a bit more effort now,’ she says. This Christmas, Estelle is going to town. ‘Every year I buy something new, and this year, my three big boxes of decorations have finally come down from the attic,’ she says. ‘No doubt, I’ll be up until the early hours on Christmas Eve getting the table just right.’ Each table setting features an antique napkin, a feather and a name card in a tiny frame, and Estelle has a couple of further tricks up her sleeve, too.…

When artist John Atkinson and his wife Juliette started house hunting in Norfolk 20 years ago, they were looking for a weekend bolthole. ‘We were living in London but wanted a country retreat, where we could have friends to stay and throw parties without upsetting the neighbours,’ says John. ‘We had no intention of moving here permanently, but after two years, that’s exactly what we did.’ The house that stole their hearts and persuaded them to leave city life behind was a 16th-century timber-framed farmhouse. Although it was over budget, dated, cold and gloomy, the property had lots of potential – particularly as the deal included seven acres of land, along with various sheds and outbuildings, keeping the couple well out of earshot of neighbours. They decided to buy it,…

Abbie and Toby Smith were happy in their spacious flat in south London and even after baby Hector, now three, came along, they were determined not to move. ‘However, the lack of guest space created a challenge,’ says Abbie. ‘Both our families were keen to visit more often after Hector arrived and we struggled to accommodate them.’ While out walking with the pram, Abbie spotted a fully renovated family home for sale and, on viewing, the couple realised it could be the solution to their problem. Meticulously modernised and finished by the previous owners, the property had plenty of bedrooms with ample space for guests, yet remained a decorative blank canvas waiting to be personalised. Abbie has always loved interiors and having been frequently asked to design and manage projects…

Simple, pared-back festive decorations are the order of the day in Tania and Andrew Hayward’s serene home. But they are no less striking for that. Mantelpieces are decorated with twinkling lights, a tree dressed in gold and silver takes centre stage and the air is scented with zesty orange and cinnamon. It is fair to say the journey to this beloved family house wasn’t always so calm. Tania and Andrew initially had very different criteria when looking for their forever home. ‘Andrew is a perfectionist who was drawn to the idea of a modern house, but I’m strictly a period property girl,’ says Tania. ‘Needless to say, our search was not an easy one.’ PERIOD DRAMA ‘We’d been looking for a large country property for a long time,’ recalls Tania,…

Buying a piece of art shouldn’t be any more difficult than a new rug, sofa or curtains – if it looks great and you like it, you buy it. That’s exactly what artist SYRETT had in mind when he launched Runway Gallery – a new digital platform to showcase and sell artworks from 14 major contemporary artists. Runway Gallery’s line-up includes SYRETT, Louise Dear, Dara Vandoor, Astrid Vos and Bruce Atherton, all of whom have exhibited internationally and boast a dedicated following. What also unites many of these artists is they’re part of a movement inspired by fashion, called XIII Untitled. Original artworks and limited edition prints from these and more can now be yours at the click of a button, with prices starting at £200 for a print. SYRETT…

A  Abigail Ahern abigailahern.com Aga agaliving.com Alexander & Pearl alexanderandpearl.co.uk Amara amara.com Amazon amazon.co.uk And So To Bed andsotobed.co.uk Andrew Martin andrewmartin.co.uk Anthony Downes anthonydownes.com Aspace aspace.co.uk Aston Matthews astonmatthews.co.uk Atkin & Thyme atkinandthyme.co.uk B  B&Q diy.com Balmain and› Balmain balmainandbalmain.com Bathstore bathstore.com Beautiful Halo beautifulhalo.com Belle & Boo belleandboo.com Beltrami beltrami.co.uk Benchmarx benchmarxkitchens.co.uk Benjamin Moore benjaminmoorepaint.co.uk Black Edition blackedition.com Blinds 2 Go blinds-2go.co.uk Bloom & Bridal 07856 766628 Brintons brintons.co.uk Butler & Sweatman butlerandsweatman.co.uk C  C&C Milano cec-milano.com Calacatta Marble calacattamarble.co.uk Carpetright carpetright.co.uk Casa Bella Furniture casabellafurniture.co.uk Chesneys chesneys.co.uk Christopher Clark christopherclark.uk Cimmermann cimmermann.uk City Cows citycows.co.uk Coach House coachhouse.com Colefax and Fowler colefax.com Concreate concreate.net/uk Connox connox.co.uk Country Heat countryheatdirect.co.uk Cox & Cox coxandcox.co.uk Cuckooland cuckooland.com Cult Furniture cultfurniture.com D  David Hunt Lighting davidhuntlighting.co.uk De Le Cuona delecuona.co.uk Dedar dedar.com Designer Paint designerpaint.com Designers Guild designersguild.com DFS dfs.co.uk Dining Chair Company diningchair.co.uk DIY Shutters diyshutters.co.uk Dougfield Plumbers Supplies dougfields.co.uk Dreams dreams.co.uk Drummonds drummonds-uk.com Dual Designs dualdesigns.co.uk Dulux dulux.co.uk Dunelm dunelm.com Dwell dwell.co.uk E  eBay ebay.co.uk Ella James ellajames.co.uk Emma Hooton emmahooton.com Eras of Style erasofstyle.com Etsy etsy.com Exclusive Mirrors exclusivemirrors.co.uk F  4Living 4living.co.uk Farrow…

