Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2018 i The English Home

There is a deep comfort in the repeating of festive rituals year on year, don’t you think? For some the preparations for Christmas can be as enjoyable as the big day itself, be that gathering foliage to dress the house, choosing the tree, taking time to wrap presents beautifully or making a special day of shopping at a festive market with dear friends. It was this we wanted to capture when creating this edition, hoping to help set your anticipation alight by focussing on the pleasure and creativity that preparing can offer. I love making a wreath for my front door and drying orange slices on my Aga to hang on the tree or tie onto a garland above the fire, so I always make sure I carve out a…

There is surprising strength in the palest of colour palettes for festive interiors. As if everything in a room had been touched by the delicate hand of the Snow Queen, layers of glistening white give rooms the feel of being as pure and special as freshly fallen snow. The key to this look is texture. Add shimmer to a base of white-painted furniture with mercury glass, twinkling crystal chandeliers, sparkling baubles and flickering candelight.…

Dazzling London London truly sparkles at Christmas time and there is much to tempt visitors over the festive season. Head to the West End for the famous displays of Christmas lights in Regent Street (15 November to 7 January), Oxford Street (6 November to 6 January) and Covent Garden (13 November to 6 January). A million glimmering lights await at Kew Gardens for an immersive festive fantasy featuring a cathedral of light, a flickering fire garden, trees festooned with lights, 300 illuminated origami boats on the glistening lake, and more (22 November to Saturday 5 January). Open-air ice skating amidst iconic London landmarks is especially lovely after-dark under twinkling fairy lights, with a warming post-skate glass of mulled wine to temper the chill. London’s best temporary rinks include Somerset House…

Nestling in the heart of a village in Lincolnshire is a part-Georgian, part-Victorian Grade II listed house surrounded by frost-covered lawns and hedges. Within, the Jones family – Lisa, husband David and their three children, Alice, 23, Ollie, 20 and Oscar, 15 – are busily preparing for Christmas. Art student Ollie makes sure he arrives back from university in good time each year to take charge of adorning the meticulously restored house with festive decorations, indoors and out. When Lisa and David first viewed the rambling five-bedroom village house 13 years ago, despite its run-down appearance with a rabbit warren of too-small-to-be-useful rooms and tangled, overgrown garden, they could see that it had potential. The couple had been yearning to move from a city in South Yorkshire to a rural…

During the weeks preceding guests’ arrival for Christmas, taking the time to organise everything in advance will ultimately make everything easier and more enjoyable for all concerned. Typically, homes are ordered to suit family routine and the logistics of how rooms are used on a daily basis. However, over the Christmas period, rooms are likely to be used differently to accommodate the number of guests staying and their needs, particularly if a broad age range is involved, too. Comfort should be a priority in every room, so start by contemplating whether any essential items are lacking and take a moment to anticipate guests’ needs. Attentive touches that bring effortless relaxation, warmth and indulgence will make Christmas seem special and welcoming to one and all. Sitting room arrangements From gathering together…

Architect: Daniel Osborne, Woodford Associates, Ashburton Builders: Mason Construction, Buckfastleigh Kitchen design, construction and fitting: Barnes of Ashburton Electrician: Clive Mason, Buckfastleigh Large windows and door: Architectural Bronze Casements Reclaimed floorboards: Winkleigh Timber, Winkleigh Feature lighting: Jim Lawrence Appliances: Integrated fridge, washing machine & hob: Neff; dish drawers: Fisher & Paykel; Aga: Garton King, Exeter; bar stools: Nkuku, Harbertonford…

* Eve, our features editor, likes to exchange ‘Secret Santa’ stockings with family on Christmas morning now that there are no children in the house for Father Christmas to visit. Each family member draws a name from a hat, then works to the same budget to curate small, thoughtful and humorous presents. * Sarah, our managing editor, loves unwrapping baubles with sentimental attachment from her childhood to rehang year on year. * Clair, our homes editor, enjoys the creative opportunity Christmas affords, making her own Christmas cards, festive shortbread to give to neighbours, and handmade presents for her nearest and dearest. Follow us on Twitter @englishhometeam Pinterest at pinterest.com/theenglishhome Facebook at facebook.com @theenglishhome Instagram at instagram.com @englishhomemag…

Think of Father Christmas’s suit, mistletoe and the glossy pine tones of the Christmas tree and it is difficult to deny that red and green sum up the festive season at a glance. This is a look that exudes warmth and longevity, perfect for those who love heirloom baubles and flatware passed down the family line. Much-loved pieces can be refreshed with new but classic tableware, additional seating for guests and personalised Christmas items.…

At dusk, with light flickering on the silver stars hanging in the kitchen of Viveca and Peter Stewart’s historic house, their children – Marta, nine, Maxi, seven, and Scarlett, five – are looking through a box of decorations and choosing which to add to their Christmas tree in the corner. This is their favourite task and they take it seriously. Viveca and Peter decided to move from London to Kent in 2012. Though it meant Peter commuting to his work in The City, this was outweighed by their mutual ambition to bring up their children in the country. Their search for a property began with a wishlist. Viveca declares herself “a glutton for a handsome house”, so good looks were essential and a restoration project desirable. And their new home…

