25 Beautiful Homes December 2015

If you’re looking for ideas on how to dress your Christmas tree this December, then look no further as there’s plenty of inspiration in this month’s issue. From full-sized conifers to artificial firs and bunches of twigs adorned with decorations, you should be able to find something that catches your eye. I’m always tempted to thin out branches from a conifer to create a layered effect (see page 120) because it allows you to really see the decorations, but I’ve never tried it because I’m slightly apprehensive of cutting too much away. I know that the upside-down option is designed to show off your favourite baubles, but I can’t quite get my head around it, so this year, I might buy a small tree on which I can experiment. Usually,…

1 ALL AGLOW Steeple, £22, Roman at Home 2 LEADING LIGHTS Linea white house LEDs, £25, House of Fraser 3 DASHING DEER Reggie the reindeer tree decoration, £4, Paperchase 4 NATURE STUDY Heritage pine cone glass bauble, £1, Poundland 5 FOREST GLADE Green cone wreath with stag, £20, Dobbies 6 FROSTY FESTOON White berry garland, £34, The Contemporary Home 7 LET IT SNOW Flocked 6ft pre-lit downswept pine Christmas tree, £179, Very 8 CRACKLE AND POP Luxury Silver crackers, £19.50 for six, Marks & Spencer 9 WOODLAND CHARM Mini potted English trees, £20 for a set of three, The White Company 1 0 JUMP FOR JOY Gift sack, £8.99, The Oak Room…

1 TOUCH OF LUXURY Limited edition Christmas wreath, £95 with the purchase of another product, Jo Malone 2 SEASONAL SHIMMER Gold star decoration, £2, George Home 3 A WINTER’S TALE Vinter 2015 unscented block candle, £4 for four, Ikea 4 BRIGHT BOUGHS Pre-lit 6ft tree, £35, Tesco Direct 5 FESTIVE FLOURISH Cone and berry garland, £30, Wyevale Garden Centres 6 CORGI-APPROVED Tree decoration, £10, Highgrove 7 YULETIDE CHARM Father Christmas metal tree decoration, £6.95, Red Lilly 8 OLD MEETS NEW Lit cardholder tree, £12, Next 9 HOMESPUN STYLE Fairisle crackers, £25 for six, House of Fraser 1 0 MERRY AND BRIGHT Present sack, £32, At Home with Ashley Thomas at Debenhams…

If you’re looking for ideas on how to dress your Christmas tree this December, then look no further as there’s plenty of inspiration in this month’s issue. From full-sized conifers to artificial firs and bunches of twigs adorned with decorations, you should be able to find something that catches your eye. I’m always tempted to thin out branches from a conifer to create a layered effect (see page 120) because it allows you to really see the decorations, but I’ve never tried it because I’m slightly apprehensive of cutting too much away. I know that the upside-down option is designed to show off your favourite baubles, but I can’t quite get my head around it, so this year, I might buy a small tree on which I can experiment. Usually,…

BLACK WINDSOR CHAIRS While browsing through a Swedish interiors magazine, I spotted some simple stick back chairs in black, which would be perfect for our new dining room scheme. Can I find a design like this that’s available in the UK? JESSIE BROOM, WARWICKSHIRE Black brings a crisp, modern edge to the classic Windsor chair. I & JL Brown (020 7736 4141, ijlbrown.com) sells a black Windsor stick back side chair with a plain leg, H98 x W46 x D45cm, £355 (pictured). Ercol (01844 271800, ercol.com) also has a simple 1877 Windsor dining chair that comes in eight finishes, including black, H89 x W49 x D53cm, £360. CHILDREN’S ART DISPLAY Can you tell me where Michelle Clinton found the wire lines used to hang her children’s artwork (p32, May 2015 issue)? JANIE MAHON, BY EMAIL A…

PATTERNS ARE THE ORDER OF THE DAY AT RIV AND MARC AHEARNE’S HOUSE AT CHRISTMAS UNIQUE HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Georgian townhouse LOCATION Sussex ROOMS Hall, sitting room, drawing room, dining room, breakfast room, kitchen, study, utility room, four bedrooms (one en suite), two bathrooms PURCHASED 2014 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘Before we moved into this place, we lived in a manor house near the Sussex Downs,’ explains Riv. Rumour has it that Riv Ahearne has finally lost her itchy feet, because after four house moves in seven years, she has finally found her dream home. ‘I’m not quite sure if my friends believe that though,’ she smiles. ‘I’ve moved so many times that I probably have a fickle reputation. But this period townhouse in Sussex stole my heart. It would be impossible to imagine falling out of love with it or…