Innehållsförteckning för Christmas 2025 från Country Style

CHRISTMAS CAME EARLY FOR ME this year because for the first time since I began working on Country Style six years ago, I was on location for our cover shoot. It was a lot of fun, but I realised why people say: “Never work with children or animals.” Positioning Highland cattle, named John and Stan, and twin goats Paulina and Theresa beside our Christmas tree, while getting the timing right with curious horses in the paddock behind us, was a challenge. At one stage, our photographer Brigid Arnott gave Paulina and Theresa a stern talking-to, threatening them with not being on the Country Style cover if they did not behave. It seemed to work… for a while. Thank goodness we had Peter Yannopoulos – owner of Moraea Farm at Berry,…

Online Last Christmas, our Tilly’s Table recipe was a rich and delicious Christmas pudding (see below). To find the recipe, visit homestolove.com.au/recipe/entertaining/christmas-pudding-recipe On the App Store Country Style magazine Subscribe and download our app Download the Country Style app (it’s free!) to read our online stories, or combine it with a digital subscription to get every issue. Our digital magazines are as beautiful as print, plus you can customise font sizes and listen to an audio version. Newsletters homestolove.com.au/country-style Renovate your inbox with Country Style newsletters! Our new missive, Kylie in the Country, is full of editor-approved travel tips. Scan the code to sign up. PHOTOGRAPHY & STYLING TILLY PAMMENT…

TOP SHELF, FROM LEFT Mango & Lychee soy candle, $59 (330g), from Al.ive Body. Circa White Fig & Cedar soy candle, $49.95 (300g), from David Jones. December Pine, Cedar, Rosemary & Leather soy candle, $59 (300g), from Hunter. White Christmas Cedar Leaf & Fruity Clove soy candle, $59.95 (380g), from Glasshouse Fragrances. BOTTOM SHELF, FROM LEFT Magic Pudding soy candle, $69 (300g), from Southern Wild Co. Nazareth Clove & Orange candle, $529 (800g), from Trudon. Toscana Tuberose & Iris porcelain candle, $179 (220g), from Creed Australia. Santa Maria Novella Firenze 1221 scented candle, $159 (250g), from Libertine Parfumerie.…

LIFE AT THE BEACH comes naturally to the Bartlett family, for whom surfing roots run deep. Kayla, a stylist and artist, grew up in California and spent her summer holidays at Encinitas, a surf town near San Diego. It was there that she met Byron, then a professional surfer, and the pair lived in Sydney before taking a chance on Byron’s home town of Manyana on the NSW South Coast, on the traditional lands of the Yuin and Jerrinja peoples. “We were both at a turning point in our lives,” says Kayla of the couple’s plan to rent in the area and perhaps look to buy a holiday home, while still considering a move back to California. But, as always, life unfolded in its own way. A new chapter began…

ORANGE, SPICED BEETROOT & ROSEMARY CURED OCEAN TROUT (recipe on p109) FRUIT-INFUSED ICED TEA WITH PLUMS AND MIXED BERRY & WATER MELON SALAD WITH YOGHURT GR ANITA FRUIT-INFUSED ICED TEA WITH PLUMS Serves 6 1 small fennel, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon fennel seeds ½ cup caster sugar Juice of 1 lemon 2 Earl Grey tea bags 2 plums, cut into slim wedges Rosemary sprigs, to serve (optional) To make the syrup, place fennel, fennel seeds, sugar and ½ cup (125ml) water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add lemon juice and set aside. Place the tea bags in a large, heatproof jug. Add 3 cups (750ml) boiling water and set aside to infuse for 5 minutes.…

I’M CURRENTLY READING The Australian Ark, Andrew Caillard’s three-volume tome on the history of Australian wine. It’s a fascinating digest packed with detail and myth-dispelling information. I’ve already learnt a lot and I’m only halfway through Volume Two, which focuses on the post-World War II era. A consistent thread is Australian winegrowers’ use of generic names ‘borrowed’ from Europe’s regional benchmarks. Claret, burgundy, champagne, sherry and port were common descriptors before the EU (known as the European Economic Community until 1993) insisted we drop the practice in exchange for better access to European markets for Australian wine. Current labelling sees most wines labelled by grape variety, but the agreement forced stalwarts like Houghton’s White Burgundy to rebrand as Houghton’s Classic White, and Penfolds to drop Hermitage from their Grange label.…

