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CHRISTMAS 2021 I AUSTRALIA COAST TO COAST

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

MAKING A LIST

Perfect gifts for everyone

PAPER TRAIL

Decorations handmade with love

Home for the holidays CELEBRATING IN AN OFF-GRID BARN

ALL THE TRIMMINGS

Festive menu and treats to bake

Elegance is an attitude Regé-Jean Page

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MITTAGONG 02 4872 2585

EDITOR’S LETTER

I always get a bit carried away at Christmas time. I over-cater, I over-invite (our little house is usually crammed with friends and family and dogs in the lead-up to Christmas Day) and I over-gift.

I love giving people things I know they want but wouldn’t buy for themselves or surprises I know they’ll love. I realised I’d overdone it last year when my daughters asked, fatigued by unwrapping, “There’s more, Mum?” So this year I’m going to do things differently.

I am going to make presents for some of my nearest and dearest. I may not be up to the complexity of wreath-making (see page 92 for Sharon van der Kruik’s step-by-step instructions), given my natural-born inability to arrange a simple bunch of flowers, but I can bake. No doubt this is why a book called Festive: Recipes for Advent caught my eye. There is an extract starting on page 103, which I’m sure will inspire you to whip up some delicious Christmas treats to give. Of course, I’ll be referring to our bumper gift guide on page 81, beautifully shot in a pine forest near Oberon, NSW, for inspiration for the presents I do need to buy. And I rely on Annabel Lawson’s book reviews for the bookworms in my life – there are many. For my dad (I know he reads this, so skip to the next paragraph, Dad!) a Crystal Rain Gauge is coming his way.

But long before Christmas presents are exchanged, my mum sends us all a new decoration to hang on the tree or display somewhere in our home. This has been going on since I left home, so I have quite the collection, and behind every bauble there is a story – just as there is a story behind the stunning decorations that mother and daughter Debra and Brooke hand-make from upcycled paper. Time and again I’m amazed at how a creative outlet can help people through tough times. Read more about their business, Paper to You, in our story on page 22. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas.

PHOTOGRAPHY BRIGID ARNOTT DRESS COUNTRY ROAD

Kylie Imeson

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CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 5

28

The wreath is up, the presents are wrapped and the holidays are about to begin…

Merry Christmas to all.

C h r i s t m a s 2 02 1 | c o n t e n t s

PHOTOGRAPHY MARNIE HAWSON, BRIGID ARNOTT STYLING BELLE HEMMING, JODIE GIBBONS

50

22 28 81 103

COVER STORIES

Paper trail: Decorations handmade with love Home for the holidays: Celebrating in an off-grid barn Making a list: Perfect gifts for everyone All the trimmings: Festive menu and treats to bake

PEOPLE

22 PAPER TRAIL

72

Christmas orders are underway for Paper to You’s mother-daughter duo Debra and Brooke, who create exquisite paper wreaths and tree ornaments by hand.

CHRISTMAS IN A BOTTLE Mimosa Botanicals founder Christiana Jackson has captured the essence of the festive season in her new pine-scented essential oil blend, Folklore.

HOMES

28 BLACK BEAUTY 50

62

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

81 INTO THE FOREST

Need to grab a last-minute gift? From children to parents to colleagues and friends, our comprehensive guide covers a range of interests, wants and needs.

CHRISTMAS CRAFT

92 THE FESTIVE WREATH

Sharon van der Kruik’s step-by-step guide to making a beautiful wreath to display throughout the holidays.

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

114 THE JOY OF GIVING

Our regional shopping guide points you in the direction of great shops to buy presents this year.

FOOD

94 ALL TOGETHER

Designer Hayley Priest’s black barn house in the NSW Southern Highlands is both elegant and eco-friendly.

IN THE FAMILY Skills gained while restoring her humble family home 103 inspired Sharon van der Kruik to develop her own business celebrating all things vintage and handmade.

COOL TIDINGS Candles flicker, frost blankets the grass and lights 107 sparkle on the tree as Hanna Nipala makes Christmas cards and decorations at home in wintry Finland.

It’s time to set the Christmas table with succulent ham, delicious pastries and colourful salads. Our easy-tofollow recipes are sure to delight your family and friends.

MADE WITH LOVE Christmas wouldn’t be the same without dessert, so get set to bake moreish cookies and cakes with recipes from Festive: Recipes for Advent by Julia Stix and Eva Fischer.

FLAVOURS Prepare for Christmas with plum puddings, sweet treats, festive recipes, new kitchen gadgets and gift ideas.

136 BOOK CLUB

Country Style’s Annabel Lawson has compiled the perfect Christmas gift list for all the bookworms in your life.

REGULAR READING

10 Contributors 14 Your Page: Readers’ emails and letters.

18 A Day in the Country: Maggie MacKellar realises 21 154

110 THE RESULTS ARE IN

112

Chef Steve Cumper took a poll and it’s clear that pavlova trumps pudding in his household. Steve’s fruity pav is perfect for a hot Aussie Christmas Day. A CHRISTMAS LEGACY One reader shares her grandmother’s celebrated Christmas pudding recipe – with brandy custard!