1 BURNISHED DISPLAY Brass tree, £50, Cox & Cox 2 PRETTY PETAL Flower garland, £40 for two, Sophie Conran 3 PARTY ANIMAL Hare decoration, £5.50, RE 4 WARMING GLOW Royal sconce, £295, Malin Appelgren at Plümo 5 GILDED LEAVES Metal leaf wreath, £200, Laura Ashley 6 RAISE THE BAR Umberto brass bar, £615, Graham and Green 7 DRINK UP Luxe Loop Marble drinks trolley, £375, Oliver Bonas 8 HOMELY TOUCH Brass house ornament, £78, Petersham Nurseries 9 SPARKLING BIRD Robin decoration, £8, Heal’s…

With a family of four girls, plus plenty of visitors over the Christmas season, I try to keep the atmosphere in our home as calm as possible,’ says Kerry Tedman, mother to Etty, 11, Bebe, 10, Marlie, nine, and Hadley, two. Her simple palette of white, grey and black – livened up with the natural greens of winter foliage and twinkling fairy lights – brings Scandi-style serenity to the festive preparations in her home. ‘My look for the rest of the year is very pared-back, so it wouldn’t work to go for full-on red and yards of tinsel,’ she says. The result is a home that sparkles, but doesn’t drown out her personal style. Kerry, a copywriter who paints in her spare time, and her husband Chris have always liked…

Christmas is all about family for Christina and Craig Easton, who bought Christina’s childhood home in North Yorkshire from her parents five years ago. ‘I just love how our home transforms at this time of year,’ says Christina. ‘It’s a cold house so it suits having the logburner and coal fire roaring, and the rooms are big enough to hold large real trees. Decorating them always brings back fond memories.’ Before committing to buying the house, the couple moved in for a six-month trial run. ‘Craig thought it would never feel like home, but I knew we could make it look really different,’ she says. As it’s an ‘upside down’ house with sitting room, kitchen, bathrooms, conservatory and three bedrooms on the first floor, the pair concentrated their efforts there…

Christmas is celebrated in both Scandinavian and British style in Anna and her husband Stuart’s idyllic coastal home. Located in a picture-postcard East Lothian village, the house is minutes from the beach, with its view of the island and lighthouse that inspired Robert Louis Stevenson to write Treasure Island . They moved to the area for Stuart’s job in a golf club on the coast, buying a flat initially but moving to a house with a garden when their children, Mason, five, and Max, three, came along. ‘The house has a good flow: we love the open-plan living space and the generous garden,’ says Anna. ‘It is in a lovely, quiet, leafy spot. We all enjoy being outside, and with two small boys and a dog, we really appreciate the…

With the fire burning, the candles flickering and the tree in place, the scene is set for a beautiful nature-inspired Christmas in this traditional Dutch family home. ‘Our fire burns for 24 hours a day at Christmas time,’ says Jet van Buren, a florist at the market in Nijkerk, Holland. ‘My husband Peter chops the wood, I bring home bundles of fresh flowers to prepare for the festive season.’ The couple have lived in their Seventies home for 17 years but it didn’t look as magical when they first viewed it. ‘It was very tired and didn’t especially charm us,’ recalls Jet. ‘Although the style wasn’t exactly to our taste, we liked the child-friendly neighbourhood with playgrounds and quiet roads because that was important when our daughters, Jasmijn, now 17,…

