Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2025 i Your Home and Garden

Christmas is my love language. I love the tree with all its baubles, the house decorations, the gingerbread biscuits, the wreaths… I decorate every part of the house carefully to tell family and friends that they matter to me. When I deliberate over the choice of paper and ribbons to wrap the presents I’ve thought long and hard over, it means love (and also an obsession with perfect wrapping). Christmas makes love tangible, turning thoughtfulness and attention to the smallest things, like baking a chocolate log – it’s a gourmet hug and all about creating memories. I reckon it’s the love language of many Your Home and Garden readers – and probably a few of this issue’s homeowners too. They’ve all gone to great lengths to deck their halls and…

HANG THE STOCKING WHETHER IT’S GOING TO BE FILLED WITH TREATS, AN ORANGE OR A LUMP OF COAL, A STOCKING IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF YOUR FAMILY DECOR. CHRISTMAS WISHES ANIMAL STOCKING, $59.90, FROM BEDBATHANDBEYOND. CO.NZ; KIP & CO BOW STOCKING, $79, FROM MOIONGEORGE.COM; NORTH POLE HQ SANTA SACK, $32.99, FROM ADAIRS.CO.NZ; FESTIVE BONE PET STOCKING, $54.99, FROM ADAIRS.CO.NZ MEOW-Y XMAS Old school internet icon Grumpy Cat takes on the festive cheer with this funky resin lamp. $49.99, from cottonon.com/typo YOU’RE A MEAN ONE The perfect Christmas Day outfit for your household Grinch. Jumper, $59.99, from cottonon.com/typo CUP OF COCOA Even if it’s summer, a hot chocolate is a must in this festive Garcia Yuna mug. $24.99, from shutthefrontdoor.co.nz COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS Advent calendars have evolved into more than just…

1 Dome table lamp, $399, from Freedom. 2 Katari moon rug, $1599, from Weave Home. 3 National Candles red candle, $4.50 (each), from Inc Design. 4 Diagonal stripe wrap paper, $14.84, from Ribbon & Blues. 5 Merry cushion cover, $14.99, from H&M. 6 Replica Hans Wegner elbow barstool, $349, from Cintesi. 7 Satin ribbon, $21.74 (45m), from Ribbon & Blues. 8 Kingsley shower rail set, $1215.40, from Abi Interiors. 9 Amalfi Fulton vase, $224.99, from Mooch. 10 Bow doormat, $20, from Kmart. 11 Vienna flute, $39.90 (for two), from Country Road.…

HAPPY GREETINGS With its neat front path lined with camellias and buxus, homeowners Abbey and John Lang did all the landscaping themselves. “Gardening is John’s happy place. We planted most of the plants when we purchased the house, so they were nicely established when we had finished the renovation,” says Abbey. TICKED OFF The grandfather clock was inherited from John’s godmother and dates back to the 1700s. It does work, but isn’t used because the chime is too loud. home profile GO BIG Abbey’s sister Heather created the Christmas masterpiece adorning the mantelpiece. MEET & GREET Abbey Lang (interior designer and owner of Abbey Lang Home & Curated Botanics), John Lang (owner/general manager of Curated Botanics), Indi, 13, Eli, 10, and Maudie the dog. THE PROPERTY Built in the early…

PARTY MIX The Christmas table is set in a new way every year, and this time Sofie Amalie has chosen a white tablecloth as the base for the blue and red colours in the table setting. The handcrafted dining room chairs are from Danish furniture designer Bent Hansen, the chandelier from Scandi lighting manufacturer Louis Poulsen and the two works on the wall are from PoppyKalas and Hay. WELCOME CIRCLE On the front door of the family home hangs a wreath tied in Sofie Amalie’s favourite Christmas colours: blue and deep red. Some of the dried hydrangeas are kept neutral and natural beige, while others are coloured. home profile MEET & GREET Sofie Amalie Rolandsen (Danish design influencer and owner of thusthefuss.dk) and Niels Kristian Lind (chief consultant), their son…

You will need • 2 large tea towels (per pillowcase) • Sewing needle • Matching thread • Contrasting thread • Scissors • Sewing machine HOW TO MAKE IT 1 Pour yourself a glass of eggnog (or whatever takes your fancy), put on some Chrissy tunes to set the mood, then settle in for a bit of hand stitching. 2 Take two tea towels and stitch a simple pattern on one side of each towel, using thread in a contrasting colour. We chose an easy little cross pattern. On the blue tea towel it looks like a starry night, almost van Gogh. 3 Line up the tea towels and sew them together using the sewing machine, leaving an opening at one end for the gift recipient to insert their pillow.…