TRAVEL

120 GREAT ESCAPES

With travel finally back on the agenda, it’s time to pack a bag and plan a luxurious country getaway.

FASHION AND BEAUTY

126 THE STYLE DIARIES 134

Hayley Priest and Sharon van der Kruik share their wardrobe favourites and Christmas Day traditions.

SCENT OF A MODERN MAN Men’s fragrance has been updated, with elegant scent combinations and skin-friendly ingredients.

SERVICES

16 SUBSCRIBE OR EXTEND YOUR SUBSCRIPTION 141 142 152

TO COUNTRY STYLE AND RECEIVE A BONUS ROYAL DOULTON CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT! Field Guide Country Emporium Country and Coastal Retreats

OUR COVER

Henry the peacock poses in front of the Christmas tree, as horse Arnie looks on, at Hayley Priest’s property in the NSW Southern Highlands.

PHOTOGRAPHY Brigid Arnott STYLING Jodie G ibbons

ON THE COVER We got into the festive spirit while shooting our beautiful Christmas cover at Hayley Priest’s off-grid, black barn-style home located in Fitzroy Falls, NSW. To read more about Hayley’s eco-friendly house, surrounded by fragrant pine trees, turn to page 28.

Christmas tree from Santa’s Farm in Tullimbar; gifts wrapped in linen tea towels from Carlotta & Gee, In Bed Store and Citta Design.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

Country Style acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the traditional custodians of the place we now call Sydney, where this magazine is published. Country Style also pays respects to Elders past and present.

PRIVACY NOTICE This issue of Country Style magazine is published by Are Media Pty Limited (Are Media). Are Media may use and disclose your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy, including to provide you with your requested products or services and to keep you informed of other Are Media publications, products, services and events. Our Privacy Policy is located at aremedia. com.au/privacy. It also sets out on how you can access or correct your personal information and lodge a complaint. Are Media may disclose your personal information offshore to its owners, joint venture partners, service providers and agents located throughout the world, including in New Zealand, USA, the Philippines and the European Union. In addition, this issue may contain Reader Offers, being offers, competitions or surveys. Reader Offers may require you to provide personal information to enter or to take part. Personal information collected for Reader Offers may be disclosed by us to service providers assisting Are Media in the conduct of the Reader Offer and to other organisations providing special prizes or offers that are part of the Reader Offer. An opt-out choice is provided with a Reader Offer. Unless you exercise that opt-out choice, personal information collected for Reader Offers may also be disclosed by us to other organisations for use by them to inform you about other products, services or events or to give to other organisations that may use this information for this purpose. If you require further information, please contact Are Media’s Privacy Officer either by email at privacyofficer@aremedia.com.au or mail at Privacy Officer Are Media Pty Limited, 54 Park Street, Sydney NSW 2000.

PHOTOGRAPHY NIC GOSSAGE STYLING JONO FLEMING

81

Christmas may not be the same this year, but she says hope and happiness lie ahead for us all.

Homegrown: Emma Mills, of The Paper Mills Studio, looks to the sea for inspiration when creating her sustainable handmade pendants.

Country Squire: From the pandemic to quarantine and QR codes, Rob Ingram reimagines Jesus’s birth in modern times.

CONTRIBUTORS

ROYAL DOULTON CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT

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in this i s s u e . . .

B E R N H A R D S C H M I T Z

Country Style’s new art director left the snow of Austria for the sunshine of Australia 17 years ago, and is a passionate outback traveller. Welcome to the team!

Painter, photographer and designer Bernhard, 53, lives in Sydney, but dreams of escaping with his wife, Sabine, to the NSW South Coast or Far North Queensland. “We love the wildness of this country,” he says.

“We love travelling in our beloved LandCruiser that’s taken us as far as the tip of Cape York Peninsula.”

Wintry Christmases in Vienna focused on Christmas Eve celebrations: “It was an indoor affair, gathered around the tree with plenty of family.” This year, Bernhard and Sabine are off to Warrumbungle National Park for Christmas: “I can’t wait to camp under the stars again!”

D E R E K S W A L W E L L

A love of using natural light in his work means photographer Derek was the perfect fit to head out to the beachscape that’s home to Brooke and Debra of Paper To You, on page 22.

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Renowned for his architectural photography, Derek, 51, has shot for Architectural Digest (US), Vogue Living and Elle Decor. His passion for natural light was fostered by his childhood on the plains of the Wimmera wheat belt in Victoria. “All I did was ride my bike and fish,” he recalls. Now living in Melbourne with his partner Georgia Young, a stylist, their daughter Mia, 13, and cat Lilie, he loves escaping to the countryside. “It reconnects me with myself,” Derek explains.