For the Kolenbranders, Christmas in the family home is the culmination of a dream. ‘Our job is to create interiors that tell the story of a company,’ says Andre. ‘With this house, we could do it for ourselves, and tell our own story. That’s why Christmas here is so special.’ And Annemarie knows exactly how to bring out their converted cowshed’s best features. ‘As well as cheese, the city of Gouda is famous for its candles, which I fill the house with at Christmas,’ she says. Hanging the Christmas tree from the beams in the ceiling was an innovative idea that perfectly suits the eclectic feel of their new home. ‘I like the simplicity of it, and the long rope of lights keeps the look natural and a bit raw,’…

When Pip and Matt Chawner moved to East Dulwich, London, thirteen years ago with their three children, Fergus, then five, Béa, then three, and Dylan just three weeks old, some of their friends asked: ‘Where on earth is that?’ ‘The area wasn’t well known and it was a bit run-down,’ reminisces Pip. ‘But, ironically, many of our friends have now moved in.’ Pip was enthusiastic about the potential of their new home. She saw past the purple walls and patterned carpets, and fell in love with the generously sized rooms, high ceilings and bay windows. Time for a change ‘Only the layout was strange,’ Pip explains. ‘The boot room and boiler were placed to overlook the garden, with only one tiny window in the old kitchen enjoying the view outside.…

Louise Dear has commissions from celebrities, such as Elton John and Rick Stein, and her work hangs in homes, restaurants and galleries worldwide. Her pieces are filled with vibrant blooms and beautiful women. Decorated with gold leaf, glitter and Swarovski crystals, they exude a sensual eroticism that’s both provocative and demure. We talked to Louise about her paintings and what inspires her, plus some of her current projects… What’s your process for creating a painting? I sand the aluminium, sprinkle it with water, then throw paint at it in vibrant, clashing colours. I love the way the water disperses oil-based paints and the materials evolve on their own. I also use metallic paint, glitter and sequined shapes. This rather chaotic stage needs several days to dry. The next stage is…

1 GIVE US A TWIRL Peacock feather wreath, £55, Gisela Graham at Amara 2 YOU’VE GOT MAIL Peacock letter opener, £15, Laura Ashley 3 SPOTTY WONDER Alberto small vase, £35, Habitat 4 CAST A GLOW Small Lisboa pendant, £96, Pooky 5 PLUSH PLUMES Tulsi Cobalt cushion, £100, Designers Guild 6 FEATHER LIT Vanilla and cacao candle, £25, Sara Miller 7 SIT PRETTY Peacock chair upholstered in Black Velvet, £395, Graham and Green 8 BEJEWELLED BIRD Gold glitter peacock tree decoration, £6.95, Liberty 9 DAZZLING DECORATION Emerald large peacock bauble in green, £10, John Lewis…

Roaring log fires, flickering candlelight, sumptuous decorations and plenty of foliage foraged from surrounding woodland: these are the magical ingredients that make the season special at the home of interior designer Katharine Pooley. A fortified house located in the Scottish Highlands, this is no ordinary escape. Built in 1560 to protect the entrance to the Balloch Pass to Glenshee, the house was destroyed in a fire around a century later. The building’s chequered past stirred the imagination of Katharine’s father Robert, who bought it and began a painstaking restoration in 1988, rebuilding it brick by brick, before passing it on to his daughter fifteen years ago. ‘The castle truly comes alive at Christmas, when the sitting room, known as the Great Hall, is decorated with swags of greenery above the…

With the fires lit and the fairy lights twinkling, Jackie and Mener Tsitsis’ 18th-century house comes into its own during the festive season. ‘It is made for large gatherings,’ says Jackie. ‘On Christmas day, we walk in the forest and come back to a late lunch with family and friends. We then sit around the fire playing games – it’s a relaxed, sociable time.’ Jackie and Mener, who have three children – Gregory, 24, Anna, 21, and George, 18 – are London-based, but their love affair with the New Forest began in 1999 when they bought a beach hut in Mudeford. ‘We then progressed to a cottage and after that, a six-bedroom house,’ says Jackie. The family used to pass this place regularly, and so when Mener, a property developer,…

