Table of contents for Christmas 2017 in Country Style

“If you go past the marble orchard, you’ve gone too far.” I had stopped at the Wollombi Tavern in the NSW Hunter Valley to ask for directions and a friendly local quickly came to the rescue. I’m usually pretty good at deciphering sayings like these — as a child, I was taught to ride by an old bushie who used expressions like “barrel of fat” to describe his Akubra — but this one had me. There were a few laughs from the people in the pub when it was explained to me that he was talking about the Wollombi Cemetery! It may be only a couple of hours out of Sydney, but you feel like you’re miles away in this part of the Hunter Valley — which is exactly why…

 AFTER THE RUSH OF spring wedding season and the busy lead-up to Christmas, the day itself will be a decidedly relaxed affair for Cooma-based florist Gabrielle Merrigan. “It’s a nice time to just shut up shop and catch up with family and friends — really have a good holiday,” says the 35-year-old, who runs florist and gift store, The Flower Pantry, which has fast become a local favourite. This year, Gabby, her husband Kimble Paul and their sons, Charlie, 12, Darcy, nine, Oliver, seven, and Luca, four, plan to celebrate in their new home, located on 15 sparse and gently undulating hectares on the edge of town. “We’ll probably make a big deal of it and put a wreath on the door and a wreath on the…

“Being outside and exploring is still one of the best things about visiting the farm.” THE PACE OF LIFE SLOWS DOWN when Emma Blomfield makes her way to her family’s property in Laguna, in the Hunter Valley region of NSW. And during the Christmas period, it takes on a particularly special rhythm for the interior stylist and co-founder of The Decorating School. It is a time when her siblings and extended family — almost 20 all up — come together to eat, relax by the pool and sleep under the stars. Tarmaroo, as it is known, is a place that has always been about creating family memories. Emma’s parents, James and Penny, bought the property about 20 years ago, when they were living in Japan. On a return visit…

 DANISH DESIGN DUO Ida Linea and Rasmus Hildebrand have combined modern design and stylish living with the opulence of a 17th-century mansion in Denmark. During December when Christmas is celebrated with friends and family, the house is decorated to salute the season. Their home is an elegant baroque-style building called Karlsberg, some 40 kilometres north of Copenhagen near the village of Hillerød. It is set in picturesque countryside midway between the beach and forest, but with easy access to the city. Although the property is nearly 350 years old, modern design, colours and furniture sit comfortably amid the ornate architectural features, including stucco ceilings, herringbone parquet floors and period windows, which have been restored. Ida Linea, 39, and Rasmus, 43, revel in the many historical layers of their home, which…

 WHEN MATTEO CARBONI was a child growing up in northern Italy, Christmas fare was firmly set in tradition. Matteo is now a chef and lives a world away in the heart of the Barossa Valley with his Australian wife Fiona and their two children — Sofia, seven, and Filippo, five — where they run Casa Carboni Italian Cooking School & Enoteca. Since the Carbonis relocated from Italy to Australia in 2011, and then to Angaston early the following year, Matteo’s Christmas menus have combined old and new, reflecting the food cultures of his birthplace, his new home and, of course, summer in Australia. “For me, Christmas is the middle of winter and it’s hard to replicate that here,” Matteo says. “So, we try to create a nice menu somewhere in…

“We’ve had people ringing up in the lead up to Christmas because they want to use our liqueur in their Christmas cake or pudding.” IT’S A SCORCHING AFTERNOON in Mendooran in the NSW Central West, and the surrounding grazing and cropping lands are shrouded in a haze of heat. Blink as you drive out of town along the dusty Forrest Road and you might miss Black Gate Distillery, the first craft rum and single malt whisky distillery in the region. But don’t be fooled by this place’s incongruous location, 71 kilometres from Dubbo and 385 north-west of Sydney. Inside the single warehouse distillery, built on about one hectare by locals Brian and Genise Hollingworth, bottled magic is attracting the attention of some of the world’s most discerning, including renowned Danish…

MEET THE PRODUCER Hugh Griffiths, Northern Rivers, NSW Hugh Griffiths supplies leading Sydney butcher, Victor Churchill Fine Family Butcher in Woollahra, with pork for their Christmas hams. In the early 2000s, Hugh’s father John bought 60 Oriental Berkshire sows; a pure strain of the English Black Berkshire pig bred in Japan. In collaboration with Byron Bay producer John Singh, he established Kurobuta Pork, a family project now managed by Hugh. “The Japanese breed for flavour and this pork is considered the best. Like Wagyu is to beef, Kurobuta is to pork,” Hugh says. “The pigs are raised in the Byron Bay hinterland and grow at their own pace. The focus is on providing a low-stress environment. That’s really important.” Victor Churchill takes whole pigs, turning them into cuts of pork,…