Christmas is a family affair with plenty of excellent food, courtesy of Georgia. “She loves cooking and always turns it on!”

WORDS HANNAH JAMES PHOTOGRAPHY DEREK SWALWELL, KRISTA KELTANEN/LIVINGINSIDE

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TH E P E RF E CT G IF T TO I N SP I R E N E W ADVE N T U RE S

Editor KYLIE IMESON Creative director SARAH FARAGO Deputy editor HANNAH JAMES Queensland contributing editor CLAIRE MACTAGGART Art director BERNHARD SCHMITZ Senior copy editors GRETA DUMBLETON, SUE RAMSEY Junior designer SAFFRON SYLVESTER Editorial coordinator ANNIK A BAKER (02) 9282 8456

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YOUR PAGE

MAGGIE MACKELLAR’S COLUMN ABOUT LETTER WRITING TOUCHED A CHORD WITH MANY, WHILE THE ENTIRE OCTOBER ISSUE INSPIRED ONE READER TO PEN A POEM. WRITTEN TREASURES

Maggie MacKellar’s article on letter writing in the October issue so resonated with me. My partner and I were living in remote North Queensland when my beautiful mother passed away. She and Pa were married almost 60 years, and my father and I missed her terribly.

Being a long distance from each other, I bought a writing set for Pa and encouraged him to write to me.

I will never forget how delighted I felt when I unlocked my postbox to find one of his little blue envelopes!

Rushing home, I would make myself a cup of tea, plonk myself in my comfy chair and eagerly savour his words.

Written with clarity and humour, my father wrote about his days, often mentioning the flowers blooming in my mother’s garden and how he was convinced they were messages from her, and also vividly describing places he’d visited in his younger days.

Now that he, too, has passed, I treasure each and every one of his letters. They feel like a gift I give myself each time I re-read them.

Thank you for a great magazine.

Irene Taylor, Bundaberg, Qld

wet sheets onto the AGA lids overnight and the next morning there wasn’t a crease to be found.

The one thing I didn’t do was hatch chickens in the warming oven with the door open, like my mum did! But if I could just convince my husband we really do need one here in Sydney…

Justine Gordon, Vaucluse, NSW

LOVE LETTERS

I loved Maggie MacKellar’s A True Gift in your October issue. Her decision to put pen to paper resonated with me, as I cherish the love letters from my first husband, who tragically died in Papua New Guinea – we were only married for seven months.

I keep all of Tony’s love letters in a special box wrapped with white ribbon… My love letters are a true gift.

Barbara Audas, Black Rock, Vic

A REFRESHING FIND

I don’t buy magazines; I can’t stand the gossip and advertising. But I was recently gifted a copy of Country

SPECIAL DELIVERY

FOND MEMORIES

The article on the joys of an AGA, in your November issue, brought back many wonderful memories from my childhood in the countryside in England. We three sisters used to race home after school in winter and fight over who got to sit on the warming plate, while the losers had to make do with hanging their socks over the rail.

AGA porridge was a staple breakfast – raw oats left in a saucepan overnight would create a beautiful, rich porridge to be enjoyed every morning.

In later life, I owned an AGA and carried on all the traditions from my childhood, including putting folded

14 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

Style’s October edition by a dear friend. On a wet and cold afternoon, I settled to have a “quick” browse through my new magazine after lunch. I only got a few pages in and I was hooked! I signed up there and then to this fabulous magazine.

I made a coffee and continued reading, and to my pleasant surprise found an article about a place we have visited, WorkShop 26 in Kimba, South Australia. It has been created by the women in the town, including one I know, Heather Baldock (no relation). Fabulous article – well written and great photography, too.

I finally finished reading and looked up to see it was 4pm! What a wonderful way to spend my time.

And I have it to look forward to every month from now on.

Thank you for an interesting, informative and beautifully presented magazine. I can’t wait to see the next edition and learn more about this wonderful country, and the people who help make it so. Thank you.

Beverley Browne-Baldock, Kensington Gardens, SA

Country Style reader Amanda Cole, who runs Cambewarra Estate Winery in the Shoalhaven region of NSW, sent us this photo of her beautiful retired mallard duck named Cheeky.

Each month when my Country Style magazine is hand-delivered by our local postie, I get a big smile on my face. He always hands it over, knowing that it is my favourite day of the month, and often has a kind remark along the lines of “Mrs Moroney, it’s time for you to sit down with a cuppa – Country Style is here.”

As a busy mother to a 16-month-old son and working as a midwife at our local hospital during the pandemic, Country Style brings happiness and rest that only a good magazine can.

We are lucky to live on acreage in Northern NSW and are renovating a 1920s Queenslander, so I hang on every story like it is gold!

YOUR PAGE

Our October cover stars golden labradoodle Nala and dachshund Boadicea, plus some peckish chickens, who are enjoying the enchanted gardens @sinclairsofberry on the NSW South Coast.

