Innehållsförteckning för Holiday Bliss 2018 från Victoria

Many people plan for Christmas all year long. As soon as the annual festivities are over and the trappings of celebration are packed away, they are looking for themes and do-it-yourself projects to fill the months ahead. Later, with Thanksgiving a memory, they pull out ladders and crates of ornaments and start the process of embellishing their homes to create the current year’s special moments. An important part of the planning process for creating the perfect environment for the late-year holidays is having exposure to what has worked for others. Finding new ideas is easy when you peruse magazines, study Pinterest, scan Instagram, and talk with relatives and neighbors to learn what has worked for them. For example, begin with this magazine, Holiday Bliss. We start our stories with a…

“WHEN WE’RE DESIGNING, WE TRY TO STAY ROOTED IN TRADITION BUT ALSO SPRINKLE IN BITS OF NOSTALGIA AND WHIMSY.”—Kendall Kerby…

Below is a listing of products and companies featured in this issue. Items not listed are privately owned and are not for sale. Pricing and availability may vary. Page 25: Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly, St. James’s, London WIA IER, UK, +44 0 20 7734 8040, fortnumandmason.com. Page 26: Cartier, 175–177 New Bond Street, Mayfair, London W1S 4RN, UK, +44 0 20 7408 9192, cartier.co.uk. Piccadilly Arcade, St. James’s, London SW1Y 6NH, UK, +44 0 20 7647 3000, piccadilly-arcade.com. Page 27: The Lanesborough, Hyde Park Corner, London SW1X 7TA, UK, +44 0 20 7259 5599, oetkercollection.com/destinations/the-lanesborough/. The Ivy, 1–5 West Street, London WC2H 9NQ, UK, +44 0 20 7836 4751, the-ivy.co.uk. Lola’s Cupcakes, 14–18 Neal Street, Covent Garden, WC2H 9LY, London UK, +44 0 20 7240 4249, lolascupcakes.co.uk. Harrods, 87–135…

“THE BEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS IN THE WORLD CANNOT BE SEEN OR EVEN TOUCHED—THEY MUST BE FELT WITH THE HEART.”—Helen Keller “WHAT IS CHRISTMAS? IT IS A FERVENT WISH THAT EVERY CUP MAY OVERFLOW WITH BLESSINGS RICH AND ETERNAL, AND THAT EVERY PATH MAY LEAD TO PEACE.”—Agnes M. Pahro…

“WHEN DECORATING THIS APARTMENT FOR CHRISTMAS, I TRIED TO KEEP IT TRADITIONAL AND CLASSIC.”—Corey Amaro Christmas truly is a celebration in Provence, with vibrant holiday markets, miles of fairy lights, and crèches displayed throughout this popular region of France. Beginning with the Feast of Sainte Barbe on December 4th and continuing into the new year, the period the French call Calendales is a joyous time focused on family togetherness. In a setting that could be mistaken for a Cézanne landscape painting come to life, the community of Apt is tucked between the mountains of Luberon and Vaucluse. This quintessential Provençal town abounds with centuries-old residences that shine their brightest this time of year, and the beautiful seventeenth-century apartment owned by antiques dealers Nathalie and Jean-Bernard Masset is a perfect example.…

As frosty winter winds sweep across the British lowlands, residents from Birmingham to Bromsgrove wrap their scarves a little tighter as they dart in and out of local shops, carrying daunting to-do lists. But in the village of Little Aston in Sutton Coldfield, Sarah Wilton-Basi is happily putting the finishing touches on her holiday décor, warmed by a blazing fire and her enthusiasm for the task at hand. Sarah and her husband, Param, moved into their circa 1660 semi-detached cottage in 2009 after a six-month renovation restored many of the home’s original features. The structure, which formerly served as the local schoolhouse, was christened Little Latches because of the number of latched doors on the property. It is a particularly appropriate venue for Sarah, who taught theatre studies at a…

Talented entrepreneurs and intrepid collectors, Pascale and Olivier Gisclard travel extensively to amass an expansive trove of eclectic wares from England, Italy, Sweden, and France. Twice yearly, they fill their historic French château with extraordinary finds and open it to the public for a memorable sale known as Le Grillon Voyageur (which charmingly translates to The Traveling Cricket). For three weekends in May, and again in December, the rooms of the mansion are artfully arranged to showcase rare pieces, as well as a few modern offerings of the couple’s own creation. In the village of Sézanne, in the Champagne region of France, the Gisclards happened upon a property for purchase that had once belonged to a cousin of Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais, who likely visited the home. The house was…

While retracing the steps of her formative years, Heidi Brooks describes the time she and her grandmother—a well-respected antiquarian in Ellsworth, Maine—delivered an extraordinary handcrafted desk to the home of Theodore Roosevelt III, a grandson of Teddy Roosevelt. “It was a fascinating house that was chiseled into the rocks on Mount Desert Island,” she recalls. “I will never forget that experience. Exposure is everything. I was always studying where furniture was placed, how things were arranged on tabletops, where paintings were hung.” Destined at a young age to become, like her grandmother, a devotee of antiques, as well as an interior designer like her mother and great-grandfather, Heidi remains deeply rooted in a family legacy immersed in exquisite furnishings, enduring elegance, and impeccable taste. She refined her skills at the…

Pomegranate-Glazed Rack of Lamb Makes 4 servings ½ cup orange juice¼ cup pomegranate juice2 tablespoons honey2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil2 cloves garlic, minced½ teaspoon kosher salt¼ teaspoon ground black pepper1 (8-bone) rack of lamb, frenched*Pistachio Pesto (recipe follows)Garnish: mandarin oranges, pomegranate arils, fresh herbs 1. In a small saucepan, combine orange juice, pomegranate juice, honey, and balsamic vinegar; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer until mixture is reduced to ⅓ cup. 2. Preheat oven to 450°. 3. In a small bowl, stir together olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Rub mixture over lamb, and let stand for 15 minutes. 4. Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb, fat-side down, and cook, without moving, until browned. Brush with pomegranate glaze.…