JANE CAY ENTREPRENEUR, 39 The mother of three and businesswoman mixes functional pieces with a bohemian spirit. Has your style changed since launching Birdsnest? I feel I have a much better sense of what suits my body shape. My wardrobe has also gone from being corporate and structured when I lived in the city to more relaxed and floaty. I’ve become more bohemian in my style. You work in Cooma but live on a sheep property 45 minutes out of town — do you dress differently at home? I might live on a sheep property but my farmer husband can attest to my lack of practical help there! I love that it is so isolated so there are no unexpected visitors on weekends; I definitely get around in my daggies…

GREEN GIFTS Put your secateurs to good use and create a simple Christmas garland with cuttings from the garden. Ribbon, $24.95, and kraft paper, $14.95, both from Inky Co. Greenhouse terracotta planter, $25, pot, $7, and secateurs, $45, all from Garden Life. Jute twine, $10.50, from Bunnings. French bistro table, $800, and garden chair, $359 a set of four, both from Ici et la. For stockist details see page WONDER WALL A lovely gift idea for the more dishevelled gardeners among us: these ‘Harry’ holders, $25 each, from Design by Them, get tools off the floor and onto the wall, within easy reach. (02) 8005 4805; designbythem.com PARTY FAVOURITE Twinkling globes instantly make a backyard feel more festive, and these classic string lights, $10, from Kmart, are solar charged, meaning…

STAY IN THE LOOP Cotswold InOut Furniture’s ‘Loop’ lounge chair, from $535, is stylish, lightweight and made in three shades. cotswoldfurniture.com.au PETIT AMOUR Little French Heart has the new ‘Petite Chambre Noire’ range from Belgian brand Bonjour Diary in stock, including this vintage embroidered cotton voile dress. 0400 007 484; littlefrenchheart.com BEAUTY SLEEP Sleep well in pieces from Clementine Sleepwear. The Australian-owned brand, which also does leisure wear, offers comfort, quality and pretty styles in beautiful fabrics such as cotton, bamboo and lace. 1800 336 153; clementine design.com.au BLEND RIGHT IN “Life’s too short to eat or drink poorly” is the mantra behind Smeg’s powerful and stylish stand mixer. (02) 8667 4833; smeg50style.com.au GOOD TIMES A quartz movement, bright leather bands and Murano glass bezels make Ritzy Rocks watches, $55,…

JESSICA HANSON We gave this talented stylist the job of going shopping for our Christmas gift guide on page 65 . A magazine stylist with 11 years experience and a self-confessed last-minute shopper, Jessica had the huge task of sourcing more than 100 potential Christmas presents for this issue. “You would think I’d be more organised seeing as I’m exposed to so many beautiful products throughout the year,” she says. “I really ought to have done my Christmas shopping there and then.” Jessica is looking forward to spending Christmas with her partner, Chris, and their two-year-old daughter, Isla. “Last year Isla enjoyed decorating the tree with her cousins at my mum’s place, although it was a difficult task as she preferred taking the ornaments off! It’s lovely to see…

THERE’S AN ADVENTURE BEHIND every Country Style cover. This issue it was off the slick, straight highway, cruising down winding, dusty roads in our Jaguar F-PACE SUV, surrounded by the shimmering beauty of the Australian landscape. Out here, on the road less travelled, there’s a joy and context to life rarely experienced in the city. Christmas tree in tow, we took the Great North Road — a 240-kilometre stretch of overland route originally built by convicts between 1826 and 1836 to join Sydney to Newcastle and the Hunter Valley. Today it’s part of the Tourist Drive 33, and the road wends its way through the valley to the historic village of Wollombi, where lunch and coffee at Panino Café should be followed by a stop at the cellar door of…