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY The Vintage Toy Box It was Saskia Sharp’s passion for creative play that led her to launch The Vintage Toy Box online in 2013. Today, with shops in Canberra, Bowral and Orange, Saskia shares her knowledge of classic toys with children all over Australia. But it’s at Christmas time, she says, that the stores truly come to life: “The shelves sparkle with festive treasures, from traditional stockings filled with little surprises, to retro toys and puzzles that bring families together.” Nostalgic tin spinning tops, wind-up robots, wooden trapeze toys and the prettiest paper dolls sit beside enchanting handcrafted music boxes – it’s a refreshing throwback to clever, well-made pieces. They make the perfect gift from one generation to another and with no plastic or batteries in sight,…

Editor KYLIE IMESON Creative director MIA DAMINATO Deputy editor HANNAH JAMES Senior designer JUDIE SIU Stylist KATE LINCOLN Senior copy editor GRETA DUMBLETON Feature writer RACHEL WHITE Copy editors SUE RAMSEY, STEPHANIE HOPE ADVERTISING Commercial brand manager, Homes MICHELLE O’HANLON All advertising inquiries ADVERTISING@AREMEDIA.COM.AU SYNDICATION Email SYNDICATION@AREMEDIA.COM.AU Website CONTENTSHOP.COM.AU ARE MEDIA Chief executive officer JANE HUXLEY Finance director MARENA PAUL Director of sales ANNA QUINN  Director of content SALLY EAGLE  Director of marketing CARLY BOWRA  General manager JOCELIN ABBEY  Editor-in-chief TANYA BUCHANAN GET IN TOUCH  Mail COUNTRY STYLE, GPO BOX 4088, SYDNEY, NSW 2001.  Telephone (02) 9282 8000  Email AUSTCOUNTRYSTYLE@AREMEDIA.COM.AU SUBSCRIPTIONS  Telephone 136 116  Website MAGSHOP.COM.AU  Email MAGSHOP@MAGSHOP.COM.AU  Post MAGSHOP, GPO BOX 5252, SYDNEY, NSW 2001, AUSTRALIA Published by Are Media Pty Limited (ACN 053 273 546), 54 Park Street,…

GAME ON Beguile the languid holiday hours away with this travel backgammon set, $420. The board is made from painted canvas; the checkers are tactile clay beans in red and tan; and the whole lot rolls up and stows away when the game’s over. Roll the dice! Visit fourth-st.com better half From the front, this Kairos Ripple Vase in Dark Amber, $69, flows in fluted ripples that glow in the light. But the back is flat, to sit flush against the wall when set on a narrow console table. Ingenious; gorgeous. Visit saarde.com soft as a dream “I have spread my dreams under your feet,” wrote the great Irish poet W.B. Yeats in 1899. “Tread softly, for you tread on my dreams.” Hali knows all about treading softly: this Ajmer…

CONSIDERING HER CREATIVE CAREER revolves around paper and traditional hand-printing processes, it’s no surprise that artist and retailer Emily Shingleton is a champion of thoughtful Christmas gift wrapping and handwritten well wishes. “Oh, the wrapping is almost as important as the gift, in my mind,” says the 39-year-old Western Australian, who lives in Margaret River with her musician partner, Rob Frizzell, 41, and their 16-month-old daughter, Layla. This year, the family’s Christmas tree will shimmer with metallic paper decorations crafted by Emily for her design business, The Little Press, which she launched in 2011. Under the tree, gifts will be wrapped in brown paper, tied with string and topped with “a shiny ornament or a sprig of something from the garden”. It will be Layla’s second Christmas, and Emily anticipates…

CHRISTMAS IN THE NORTHERN hemisphere has a romance all its own – but it doesn’t come without its drawbacks. Festive decoration, for example, often starts early, because the evenings do, too. “Right after Halloween, in early November, I start adding more candles and lanterns because it gets so dark,” says Sanna Raatikainen, 46, who lives in this home outside Helsinki with her husband Jouni, 46, their sons, Teo, 11, and Emil, 15, and Benkku the dog. “In December, I bring in Christmas flowers, wreaths, and a few decorations. The Christmas tree and the main holiday decorations arrive during Christmas week.” That might sound on the late side to many of us, but when Sanna, who ran her own interior design shop, Nougat, for nearly 15 years, does bring out the…