We explore @coombs.hill in Victoria’s high country, a heritage American barn where the majesty of the soaring interior is matched by views of Mt Buller. Plus, road trip with us around NZ’s sensational South Island. Photography and styling @abbie_melle

The kitchen is Emma Read’s favourite place in her 1910 brick cottage in Willunga, South Australia and it featured on the cover of Country Style Kitchens, Bathrooms & Laundries, which is still on sale (magshop.com.au).

For Emma “a kitchen has to have art, lamps and flowers. Everything I touch has to be really nice, whether it’s old wooden spoons or mismatched crockery.”

Photography @marniehawson

I’ve now also taken to bringing my well-read magazines to work and leaving them in the midwives’ tearoom for others to enjoy. It was only the other day that I was thanked by a colleague for bringing them in, as she finds the escapism – while working through this pandemic – a welcome gift.

So thank you, Country Style, for helping us get through such busy shifts and for taking a weight off our minds through your pages.

Zoe Moroney, Cobaki, NSW

ENDURING SPIRIT

Thank you for the many years of enjoyment that my daughters, mother and I have had perusing the pages of Country Style. My mother would treat herself to the magazine, which, as a teenager in the 1980s, I would take to read on my bed.

My mother-in-law now gifts me a subscription each birthday. My teen daughters are always excited to see the new edition in the letterbox.

We actually have the cover of the January 2020 issue burnt to the base of our letterbox from the Black Summer bushfires here in Numbugga!

We live in a farmhouse that is over 100 years old, surrounded by Friesian heifers and a few bulls. It’s so lovely to see farm and companion animals included in the articles, along with so many style tips. Thanks for all the inspiration that has carried us through lockdowns.

Renée Lightly, Numbugga, NSW

POETRY IN MOTION

How do I love thee, CS magazine?

Let me count the ways. Gladly. And to keep it concise here are three.

My first love in the October edition was the stunning greenhouse, a feature of Anya Maubach’s Nursery Garden in Germany. The greenhouse is now firmly number one on my country garden ‘Wish List’. Yes, I know that means the dovecote that held pole position all these years has slipped into second place, but so be it.

My second love was the stone 12-metre-high fireplace, a focal point of the barn at Coombs Hill, Merrijig.

I doubt I could break away from its alluring spell, let alone ever get off the couch.

And hard to miss was the styling in the Murray family’s farmhouse at Cooroy. With so many cherished objects to inspire and delight in daily life, isn’t that what enriches us?

And in these ever difficult times, lends us a gentle hand to get through.

Catherine Norman, Inglewood, Vic

WINNER

SHARED VALUES

I’m taking some time out from my job to enjoy living and take stock – albeit for only a brief moment in time. I’m blessed to be able to do this in my beautiful home of Tasmania.

If nothing else, COVID has made us all reflect on what is most important.

For me, it’s always been so very simple – the people I love are everything; not owning the most elaborate house or best car, nor expensive labels… and that’s why I enjoy reading Country Style. It values change and has respect for people to achieve a better way of living in a community environment, no matter the obstacles.

It’s a piece of pure joy every month.

Leanne Atkins, Launceston, Tas

Congratulations

to Leanne Atkins, who has won a KitchenAid 13-Cup Food Processor, valued at $499. Featuring an in-bowl storage caddy, adjustable slicing thickness, dough blade, dicing kit and multipurpose blade to chop, mix and puree, it offers convenience and value.

For more, visit kitchenaid.com.au Share your thoughts and experiences with us by writing to Country Style, PO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW, 2001, or emailing austcountrystyle@aremedia.com.au. Please include your address and daytime telephone number.

Letters may be edited for reasons of space and clarity.

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Maggie pats work dogs, Zig and Geoffrey. FACING PAGE The rhythm of life continues on the farm, and it’s a reminder of the joys to come.

A DAY IN THE COUNTRY

LONGING FOR A CROWDED HOUSE AMID ONGOING UNCERTAINTY, MAGGIE MACKELLAR EXPECTS A SUBDUED CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION THIS YEAR, BUT SHE’S BUOYED BY THE HOPE THAT LIES AHEAD. IT’S POURING HERE IN TASSIE. We have an easterly system

sitting over the top of us. It’s the one weather system where we are guaranteed good rain. It’s cold, too, so I trek down to Will’s Flat with rugs and a warm feed for my two elderly, retired horses. They sing out at the sight of me and come squelching through the wet to plunge their velvety noses into the buckets. It’s bleak and almost impossible to imagine that Christmas is just around the corner.

Last year, we had the smallest Christmas we’ve ever had. It was just The Farmer and me and the two youngest kids. To make it a little less strange, we broke with tradition and went up to the shack. The kids went ahead of us and decorated it in kangaroo paws and fairy lights.

They cut a she-oak branch for a Christmas tree and because one of those children loves presents, the floor under the tree was fat with beautifully wrapped treasures she’d made or bought for a few dollars from op shops.