1 ‘Kendra’ cushion, $69.95, from Provincial Home Living. 2 Large glass orb, $44, from Zakkia. 3 Friends and Founders ‘Spin’ table, $1196.80, from Fred International. 4 Friends and Founders ‘La Pipe’ chair, from $1480, from Fred International. 5 Low-sheen acrylic paint in Grey Goose, $97 for 4L, from Porter’s Paints. 6 Low-sheen acrylic paint in Baby Doll, $97 for 4L, from Porter’s Paints. 7 Basic square tray, $225, from Marble Basics. 8 ‘La Lampe Gras No 411’ floor lamp, $1120, from Curious Grace. 9 ‘Host’ cake knife and server, $54.95 a set, from Salt and Pepper. 10 Moroso ‘Redondo’ sofa, POA, from Hub Furniture. 11 ‘Terrace’ console, $699, from West Elm. 12 ‘Deco’ vase, $59, from Zakkia. 13 The Italian Collection ‘Oak Alabastro Block Herringbone’ flooring in Light Shade Timber,…

HILLSIDE HARVEST AT BORENORE, 16 kilometres to the west of Orange in NSW, is a family affair and come cherry season in summer, it’s all hands on deck. The youngest family member, Archie, now 14 months old, was only four weeks of age when he made his first orchard outing, strapped to his mother Sophie’s chest. “Christmas and cherries go together,” Sophie says. “When the cherries are ripe — and when that is exactly will depend on the season — we open the orchard for people to come and pick their own fruit.” People come from all over, such is the allure of the cherry. On weekends, the front paddock and verge are lined with parked cars. Many drive up from Sydney for the day and some arrive by…

Dangars Falls An impressive gorge less than 20 kilometres from Armidale in the World Heritage-listed Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. There’s a range of trails including McDirty’s walking track with views of the waterfall. Keep an eye out for the rare brush-tailed rock wallaby. nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/walking-tracks/mcdirtys-walking-track New England Regional Art Museum NERAM has six gallery spaces and attracts over 47,000 visitors each year. In February 2018, a permanent display of more than 100 artworks will open from the Howard Hinton Collection and will include paintings by artists such as Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts, Elioth Gruner and Margaret Preston. 106–114 Kentucky Street. (02) 6772 5255; neram.com.au Armidale Heritage Bus Tours Tours run Monday through Saturday and stop by heritage buildings, museums and the university. (02) 6770 3888; armidaletourism.com.au Saumarez Homestead A former…

1 SMELL THE ROSES Rose lovers will swoon over this beautiful L’Artisan Parfumeur Arcana Rosa 9 Eau de Parfum (75ml, $299), which captures fresh Bulgarian rose that, according to the perfumer, has been burnt on a fire of vetiver roots and cade. Note that golden bee on the bottle — it represents the abundance of nature found within. 2 A LUXURIOUS TREAT One of the most lusted-after skincare brands, La Prairie is perfect for spoiling someone special with luxurious high-performance products. Try La Prairie White Caviar Illuminating Moisturising Cream (50ml, $660), which brightens dull skin while firming and deeply nourishing. 3 NATURAL ELIXIR Australian-made organic skincare range Maaemo (meaning Mother Earth) soothes dry summer skin with this beautiful Vitalize Face Elixir (30ml, $47.95) that blends hemp seed, rosehip and pomegranate…

“My husband says I won him over with my egg and bacon pies.” INSTAGRAM Our editor-in-chief, Victoria Carey, enjoyed making Instagram stories at the My Open Kitchen Spring Writing and Photography Workshop with Annabelle Hickson @annabellehickson and Sophie Hansen @locallovely. Visit my-open-kitchen.com or follow @myopenkitchen for information on workshops and more! Follow us on Instagram @countrystylemag AN OLD FAVOURITE I am constantly stalking the letterbox, waiting for my latest issue of Country Style magazine to arrive — there is always so much to enjoy, particularly the gardens. In October, I loved Steve Cumper’s delicious column about egg and bacon pies. I was nodding and chuckling along with every word, as similar discussions were had between the generations in our family. My husband says I won him over with my egg…

“We had a Christmas tradition of going for a family surf.”Turia Pitt SARAH WILSON Writer and entrepreneur Wamboin, NSW During Christmas holidays we’d hang out at the dam or on the BMX tracks. We lived on an eight-hectare bush block, so the Christmas tree was always from the pine forest out the back. I’m one of six siblings, so it was decorated with the youngest child’s toilet roll angels made at preschool and that sort of thing. Christmas Day was very much focused on food; my mum, Clare, was a great cook. She made everything from scratch. Mum and Dad weren’t hippies, they just didn’t have a lot of cash and they don’t believe in consumption, so they were very frugal and kept everything pretty basic. We’d drive into Canberra…