Christmas is a time for family get-togethers, but for the owners of this striking Georgian house near the Essex coast family time is central to life all year round. It is home to twin sisters Emily and Hannah Craven and their partners Harry Wenden and John Phillips. The couples had not set out to buy a home together, however, they were so unimpressed by the properties available for their individual budgets, pooling their resources proved to be a smart move. “We all had deposits saved and were still living at home,” explains Emily, who is an upholsterer with her own design company. “Hannah and John were looking to buy, and although Harry and I had started looking, my heart wasn’t in it. It was hard to find anything to match…

These delicious butter tree decoration biscuits are ideal to make with children. This recipe is taken from Great British Bake Off: Christmas by Lizzie Kamenetzky, £25, published by BBC Books. Makes 30–35 biscuits 1 teaspoon orange extract 1 tablespoon milk 12 coloured boiled sweets 125g butter, softened 60g caster sugar 200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting You will also require Christmas biscuit cutters (about 8cm), as well as smaller decorative biscuit cutters. Method • Put the sweets into freezer bags, keeping each colour in a separate bag, and bash with a rolling pin until they break into little pebbles of sugar. Set aside. • Using a hand-held electric whisk, beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl, until pale and creamy. Sift in the flour, then add the…

• Try Made.com or Willow & Hall for occasional chairs. • Brissi stocks many different-sized ottomans. • Look to Atkin & Thyme and Loaf for a wide range of side and coffee tables. • Luxedeco and Garden Trading are worth perusing for foldaway butler’s tables. • India Jane and Oka supply ceramic stools, or try Driftwood Interiors for tree stumps to use as tables. • To add further layers of lighting, try Fritz Fryer, Jim Lawrence, Nkuku and Pooky. • Villeroy & Boch offers Christmas serveware in enduring designs. • Urbanara and Laura Ashley stock rugs in various colours and patterns. • For elegant decanters, try Braybrook & Britten.…

For many, deciding what type of kitchen to have may primarily be based on aesthetics, particularly if planning to use it as somewhere to entertain friends and family in a relaxed yet welcoming environment. Whereas avid cooks may be more focussed on the practicalities, such as having plenty of room for food preparation, needing more than one oven and having ingredients within easy reach of the preparation and cooking zones. So before talking to a designer, draw up a list of priorities to ensure a kitchen fulfils the role necessary for the lifestyle being led. THE COOK’S KITCHEN Once the dedicated domain of the home’s chef, today’s cook’s kitchen is likely to be a more sociable space where cooking and family gatherings go hand in hand. Identifying how the room…

Whether made at home on Stir-up Sunday – the last Sunday before Advent, 25 November this year – or carefully selected off-the-shelf from an artisan bakery, Christmas cake need not be dressed in snowy white royal icing. It can look equally opulent topped with a selection of glistening candied fruit, golden almond and pecan detailing, and coated with a sugar syrup or apricot jam and brandy glaze, as suggested by deliaonline.com…

• This year’s Christmas celebrations have seen 33 real trees ordered, alongside 10 artificial trees. • There will be around 94 metres of garlands in the house. • Just under 40,000 lights will be used on all of the above trees and garlands. • Some 12,000 baubles will be hung on trees and garlands in the house. • Each of the 10 four-metre-high trees indoors has 18 strings of pea lights, with 100 bulbs per string, meaning the displays have around 18,000 low-energy bulbs. • Each tree takes up to six people to carry it oh-so-carefully through the manor to its rightful place. • Waddesdon is famous for its mince pies. The mincemeat is made a year in advance, allowing it time to mature, and is used to create around…

DON’T MISS OUR NEW YEAR HONOURS LIST 2019 Discover the most inspiring brands, names in design and buys for the home PLUS... • Sparkling ideas for New Year’s entertaining • A season-by-season guide to planning key projects for the home • Design predictions for the year ahead • Four homes dressed in seasonal finery ON SALE 5 DECEMBER theenglishhome.co.uk Follow us on Twitter @englishhometeam Pinterest at pinterest.com/theenglishhome Facebook at facebook.com @theenglishhome Instagram at instagram.com @englishhomemag…

Allyson McDermott Tel 01594 510003 allysonmcdermott.com Alpine Stoves Tel 01376 555180 alpinestoves.co.uk Blumae Flowers flowersfromthefarm.co.uk/members/blumae-flowers Chiselwood Tel 01522 704446 chiselwood.co.uk Edward Bulmer Interior Design Tel 01544 388535 edwardbulmerinteriordesign.co.uk Elsie & Fleur Tel 01278 440500 elsieandfleur.co.uk Emily Craven Interiors Tel 07496 201759 emilycraveninteriors.com Hemswell Antiques Centre Tel 01427 668389 hemswell-antiques.com Julian Chichester Tel 020 7622 2928 julianchichester.com Kennedy Scagliola Tel 01746 714149 kennedy-scagliola.co.uk Marlesford Mill Tel 01728 748076 marlesfordmill.co.uk Simon Jewell Designs Tel 01227 751067 sjdesigns.co.uk Stephen Walters & Sons Tel 01787 372266 stephenwalters.co.uk Susie Watson Designs Tel 0344 980 8185 susiewatsondesigns.co.uk The Real Flower Company Tel 01730 818300 realflowers.co.uk Thorogood Tel 01206 233100 thorogood.co.uk TW Gaze Tel 01379 650306 twgaze.co.uk William Yeoward Tel 020 7349 7828 williamyeoward.com Woodcocks Tel 01580 761008 woodcocksinteriors.co.uk Wood For Stone Tel 01206 390003 woodforstone.com…

