25 Beautiful Homes Dec-2018

The countdown to Christmas has officially begun. This may simply mean getting in the mood for festivities, or it might be the deadline you’ve set yourself to finish a project. I was in that position last year. We were desperate to complete our renovation, even though we weren’t hosting any major shindigs; there was just something compelling about being ‘in’ for the holidays. To help you get into the spirit, each of this month’s houses is dressed for the Big Day. Decorating solutions abound, from garlands and trees to crackers and baubles. So much sparkle, so many touches! I am personally inspired by the Northern European homes and their takes on seasonal style. One favourite is Jet van Buren’s house in the Netherlands (page 76); this chimes with me as…

The countdown to Christmas has officially begun. This may simply mean getting in the mood for festivities, or it might be the deadline you’ve set yourself to finish a project. I was in that position last year. We were desperate to complete our renovation, even though we weren’t hosting any major shindigs; there was just something compelling about being ‘in’ for the holidays. To help you get into the spirit, each of this month’s houses is dressed for the Big Day. Decorating solutions abound, from garlands and trees to crackers and baubles. So much sparkle, so many touches! I am personally inspired by the Northern European homes and their takes on seasonal style. One favourite is Jet van Buren’s house in the Netherlands (page 76); this chimes with me as…

1 BURNISHED DISPLAY Brass tree, £50, Cox & Cox 2 PRETTY PETAL Flower garland, £40 for two, Sophie Conran 3 PARTY ANIMAL Hare decoration, £5.50, RE 4 WARMING GLOW Royal sconce, £295, Malin Appelgren at Plümo 5 GILDED LEAVES Metal leaf wreath, £200, Laura Ashley 6 RAISE THE BAR Umberto brass bar, £615, Graham and Green 7 DRINK UP Luxe Loop Marble drinks trolley, £375, Oliver Bonas 8 HOMELY TOUCH Brass house ornament, £78, Petersham Nurseries 9 SPARKLING BIRD Robin decoration, £8, Heal’s…

1 GIVE US A TWIRL Peacock feather wreath, £55, Gisela Graham at Amara 2 YOU’VE GOT MAIL Peacock letter opener, £15, Laura Ashley 3 SPOTTY WONDER Alberto small vase, £35, Habitat 4 CAST A GLOW Small Lisboa pendant, £96, Pooky 5 PLUSH PLUMES Tulsi Cobalt cushion, £100, Designers Guild 6 FEATHER LIT Vanilla and cacao candle, £25, Sara Miller 7 SIT PRETTY Peacock chair upholstered in Black Velvet, £395, Graham and Green 8 BEJEWELLED BIRD Gold glitter peacock tree decoration, £6.95, Liberty 9 DAZZLING DECORATION Emerald large peacock bauble in green, £10, John Lewis…

Luck and timing played an important role when it came to creating a dream home for hairdresser Jane Cooper-Watson and her husband Melvyn, a building project manager. Having decided to downsize, they knew it would be hard to match their picturesque former location, but fortunately within weeks, a neighbouring plot came on the market with even better scenery. ‘We were intending to buy something more compact but then this land came up, which meant we had a chance to design a bigger and better house,’ explains Jane. ‘We couldn’t justify building a smaller property on a piece of land this size so we just went for it.’ Bought in September 2014, the plot had a bungalow on site, which was demolished and replaced with three new properties, including Jane and Melvyn’s.…

1 BURNISHED DISPLAY Brass tree, £50, Cox & Cox 2 PRETTY PETAL Flower garland, £40 for two, Sophie Conran 3 PARTY ANIMAL Hare decoration, £5.50, RE 4 WARMING GLOW Royal sconce, £295, Malin Appelgren at Plümo 5 GILDED LEAVES Metal leaf wreath, £200, Laura Ashley 6 RAISE THE BAR Umberto brass bar, £615, Graham and Green 7 DRINK UP Luxe Loop Marble drinks trolley, £375, Oliver Bonas 8 HOMELY TOUCH Brass house ornament, £78, Petersham Nurseries 9 SPARKLING BIRD Robin decoration, £8, Heal’s…