 FOR CHERIE HAUSLER and Damien Feuerherdt, Christmas is celebrated in the same spirit as they approach most things in their old stone home in the Barossa Valley. Simple and sustainable, bespoke and meaningful — and above all, true to the origins and character of the place. Take the festive wreaths that Cherie fashions from vine cuttings as an example — the cuttings are a waste product where the couple live at Koonunga Hill in the heart of the Barossa’s famous wine country. “For Christmas, I’ll do a vine wreath and then I have a heap of gift tags so everyone can write their wishes for the year ahead and tie them to the wreath and we put it above the fireplace on the bamboo wallpaper,” says Cherie. Christmas day always…

FROM LEFT Dried florals by Antonia De Vere, about $114 for a small arrangement, from Mark Antonia. Pine cone decoration, $19, from East of India. Brass scissors, $30, from The Lost and Found Department. Eco metallic-edged 25mm ribbon (around gift) in Cream/Copper, $2 a metre, from Vandoros Fine Packaging. Christmas gift tags, $2.95 each, and double-sided paper in Gum Leaves/Bush Blossom, $5.95, both from Bespoke Letterpress. Background is linen, $15 a metre, from The Lost and Found Department. All other items, stylist’s own. THE READER EVERYTHING A BOOK LOVER NEEDS TO CREATE A COSY READING CORNER. ‘Oak Country’ flooring in Brushed White Oil, from $179 a square metre, from Mafi Australia. ON FLOOR, FROM LEFT Gifts wrapped in ‘Botanica’ paper in Quartz/Gold (top), $7.95 a roll, with Jute Braid’ ribbon,…

IS THERE A MEAL that’s as highly anticipated as Christmas dinner? Although I’ve made my living as a chef for more than 35 years, cooking for family and friends is my greatest culinary pleasure, and I revel in the planning, shopping and preparation of what is, for my family, Christmas lunch. My children are now grown up, but I have vivid memories of our enthusiastic kids leading us, yawning, to the ring of presents around the tree. The anticipation and excitement they expressed back then is how I now greet the day with lunch on my mind. To be honest, I’m already thinking about next year’s lunch as I mop up the remnants of my mother-in-law’s plum pudding with custard. This might seem a little eager, perhaps even a tad…

FOLLOW ME UP the creaky, spiral staircase with a curved wooden bannister made smooth by the touch of hundreds of years of hands — hands that I have, up until now, had no connection with. I pass by portraits of ancestors hanging on the rich red handpainted papered walls, on my way up to a makeshift flower studio with a zinc bathtub full of dahlias and roadside blackberries, nestled under the roof of a charming French chateau built in 1847. It is a world so far removed from my dusty, single-storey life in rural Australia, but thanks to the door-opening powers of the ‘workshop holiday’, it is a world I now have access to for a week — and it’s much more intimate than a hotel. Here we are in…

Get back to basics this Christmas and share homegrown produce from the garden with loved ones.…

THE WORD IS MURDER Anthony Horowitz, Century, $32.99 Horowitz wrote Foyle’s War, said by some to be the best television drama so far this millennium. He inserts himself into his new murder mystery and we’re never quite sure whether what he’s describing really happened or whether the events are pure fiction. A culturally void predictive smartphone almost wrecks the entire investigation. Highly enjoyable. HOW TO FALL IN LOVE WITH ANYONE Mandy Len Catron, Nero, $32.99 Not quite what the title promises, but if you go to the back of the book you’ll find the 36 questions which 22 years ago were used to research the possibility that any two people able to ask and answer these questions would find themselves, at the end of the third set, in love. The…

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“I’D MOST LIKE TO SIT NEXT TO THE GUY WHO NAMED ALL THE HERBS,” I SAID. “HE MUST HAVE BEEN A REAL SPIN-OUT.” IT WAS A DOG DAY AFTERNOON. The sort of day when dogs bored with the tedium of casual sex slink home to lie under their respective verandahs. In fact, it was worse than that. It was a day of such stultifying boredom that The Chosen One had decided to rearrange the jars in the spice rack in alphabetical order. “Would you put lemon thyme under ‘L’ for lemon or ‘T’ for thyme?” she muses. “Put them together and you can have your own little Thyme Zone,” I suggest. That’s how bad the day was. My chore was exciting by comparison. I had been asked to trawl through…