When 15-year-old farmer’s son Thomas Jaques left his Wiltshire village in 1780 in a wagon bound for London to seek his fortune, he could not have dared to dream of the outcome. The company he founded, Jaques of London, is not only the world’s oldest games manufacturer and the inventor of many family favourites played to this day across the globe, it is still run by the Jaques family. He became an apprentice to a bone and ivory turner, and when he was 21 he married his employer’s niece. Thomas proved to be a talented craftsman, and in 1795 when his employer and mentor died, he took over the business and Jaques of London was born. Years later when his son John turned 15, he became his apprentice, and later…

MICHAEL HUNTER Curator of Osborne House, Isle of Wight (see Behind the Scenes at Christmas, p137). What do you most look forward to as part of a traditional English Christmas? Because I live and work quite a distance away from where I come from in Scotland, I look forward to getting back there and being with family and friends. Putting up a real tree and decorating it is a treat, with the great smell of pine that I always associate with Christmas. What are your Christmas traditions? Getting the whole family together to open presents on Christmas morning, each taking turns to open a present at a time. This takes up most of the morning, by which time we’re all ready for Christmas lunch. What would you like to…

Set a romantically pretty table with a pared-back and feminine colour palette of natural foliage, crisp white and pale pinks. A less obvious choice than ruby reds, soft blush hues create a gentler, fresher mood, that works perfectly with twinkling lights, cut crystal and flickering candles. This table wreath from The Real Flower Company’s Woodland Antique collection features foliage and beautifully scented flowers grown on English and fairtrade farms. It is completed with a cylindrical glass vase and church candle for a gorgeous Christmas Day centrepiece. Wreath with vase and candle, £140, The Real Flower Company…

JANE CHURCHILL Interior designer How do you decorate for Christmas? Do you like to stick to a certain colour scheme? Every year brings the same festive feel yet a slightly different interior. In my own home I am quite traditional, using gold as the focal colour. That being said, I am always open to new ideas. I always think I will use last year’s decorations but end up being tempted by new ones, especially at Selfridges. Do you have any treasured or favourite decorations, and how do you incorporate any family or children’s decorations? I particularly like wreaths and I always seem to find new and more original ones each year. I think what I treasure the most is allowing my grandchildren to decorate the tree, even if it is…

• For extra bedlinen and pillows peruse fableinteriors.com • For guests with allergies try annacraven.com or for hypoallergenic mulberry silk, see Slip Silk’s collection at net-a-porter.com • Seek quality blankets and throws from Atlantic Blankets, Cologne & Cotton or Indigo and Rose. • Find a patchwork quilt from Lime Tree London at notonthehighstreet.com • Try Pillo London for lavender pads to freshen cupboards and drawers for guests to use. • Try graceandgloryhome.co.uk should any door furniture need replacing. • Add character with pieces from Oka and a full-length mirror from Houseology or Cox & Cox and accessories from Amara and abahna.co.uk • If a new mattress is needed, emma-mattress.co.uk delivers quickly and offers a 100-day trial period. • Visit thehotwaterbottleshop.com for hot-water bottles to suit all age ranges.…

No author is more closely associated with the food of Christmas than Charles Dickens. From Mrs Cratchit’s plum pudding to Mr Pickwick’s “mighty bowl of wassail”, Dickens’ novels and other writings are alive with examples of good food being enjoyed in good company. This selection of Victorian classics, updated for modern cooks, contains old favourites for Christmas Day as well as a warming drink with which to welcome visitors in from the cold. Christmas pudding SERVES 6–8 Plum puddings were ideal for special occasions; even the poor who had no oven could boil one up in the washing copper, like Mrs. Cratchit. Dickens-loving cookbook writer Eliza Acton had almost certainly read A Christmas Carol as two years after it was published she was the first to name plum pudding ‘Christmas…

• It takes 20 people two days to put Osborne House’s Christmas decorations up. • Each person works for approximately 10 hours, so in all it takes some 200 hours. Queen Victoria on the Royal Christmas “Christmas I always look upon as a most dear, happy time; also for Albert, who enjoyed it naturally still more in his happy home, which mine, certainly, as a child, was not. It is a pleasure to have this blessed festival associated with one’s happiest days. The very smell of the Christmas trees of pleasant memories. To think, we have already two children now, and one who already enjoys the sight – it seems like a dream.” Entry from Queen Victoria’s journal on 24 December 1841. “Albert arranged a surprise for the children. In…