AS CHRISTMAS LOOMS, spare a thought for all the turkeys out there, training hard all year and sticking doggedly to their diets with no cheat meals and never, ever missing leg days. Well, someone should let the turkeys know that they can and should miss leg days. Why? Because we only ever seem to order and consume the buffe at Christmas; the buffe being the two breasts of turkey with wings and legs removed. In Australia, our use of the word for this cut probably came from ‘buffet’, where the legs were removed for ease of carving. Not to be confused with the breed of turkey called the ‘Jersey buff’, which got its name from the colour of its brown feathers (borrowed from the origins of the word ‘buff’, which…

deli delights Edible presents are the best presents. A Big Thank You Hamper, $144, from Long Track Pantry, has the Jugiong deli’s greatest hits, from Blood Orange & Gin Marmalade to Beetroot Relish. Visit longtrackpantry.com.au COOK THE BOOKS Books are a lovely gift – or gift to self. Amber Guinness’s Winter in Tuscany (Thames & Hudson, $64.99) is a ravishing book full of recipes you’ll get rave reviews for come autumn. Still in Italy, Ada Boni’s The Talisman of Happiness (Thames & Hudson, $110), a beloved bestseller published in 1929, has finally been translated into English. In Lankan Filling (Hardie Grant, $55), O Tama Carey shares recipes from her Sydney restaurant Lankan Filling Station, which serves creative twists on traditional dishes. THINK PINK Bright, beautiful and brilliantly Christmassy, Bonnie and…

MAREE COLEMAN STAY-AT-HOME MUM, 43 Maree lives on a cattle farm south of Orange, NSW, with husband Mark, 48, children Alex, 12, Ivy, 10, and Annabelle, seven – plus kelpie Patch and tabby cat Scribbles. What do you love about living in the country? My childhood is filled with memories of growing up on an apple orchard just outside Orange with my parents and two sisters. I knew I wanted that for my children, too. On Sundays, we try not to leave the farm – it’s our sanctuary from the busy weeks. We reserve it for hanging in the garden, motorbike rides, swims, time in the kitchen – and rides with Patch, checking stock. How would you describe your style? Day to day, you’ll find me in activewear; otherwise I’m…

HAMMOCK READS HOT WAX M.L. Rio, Wildfire, $32.99 At first, you think this novel must be aimed at generation Z – bands, toxic parents, an 11-year-old on the run, early wisdom but stunted communication. However, by the fifth page you realise that this is for everyone. Massive themes handled with extraordinary expertise. We are thrust back and forth along the timeline because Rio wants us to work out certain things for ourselves. Crucial information is often denied to the reader until after the event it triggered. Suzanne adores her father Gil, a singer and lyricist, but he’s hardly ever home. He and his sinister guitarist, Skelly, are on the road constantly. They’re rock’n’roll incarnate. Working too hard and for too little money turned her mother, once a seductive and confident…

COOKING UP A STORM The latest Country Style magazine arrived in our household today and my partner, Ian, quickly grabbed it so he could be the first to peruse the glossy pages. He takes great delight in turning immediately to the new recipes each month. Over the many years I have been subscribing to Country Style, we have tried most of the featured recipes. Our family were very impressed recently when my enthusiastic partner prepared the Time To Feast Christmas in July recipes for them all. No-one could decide their favourite dish out of the Layered Ham, Chicken and Pistachio Terrine, Mulled Wine Roasted Duck or the Warm Rhubarb Trifle with Jelly Syrup. Wow! What a hit this dinner party was. A huge thank you for the clever and delicious…

FROM LEFT Dark Chocolate Baubles bonbon, $23.90, from Haigh’s Chocolates. Rose Hand & Lip Treats gift set, $54, from Jurlique. TWYG Holiday bon bon, $35, from Twyg. Kyoto in Bloom Camellia & Lotus Christmas bonbon, $19.95, from Glasshouse Fragrances. Al.ive Body Sweet Plum & Berries hand cream cracker, $27, from Pillow Talk. Lanolips 101 Delicious Duo cracker, $25, from David Jones. Mini hand cream bonbon in Fresh Pine, $14.95, from Ecoya.…