Decorating my tree with this glorious glass toadstool that has been hand-blown in Poland. Festive fungi and an heirloom in the making. $102.90, from tessuti.co.nz Wrapping everything in this glorious Ribbon & Blues green and gold marbled wrap and finishing with a green velvet bow. $23 (10m), from ribbonandblues.co.nz Burning Ashley & Co’s Yulepine candle. Fresh pine, sage, coriander and oud – that’s exactly what I want the house to smell like this season. $60, from ashleyandco.co Opening this Mecca Max 12-piece beauty advent calendar. Every day a little beauty treat. $83, from mecca.com…

1 Armadillo Agra rug, $6790, from The Ivy House. 2 Romo table lamp, $499, from Notting Hill Interiors. 3 Cinnamon & Spice vase arrangement, $149, from Curated Botanics. 4 Winston cushion cover, $119, from Citta. 5 Elysian kitchen mixer, $604.90, from Abi Interiors. 6 Reef beanbag, $179, from Nood. 7 Marcel mirror, $1165, from Notting Hill Interiors. 8 Magnolia & Mirth wreath, $399, from Curated Botanics. 9 Hallie dining chair, $449, from Freedom. 10 Baina Beppu bath mat, $96, from Tessuti. 11 Sati side table, $179, from Early Settler.…

POT LUCK Bring pots and vases into the 2020s with an easy textured update, then apply decorative accents. How to make textured pottery 1 Lightly sand and prime your vases with Resene Waterborne Sureseal. Allow to dry thoroughly and give the vases a second coat, if needed. 2 Paint with Resene Non-skid Deck & Path in Resene Half Fossil. You could also use Resene My Artisan Foundation Coat. Allow to dry, then apply a second coat. This will give the vases a textured finish. 3 Using a pencil, outline a decorative pattern on the pots, then paint it in. I used Resene Bunker, Resene My Pink and Resene Copper Rust.…

Orange and spiced rum glazed ham SERVES 16-18 This ham uses spiced rum to incite merriment. The glaze can be made in advance and refrigerated. 1 leg ham (about 8kg), at room temperature (see Note) 4 navel oranges, thinly sliced into rounds Cloves, for studding Rosemary and bay sprigs, for decorating SPICED RUM GLAZE 300g brown sugar 2/3 cup spiced rum 2/3 cup maple syrup 150g unsalted butter, chopped 100ml orange juice (about 2 oranges) ¼ cup Dijon mustard, plus extra to serve 1 tsp ground allspice 1 For the Glaze, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until slightly reduced for 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside to allow flavours to develop, around 20 minutes. 2 Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180°C. Use a…

ROOT CAUSE Roots, a boutique Marlborough gin distiller, has thoughtfully come up with a lighter alcohol version of their classic London dry gin. At 14% (neat and 2% when in a G&T), this is for those who love a G&T but not the alcohol fug the next day. The distilling process is done with pioneering technology that maintains the flavour of a classic gin but without the potency of a 45% spirit. $55, from rootsdrygin.com Present moment A food hamper is one of the joys of Christmas, and this year, My Food Bag has a selection of treats, from the Ready to Cook Christmas Feast, $169.99, to Nadia’s Festive Favourites, $119.99. And if you’ve got a barbecue looming, the Premium BBQ Meat Box, $159.99, could be the answer. myfoodbag.co.nz SWEET…

Every year, around the middle of November, I feel that familiar hum of seasonal pressure begin to build. You know the feeling, it starts as a faint murmur (“I should probably buy the Advent calendars before they sell out”), which then escalates into full-blown, chest-tightening panic about gift lists, online shipping cut-off dates, and the amount of money we’re about to spend for a day that will be over before we know it. I adore the idea of Christmas – the nostalgic tunes, the gathering, the sense that time slows down over summer, but somewhere along the way, it’s started to feel more like a logistical marathon rather than an enjoyable family experience. Perhaps it was when I realised I was no longer the child, but the adult – with…