On Christmas morning, we went for a swim and then opened our presents. We ate fresh prawns and oysters from the river mouth for lunch and had an afternoon nap.

That night, we cooked chops on an open fire. It didn’t really feel like Christmas, but above us was a cathedral of stars, and on the bay the swans called and their chatter sounded like a symphony. There was a quiet peace in just being the four of us, made more precious by the knowledge both kids would be gone for the year.

But there was also a yawning emptiness. Christmas is for crowded houses. It’s for the dishwasher and washing machine humming constantly; it’s for the fridge so full you can’t stuff another thing in. We promised ourselves that next year, we would have my brother and his family.

And now Christmas is almost here and, once again, it feels shrouded in uncertainty. For so many people, this year has been a relentless slog punctuated by moments of adrenaline-pumping crisis. And for each little celebration we’ve missed, I think we’ve subconsciously comforted ourselves with the thought, “It will all be different by Christmas time.” I don’t know whether we’ll see the kids for Christmas, or if my brother and his family will be able to come down as planned… and the not knowing is repeated in every household across Australia.

I walk back up to the house through the rain. The ground feels fat and full of promise, and I remember the lead-up to the festive season in the drought years – how hard the ground was, and the despair of feeding hungry animals on Christmas Day with the thought of a long, dry summer ahead. I remember I thought it would never rain again.

This easterly system will mean that by Christmas, the garden will be bursting with growth. It means the crops sown in spring for lambs to be weaned onto will be a sea of waving green. The creeks will be full and the clover thick.

The mulberries will be ripening. The nectarines, peaches and apricots will be plump. The cherries will be bombs of flavour and the pink-eye potatoes will be sweetening under the ground. My retirees will be fat with shiny coats.

They will graze in the cool of the morning and snooze through the day, nose to tail, under their favourite tree.

I remind myself of these riches and how impossible it was to imagine such a world during the drought. I don’t know if our family will make it here for Christmas. It’s looking unlikely. But like the rain coming, we will see them again, and when we do, it will be sweet.

CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 19

HOMEGROW N

EMMA MILLS OF THE PAPER MILLS STUDIO LOOKS TO THE OCEAN TO INSPIRE HER WHEN CREATING HER PENDANT LIGHTS. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES

FOR EMMA MILLS, the sea is always

inspiring. Having spent her youth on the Mornington Peninsula, she returned there from Melbourne when she had her first child, Billy, now 19. “I can’t help that stream of coastal vibe that goes through my work,” she says. “Growing up near the water, that theme just naturally occurs. We’re always going to the beach and collecting things – l love making things out of little pieces that will return to the earth.”

The spectacular pendant lights Emma, 43, creates are indeed reminiscent of the sea, made as they are from natural materials that hint at craypots and fishing nets. Interestingly, this wasn’t Emma’s path originally: “I have a fashion background. I designed everything from millinery and bridal to childrenswear.”

But when the fast pace of the industry became too draining, she had a sea change. “My other passion is gardening, so I started working in a nursery. It was really inspiring – I would be working on beautiful, cold, sunny mornings, weeding moss out of pots and listening to YouTube clips about what was in demand in business.

And eventually I came up with something that was made from plant-based materials and was sustainable.”

And so, in 2017, The Paper Mills Studio was born.

Yet it still wasn’t quite what it is now. “I started with a wall mandala, and one of my stockists said, ‘I can see this mandala as a light fitting – can you make me some?’ and it just went from there,” Emma explains.

Looking back, though, she can see all the clues that this was where she’d end up. “With the VCA [Victorian College of the Arts], I did drawing as my study, but there was a running joke that it was actually the installation department – I did sculptural installations. So I was already into that kind of void-filling,” she says. “I learnt basket-weaving in high school, and I did a weaving for

my third year in uni. I did lighting in uni as well, for my photography.”

All those career twists and turns saw Emma honing the skills she’d need to make The Paper Mills Studio the barnstorming success it is today.

She’s booked up with pre-orders for the next four months, and her pieces grace interiors worldwide, from the UK to Sweden, Germany, America, New Zealand and the Cook Islands.

Although Emma credits “Lady Luck” for that success, it’s hard work that brought her here. Soon after she launched, Three Birds Renovations started using her products in their projects. Then Jemima Aldridge of Saddler & Co and The Repose accommodation asked her for a custom piece, and stylists Belle Bright and Lynda Gardener began using her creations. “And it all flowed from there,” says Emma.

She’s set up her cottage industry beautifully. Her partner Justin, 33, who’s in sales, helps out with tech and admin, and son Billy mucks in during busy periods.

Even her younger children, Alaska, four, and Henry, two, help out in their own way: their bath time is fertile thinking time for Emma to dream up new designs.