MAREE AND MARK COLEMAN KNEW they’d found a keeper within minutes of arriving at Rosebank, a 300-hectare Angus cattle farm just outside of Orange, NSW, on the traditional lands of the Wiradjuri people. Mark, 48, who is the owner and director of Colemans Equipment, was “sold” as soon as he laid eyes on the home’s magnificent, century-old gardens. “His mother instilled a love of gardening in him, so he fell in love instantly,” recalls Maree, 43. It took her a few extra minutes to be convinced, but ultimately, they agreed it was the perfect place to raise their three children, Alex, 12, Ivy, 10, and seven-year-old Annabelle. “After a 10-minute look around inside I said to him, ‘This is the one – get it done before anyone else inspects it!’”…

the entertainer CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Oak board, $74.95, from Pepperwhites. Everson bar cart, $699, from Pottery Barn. Riedel Veloce champagne glass, $125 (set of two), from Riedel. Sthål big bowl, $289, from Casa e Cucina. Side plate in Burgundy Toile de Jouy, from $210, from Dior. Ancora teapot, $98, from T2. Clara candle holder, from $39, from Pottery Barn. Provence cloche, from $59.95, from Wicka. Antique brass fork knife set, $44, from Black Blaze. Napkins in Natural, $65 (set of four), from I Love Linen. Ancora cup & saucer, $50, from T2. Trudon Madeleine Burgundy candles, $59 (pack of six), from David Jones. Pomegranate tablecloth, from $299, from Casa e Cucina. Waterford Elegance decanter, $449, from Waterford. Always pan, $250, from Our Place. Rattan placemat, $34.95, from Alfresco Emporium.…

IN MY EXPERIENCE, CHRISTMAS CAKE can be somewhat polarising: you either love it or hate it and, either way, the response seems to be a rather strong one. Until fairly recently, I was firmly in the ‘hate’ camp when it came to Christmas cake. Maybe I’d never had a particularly good one (we were always a Christmas pudding house) or maybe my taste hadn’t matured yet (a love of Christmas cake does seem to be something that comes with age), but whatever the reason, I was not a fan. This changed a few years ago, when I discovered that a good Christmas cake is a thing of great beauty. Heavy on fruit and soaked in top-quality booze, a slice of fragrant Christmas cake and a cup of hot tea is…

STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN elegantly styled and relaxed and homely can be difficult. A house that is overly styled, where everything is placed just so, can sometimes feel stiff and uninviting. That is not the case at Moraea Farm, just outside of Berry on the New South Wales South Coast. It is at once welcoming and beautiful. As you drive through the gates to Moraea Farm, a gravel driveway winds through lush gardens towards the farmhouse. Opening the front door, you feel instantly at ease thanks to the wide entrance hall. To the left is the living room with a large, curved cream sofa facing the fireplace. The modern farmhouse kitchen has a large, freestanding cooker, butler’s sink, generous island bench, and a tea and coffee station. The dining…

1 Amber Sceats Venice bracelet, $229, from David Jones. 2 Coco scarf-tie bikini top in Pink Multi Floral, $165, and high-waist pants in Tan Multi Floral, $160, from Zimmermann. 3 Fairley chain bracelet in Antique Gold, $249, from Hawkes General Store. 4 Camilla and Marc Lolani maxi dress in Chocolate, $450, from David Jones. 5 Kingdom skirt in Apricot, $550, from Viktoria & Woods. 6 Marco fl a tsandals in Off White Raffia, $219.95, from Jo Mercer. 7 Clara wicker mini bag in Natural/Cognac, $579, from Oroton. 8 Chanel Coco Mademoiselle eau de parfum spray, $295 (100ml), from David Jones. 9 Wide-leg bolero pant in Blue Florentine, $540, from Lulu Zagame. 10 Lack of Color summer bucket hat in Clay, $99, from David Jones. 11 Yasmin linen vest in Ecru,…

THIS CHRISTMAS, BOTH MY GROWN-UP children will be away… again. They’re overseas – one being a vet in Cumbria, UK, hoping for a snowy Christmas without too many animal emergencies, and the other in New Zealand, hoping to snag a day off farm work to go surfing. I’m happy for them – they’re doing exactly what they should be doing, but the empty space they leave has me thinking about absence or, more specifically, about how absences shape our present. You know the absences I’m talking about: the mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, sisters and brothers, wives and husbands, dear friends, uncles and aunts and nieces and nephews, grandparents and grandchildren. And the other ones: the houses and creek beds, walnut trees and rose bushes, ponies and dogs. All…