EDITOR Fiona Hawtin ART & EDITORIAL Content producer Bryony Ammonds-Smith Art director Nicola Feeney Chief sub-editor Michelle Joe Garden editor Mary Lovell-Smith Senior designers Hayley Pearce, Béla Trussell-Cullen Designers Anna Pétursdóttir, Shane Kelly CONTRIBUTORS Helen Bankers, Bureaux, Jo Cribb, Eleanor Cripps, Lynden Foss, Debbie Harrison, Living Inside, Babiche Martens, Marina Mathews, Lauren Olive, Brittany Smith, Melle Van Sambeek, Tim Williams ADVERTISING | CORPORATE Sales director Claire Chisholm Senior commercial brand manager Angela Wei, angela.wei@aremedia.co.nz Senior account managers Chloe Jordan, Chloe.Jordan@aremedia.co.nz; Amy Madden, Amy.Madden@aremedia.co.nz; Jacquie Fraser, Jacquie.Fraser@aremedia.co.nz Classified sales Kim Chapman, Classifieds@xtra.co.nz Head of digital Melissa Walsh Commercial editor Sarah Templeton Senior digital content producer Katie Delany Shopping editor Hemma Vara EXECUTIVE Chief executive officer Jane Huxley General manager Stuart Dick Editorial director Sarah Henry  Distributor Are Direct + Contact us…

1 Japan Airlines print, $59, from Pop Motif. 2 Colorado spruce pre-lit Christmas tree, $1154 (180cm), from The Christmas Heirloom Company. 3 Hallie pendant, $219, from Early Settler. 4 Grove cushion, $109, from Country Road. 5 Resene Valentine paint, $5.70 (testpot), from ColorShops. 6 Aura Home Palma Petal bath towel set, $200.74, from The Iconic. 7 Eden throw, $279, from Country Road. 8 Bello occasional chair, $499, from Early Settler. 9 Theo rotating bookshelf, $249.99, from Mocka. 10 Resene Heliotrope paint, $5.70 (testpot), from ColorShops. 11 Pink candy tinsel baubles, $13 (for nine), from Kmart.…

CHRISTMAS SMARTS The Haier 600 series induction cooktop’s Flexi Zone fits larger pans; the Haier 433L 500 Series Refrigerator & Freezer will easily accommodate the family’s Christmas treats; the Smart HQ app helps Jana monitor the oven. For many busy working mums, food prep – from weeknight dinners to after-school snacks – feels endless. For Jana MacPherson, it’s part of her brand. The clever cook and food blogger has more than 35,000 followers on her Instagram @the_ macpherson_diaries, many of whom subscribe to her Dinner Club for recipes, meal plans and shopping lists. A kitchen, then, needs to run smoothly, especially during the busy, food-focused festive season. In her Queenstown home, Jana’s Haier appliances are the quiet workhorses behind many of her most popular recipes, from salmon curry to chicken…

Yule log SERVES 8 INGREDIENTS 3 eggs 1⁄3 cup caster sugar ½ cup flour, triple sifted ¼ cup Irish cream liqueur 2 tsp Dutch cocoa powder Fresh cherries with stems attached, to decorate DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE ½ cup cream 200g dark chocolate, chopped coarsely HAZELNUT FILLING 125g mascarpone cheese 125g cream cheese, softened I½ Tbsp Dutch cocoa powder ¼ cup chocolate-hazelnut spread I½ Tbsp Irish cream liqueur 1 Make Dark Chocolate Ganache. Bring cream to the boil in a small saucepan; remove from heat. Add chocolate to hot cream; stir gently until smooth. Cool mixture to room temperature until ganache is spreadable (see Note). 2 Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 25cm x 30cm Swiss roll pan; line base with baking paper, extending the paper 5cm above the long sides…

Beetroot carpaccio SERVES 4 INGREDIENTS 500g cooked beetroot 2 spring onions 4 Tbsp red wine vinegar 4 Tbsp olive oil 1 tsp mustard Salt Freshly ground black pepper 50g salad leaves 40g pine nuts 1 Slice the beetroot very finely and arrange the slices on a large plate. Wash, trim and finely slice the spring onions. Arrange on top of the beetroot. 2 For the marinade, combine the red wine vinegar, oil and mustard and season with salt and pepper. Pour the marinade over the sliced beetroot and spring onions. 3 Cover and set aside overnight to allow the flavour to develop. 4 Just before serving, pick through the salad leaves. Wash and spin dry. Dry roast the pine nuts in a small pan. Top the carpaccio with the lettuce…