It was a friend who pointed out this Victorian home to Claire Hart, who had been house hunting for a month without any luck. ‘I got into my car and viewed straight away, and it was love at first sight,’ she says. Part of the appeal was its similarity to Claire and her husband Michael Albertina’s previous home. ‘I loved our old place, and used to wish I could just pick it up and move it somewhere else,’ says Claire. A larger garden and parking space were big draws, too. ‘We had always struggled to park our cars but this house has two garages and parking outside. Plus there is a utility room, which is heaven for me.’ The house had been on the market for a while and required…

For Canadian interior designer Carol Postar, Christmas is all about spending time with her friends. ‘I have a small family and so my friends are very important,’ she explains. ‘I love to hold intimate dinners and get out my favourite tableware, including Burleigh china and Wedgwood cabbage leaf plates. They make the occasion feel so special.’ Carol’s Ontario home, a gracious 19th-century Regency cottage, is the perfect backdrop for her festive gatherings. ‘It was the proportions that first sold it to me,’ says Carol. ‘The house was in a terrible state and needed everything doing to it because it’s the oldest house in the town, but I loved it.’ Throughout the refurbishment, Carol stayed in the property. ‘I put everything into storage and lived with very little,’ she recalls. ‘I…

Hennie van der Wijk loves decorating her home for Christmas. In keeping with its pared-back interior, her seasonal decorating is simple and she employs the same restricted colour palette she has used throughout the house. ‘I don’t go over the top with garlands and glitter,’ she says. ‘But I do decorate the tree with silver baubles, put a big wreath on the front door and group together candles in every room. Candles create a serene, spiritual and romantic atmosphere, which I feel is perfect for Christmas.’ Spending the festive season in the mansion she built from scratch means she can bring together family and friends under one roof. ‘Christmas is all about being together,’ she says. ‘It’s not about presents but about hope and counting your blessings.’ Over the years,…

Rick and Biddy Barrington’s Christmas season officially kicks off when the carol singers knock at their front door. ‘That’s the signal to start dowsing the Christmas pudding with brandy,’ says Rick, the natural chef in the family. Biddy sets off with Otto, their spaniel, in search of fir branches that have blown off the trees in nearby woods, which she uses for Christmas garlands. It will be the couple’s third Christmas in Herefordshire, the county they often dreamt they would move to one day. ‘Rick used to come here to shoot and fish, and whenever I accompanied him I was struck by how friendly people in the village were,’ explains Biddy. While on their honeymoon, looking through estate agents’ windows, they spotted the village house they now live in. ‘Within…

Flashes of gold, glitter and sequins adorn the interior of Lucy St George’s home in London. ‘It’s always Christmas in our house,’ she says. ‘There are some baubles in the kitchen that have been up for a couple of years. I have stars and fairy lights in here all the time – it satisfies my inner disco queen.’ As one half of furniture and accessories emporium Rockett St George, Lucy is naturally adept at dressing an interior, and her year-round festive decorations give her home the subtle sparkle she loves so much. But greenery has its place, too, which is where Lucy’s former incarnation as a florist proves particularly useful. ‘It taught me how to create impact in a room,’ she says. ‘You can introduce plants and flowers, which makes…

Embracing the festive season comes easy to Lucy Marsh, so when December rolls around, she can be found adorning her family home with foraged foliage, twinkling lights and rustic decorations. ‘I like to use natural elements – pine cones, dried orange slices and cinnamon sticks, which I display in storm lanterns,’ she says. ‘I also love wrapping candles in birch bark for a Nordic feel.’ Originally a parsonage, this enchanting property dates from the 1800s and includes decorative Arts and Crafts features. Now it is home to Lucy, her husband Jim, their two sons, Alfie, eight, Barney, seven, and their dog, Ember. When the couple first viewed the property, they fell in love with it, despite its dilapidated condition. Ancient electrics and plumbing, rotten floors and a collapsed ceiling rendered…

When Laura and Mark Stubbs first viewed their dilapidated mill house, it had been on the market for six years, and the one-acre garden was so overgrown they couldn’t even get to it. ‘We knew we could transform it into something special but the vendors weren’t willing to negotiate on the price,’ says Laura, who runs interior design company Epitome Styling. ‘In the end, we paid slightly over the odds because we loved the house so much.’ The couple had renovated their previous home, and this time decided on a phased approach. They also rented a house before phase one of the 18-month project began. ‘Rethinking the long and thin layout to make it flow better was key,’ says Laura. ‘At the start, we had plans drawn up for a…