All her custom pieces are created in Emma’s studio on their property, which she and Justin bought five years ago. “It’s a great space – we can see the sun rise and set from here.” And the site is oddly suited to her work. “We came across the deed documents when we started the business. I used to wonder why the land had been cleared, because it’s not cattle land – it’s surrounded by beautiful forest,” she says. “But the deeds showed the pulp and forestry industry had cleared the land, which means paper was produced here. It’s an interesting coincidence.”

Coincidence, or meant to be? Either way, the place, the person and the business are weaving their own special magic together.

For more, follow @thepapermills_studio on Instagram.

CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 21

CREATING DECORATIONS FROM UPCYCLED PAPER HAS BECOME MUCH MORE THAN JUST A HOBBY FOR A TALENTED MOTHER-DAUGHTER DUO. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES PHOTOGRAPHY DER EK SWA LW ELL

V ICTOR I A PEOPLE Paper To You’s intricate wreaths are in demand at Christmas. FACING PAGE Handmade tree ornaments are created using vintage books and recycled paper.

CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 23

PEOPLE V ICTOR I A

NOT EVERY MOTHER AND DAUGHTER could say they make

the perfect team. But Debra Jordan and Brooke Smith can. “We really complement each other,” says Debra, 65, a retired nurse, who launched the paper florist business Paper To You with Brooke in 2013. “Brooke can fold literally thousands of petals and glue them and make these incredible flowers. She makes it look easy – and I can tell you, I’ve tried to do it and it is not easy. So I do the construction, wiring the petals into wreaths and making wedding flowers.”

It all started when Brooke, 40, did a paper-folding course at a paper shop in Mornington, Victoria, near where she lives in Carrum Downs, and immediately fell in love with the intricate process. “We’ve both always been crafty,” Debra explains. “I can’t sit still – I’m knitting socks at the minute.”

When Brooke started giving out gifts of paper flowers she’d folded, so many people encouraged her to make it into a business that – despite her busy life as mum to

Lucy, now 13, and Ryan, 10, plus working as a lab technician – she decided to take the leap. She brought her mum on board for her construction skills and business knowledge (before becoming a nurse in her early 30s, Debra had run a children’s clothing boutique).

“In the early days we were very market-orientated, making lots of little things to bring people in,” recalls Debra. But although COVID-19 brought an end to their market-stall days, it actually helped them focus their efforts and step up their business. “We decided to concentrate on the couple of things we do really well – and our signature piece is our wreaths,” she adds.

That increased focus has worked wonders: “Recently we’ve been so overwhelmed with the way Instagram has picked up on us that we physically cannot fold any more flowers than we’re currently folding!”

The idea for making wreaths came to Debra in a dream five years ago – after some experimentation with the practicalities, she and Brooke settled on a design that >

“We’ve both always been crafty. Brooke can fold literally thousands of petals and glue them and make these incredible flowers.”

24 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Patience and precision are essential when creating delicate ornaments; Paper To You’s objects are based around the Japanese kusudama fold, with which they make their petals; old books are repurposed; preparing for Christmas. FACING PAGE Debra and Brooke find the creative process rewarding.

calls for 225 petals to make 45 flowers for each wreath, and takes about three weeks’ work.

“I’ve always loved wreaths and have had one each Christmas for many years, whether from foraged materials, fresh flowers or our paper flowers,” Debra says of her inspiration for the design. “They can be hung all year round, becoming forever wreaths. We also receive requests for wreaths from our clients made from a beloved book or sheet music that holds special memories for them.”

As Debra’s penchant for wreaths reveals, Christmas is an important celebration for the family, who gather at her house on the wide, white sands of Bonbeach.

After a festive seafood lunch, they usually head outside for swimming, beach cricket, sandcastles – “and a well-earned rest under the beach umbrella,” she says.

Living right on that pristine beach, 50 kilometres from Melbourne, Debra is passionate about the environment, which is evident in the way the pair source their materials.

“The philosophy behind the business is around recycling paper,” she explains. “If you repurpose something and re-use it and make it beautiful, then you don’t need to go and buy something new. So I buy vintage books, vintage sheet music, old atlases, dictionaries, maps and encyclopaedias from op shops.”

This has been a bit trickier recently, with shops being closed, so Debra’s working her way through her stash of

26 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

old Golden Books. “They make beautiful flowers because the quality of the paper is so fabulous,” she says.

Debra also loves hunting out treasure-troves of secondhand buttons and beads for the flower centres. All this bowerbirding means each piece is unique – something she and Brooke take great pride in.

Folding their paper creations is not only an artistically and environmentally satisfying pursuit for them both, but it’s even helped them heal from a family tragedy.

“My husband, Cam, died two and a half years ago,” says Debra. “He was only 63. He was diagnosed with lung cancer and was dead within 11 months. He’d never smoked a cigarette in his life; didn’t drink. He was a distance swimmer and a lifesaver.”

