A festive excuse for a fabulous refresh

A festive excuse for a fabulous refresh


Christmas is the perfect excuse for a room refresh

Our recent office move got us thinking about how even a little room refresh instantly changes the feel and energy of a space. When things have been in the same place for a while, we stop noticing them; moving items around draws our attention back again. We find once more what we really love. With the festive season almost upon us, it feels like a good time to introduce small changes that have a big impact.

Christmas décor can be a catalyst for a fresh new look. Bringing a tree into your home immediately changes the mood of your space; it’s a fun addition, uplifting, full of anticipation. It is also a great excuse for a fabulous afternoon of faffing, styling and switching things up. Treat this as a precious time to relax and reconnect with your home.

A beautifully patterned wallpapered wall is a fabulous backdrop for a Christmas tree. Our Eternal Toile wallpaper is a wonderful choice with her gentle gold, black and lilac pattern

‘For me, the Christmas tree is always about creating an appealing vignette when entering a room,’ Wendy says, ‘but, if you happen to have a tree-worthy bay window, you might also want to consider how the placement of your tree looks from the outside too.

‘This time of year is a good opportunity for a little lounge or dining room refresh; bringing another element into a space, such as a Christmas tree and decorations, often inspires us to move everything around,’ Wendy says. ‘If you have ever wondered how the sofa might look in a different location, this could be the opportunity to try it out. Get creative and play around with the room layout, move tables, chairs and rugs, and get a feel for what might work.’

A beautifully patterned wallpapered wall is a fabulous backdrop for a Christmas tree, and still looks wonderful even after the tree has gone. Adding glamorous new cushions is quite simply the quickest and easiest way to transform a room. Our handcrafted crewel embroidery cushions are the ultimate luxurious accessory – and we can testify they look particularly wonderful bathed in twinkling tree lights. Each crewel hand-crafted piece has her own story and is the work of artisan makers. Our favourite neutral, gold, features in every cushion design and always adds warmth, depth and glamour to interiors.

Tiger Florals has a beautiful neutral base with pink details which can be highlighted in your tree decorations

Whether you prefer traditional colours, choose to have one colour on the tree, or pick an accent colour already in your room and base your décor around that, the result should be something you feel happy and comfortable with, something that encourages fun and relaxation.

‘As always, Christmas decorating should be about what makes you smile,’ Wendy says. ‘Over the years, we have made and been gifted decorations from distant relatives, and each one has its own story attached, which I am rather fond of.

‘The Christmas tree is there to be enjoyed; it also provides that essential extra light we all crave at this time of year. A real tree in a pot has a gorgeous pine scent, bringing a touch of the outdoors in. When it comes to buying anything new or making decorations, my inspiration always comes from birds and small forest animals, although it is mostly birds!’ Wendy adds.

The perfect excuse for a fabulous afternoon of faffing, styling and switching things up. Our newly upholstered chaise lounge, in our Eternal Toile fabric was a very welcome addition to the snug

‘I’ve found gold decorations work beautifully with our Wendy Morrison wallpapers, fabrics and rugs. Gold is warm, reflective, rich and the ultimate neutral,’ Wendy explains. ‘Gold always adds a touch of glamour too, and goes with lots of colours I am always drawn to, such as pinks, purples, oranges and greens… which is now starting to make me think of a tub of Quality Street, so Christmas really must be just round the corner!

‘At home, I love to bring the outdoors in with lots of green foliage, pine garlands for the hearth, mistletoe and holly alongside fairy lights. This season is all about adding light – a flickering candle or two instantly creates a feeling of warmth and suggests relaxation.

‘I like to have a candle on the kitchen table and light it in the morning - it’s like a little ceremony for the start of a new day. I love getting up and putting the lights on around the house, it certainly helps build the anticipation. We live in a cold house, so it’s all about creating warmth and light wherever we can.

This month is very much about being at home and creating a lovely space to enjoy and relax in

‘I love this time of year,’ Wendy says, ‘everything from the hunt for gifts to seasonal food sourcing and feeling inspired to cook. And there is no denying I love decorating our home! Most people know I enjoy a good faff and Christmas offers me plenty of scope.

‘As much as I am ready to escape the cold and dark of December, this month is very much about being at home for us, so it’s really nice to relax and have fun creating a lovely space for us as a family to enjoy, relax in and simply be.’

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