It was a particularly heartbreaking experience for Debra, given her profession. “I wanted to save him, being a nurse, but I couldn’t save him, couldn’t fix him,” she says. “I don’t know how I would have navigated those early days of grief without Paper To You. Paper’s a place I can take myself where you’re doing something that’s a little repetitive, you can get into the rhythm, and it’s really comfortable. It just takes you away. It’s been very, very cathartic.”

It’s also opened up a whole new world for Debra after her retirement in 2015. Getting out and about with Brooke to visit Paper To You’s stockists in Daylesford, Maldon and Mornington has been a blessing. “It gave us an opportunity to travel rural Victoria,” says Debra. “We could go up into spa country and do our deliveries and meet people we hadn’t met before.”

Debra, in particular, needed that kind of new challenge.

“After retirement, that’s a whole different ball game for women,” she says. “All of a sudden, you think, ‘Well, what am I going to do with myself?’ You’ve got all this experience and you need to be able to channel that into something else. So I channelled it into Paper To You.” Brooke and Debra intend to remain a boutique family business, folding every petal, carefully sourcing all their materials, and supplying only their favoured stockists: eCasa in Daylesford; Saltbox Home in Mornington; and Forget Me Not Flowers in Maldon. Already, those stockists need to get their Christmas wreath orders in by May each year to give the duo enough time to perfect their creations.

Perfection is, after all, what their happy customers know to expect from them – and what Brooke and Debra are determined to keep providing.

For more, follow Paper To You on Instagram @papertoyou

V ICTOR I A PEOPLE In addition to her paper crafts, Debra collects objects at the beach and incorporates them into sculptures for her garden. FACING PAGE Paper angels proved a hit this year. “They’ve literally flown out the door on their paper wings,” says Debra.

“Wreaths can be hung all year round, becoming forever wreaths.”

HOME FITZROY FA LLS NSW

BLACK BEAUT Y

COMFORT MEETS CUTTING-EDGE DESIGN AT HAYLEY PRIEST’S OFF-GRID BARN-STYLE HOME IN THE NSW SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS. WORDS LY N J USTICE PHOTOGRAPHY BR IGID A R NOTT ST YLING JODIE GIBBONS

28 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

The Cheminées Philippe fireplace, with custom steel plinth and firewood storage, is the “talking piece” of the living room. A vintage French galvanised trunk sits beside the saddle chair by Coco Republic, while the festive wreath is from Porter & Hudson.

FACING PAGE Hayley and her beautiful quarter horse, Arnie. Christmas wreath by Rebecca Syphers, owner of florist Porter & Hudson.

HOME FITZROY FA LLS NSW

IF HISTORY REPEATS, it could be another white Christmas

at Hayley Priest’s striking black barn-style house in the NSW Southern Highlands. On Christmas Day last year, mist blanketed the property. “It was absolutely amazing,” Hayley says. “At the first little hint of cold, it mists up here. It got so cold, we had to light the fire. It was magical.”

Hayley, 39, a homewares store owner and creative freelancer, and her partner, a baker, chose a two-hectare property at Fitzroy Falls, surrounded by pine trees, on which to build her dream home, which she named The Highlands Black Barn. “It was always going to be black,” she says, with a laugh. “Everyone who knows me knew that. I’ve always loved the statement that black makes.

I still wear far too much black.”

And it was always going to be a barn of some kind.

“We’re influenced by Nordic history, and love Norwegian summer houses and New Zealand barn architecture,” Hayley explains.

She knew exactly what she wanted and got a draftsman to draw up the plans, then had the barn constructed next to an “amazingly beautiful, big old pine tree”, which was the feature of the vacant block of land.

Brought up in the historic town of Camden, south of Sydney, Hayley went to school in Sydney and Hong Kong. She then worked in hospitality, real estate and telecommunications, in Sydney’s CBD, before opening her homewares store, Mind over Manor, back in Camden.

Five years later, Hayley closed the shop after she and her partner moved to the Southern Highlands – and it’s now >

Natural light saturates the kitchen, which features bar stools by Coco Republic. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT The dining table is by Coco Republic, while the chairs were sourced at Barbara’s Storehouse in Bowral (Hayley sprayed them black); Lisa Peri ceramic plates are topped with Cultiver napkins. The leather napkin is by Mind over Manor; candles, gifts, and ceramic bells by artist Ilona Glastonbury from Otti Made create a festive feeling.

“Christmas isn’t always a celebration for some, so we understand the importance of gathering together.”

CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 31

HOME FITZROY FA LLS NSW

“It was always going to be black. Everyone who knows me knew that. I’ve always loved the statement that black makes.”

Sustainability is important to Hayley, who tasked Living Power Renewable Energy Specialists with adding all-black solar panels on the roof of the barn. Tanks collect rainwater for household use, and a septic system takes care of waste water. “We’re independent of town facilities – power, water, waste water – except for natural gas,” Hayley says. She also installed a chicken coop and a vegie garden.

CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 33

Style and function combine in the bathroom with a storage basket by The Dharma Door, an Armadillo rug, CB Ideal brass tapware, an Imprint House pendant, and a vintage concrete basin with a custom base. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Quarter horse Arnie poses for a snap; in the bedroom, a custom steel bed frame is topped with Cultiver linen; Harolds’ Saddle by Calico Pony’s Katie Mendl, with a frame by Good Deeds, hangs above well-worn Akubras and work boots.

ABOUT THE HOUSE:

• For the barn’s exterior Hayley chose a

Colorbond Standing Seam metal roof in Night Sky, and Dulux Blackwood Bay paint.

The solar panels on the roof were installed by Living Power Renewable Energy Specialists, 1300 443 431.

The Cheminées Philippe fireplace is from the AGA Shop in Sydney, the exclusive NSW distributor for Cheminées Philippe.

Hayley sourced the raw brass tapware from Consolidated Brass Tapware in South Australia, cbideal.com.au The steel fabrication was by Southern X Fabrications in Wilton, NSW. Email adam@southernxfabrications.com; follow @southernxfabrications on Instagram.

The wreaths and floral arrangements are by florist Porter & Hudson in Picton, NSW, porterandhudson.com; follow @porter_hudson on Instagram.

• • • • •

34 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

FITZROY FA LLS NSW HOME

trading in one of the outlets at vintage and antiques market Dirty Janes, in Canberra.

With its imposing gable roof, the two-bedroom, two-bathroom barn was finished in time for Christmas 2020. The roof is Colorbond standing seam cladding in Night Sky, while the house exterior is painted with Dulux Blackwood Bay. Inside, the colour scheme ranges from black and grey, to tan and white. The black concrete floor has a burnished matt coating.

The pièce de résistance in the home – which is 100 per cent off the grid – is the Cheminées Philippe French wood fireplace in the living room. “The house is centred around it,” Hayley says. “It’s the first item I purchased for the barn. You can enjoy a fire with the glass encasing open or closed, so it’s the best of both worlds.”

Custom-made steel fabrication features throughout the house, including the island and benchtops in the kitchen, where the cabinetry is in a chic dark grey shade called Cinder. Pride of place in the kitchen is the La Marzocco coffee machine. “I prefer my own coffee,” says Hayley, a reluctant trained barista. She chose raw brass tapware with an antique finish for both bathrooms and the kitchen.

Hayley loves the freedom of working as a creative freelancer. It means she has more time to enjoy the barn house and their beautiful property, which is now also home to pets Max the black cavoodle, Turkish the cat, Henry the peacock and two horses – a quarter horse named Arnie and a Welsh pony named Butterfly. >

CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Henry the peacock is one of many pets; presents wrapped in linen tea towels by In Bed Store, Carlotta + Gee, and Citta Design; fresh fruit from a farm at nearby Kangaloon. FACING PAGE The vintage bench is the ideal spot for reading or relaxing, while the Horgans table and La Maison chairs provide comfort and countryside views.

Hayley enjoys sharing her extensive buying and retail experience with her clients. As well as purchasing merchandise for retail stores, she organises and styles photo shoots, and does window and store displays. She also sources both new and vintage furniture, from entrance tables to chesterfield sofas to wingback armchairs. She recently tracked down a vintage sled for a client, and is on the lookout for a vintage French hall table for another.

“It’s really nice to find something that the customer can’t locate themselves and isn’t readily available or mass produced,” Hayley says. “I’m generally able to find what they’re looking for.”

A keen traveller, she is now looking forward to spreading her wings and heading overseas again – this time to study perfumery in France. “I own about 100 perfumes; I collect them,” she explains. Her latest favourite is Slumber Oil

by Mimosa Botanicals.

Until Australia’s international borders reopen, Hayley is busy planning Christmas 2021. “We have an open-door policy for family and neighbours,” she says. “There’s always a spot for somebody. Christmas isn’t always a celebration for some, so we understand the importance of gathering together.”

On the menu this year will be traditional glazed ham and turkey, plus a dessert bar of French-style treats.

Meanwhile, presents will be distributed from the vintage galvanised iron tub that usually holds firewood.

For more, follow @thehighlandsblackbarn and @mindovermanor on Instagram.

36 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

FITZROY FA LLS NSW HOME

“At Christmas, we have an open-door policy for family and neighbours.”

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in the family

HONING THEIR SKILLS BY RESTORING A FAMILY HOME PAVED THE WAY FOR A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS FOR A VICTORIAN COUPLE. WORDS SUE R A MSEY PHOTOGRAPHY M A R NIE H AWSON ST YLING BELLE HEMMING

GEELONG W EST V IC HOME Christmas has begun in Sharon and Rob van der Kruik’s home. Next to the tree is a photo of Sharon’s great-great-grandparents on their wedding day. FACING PAGE The couple outside their much-loved house.

CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 51

CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Gorgeous camellias from the garden; in the formal lounge is a sketch by Sharon (left) next to a French botanical drawing and a vintage oil painting; the family’s 2020 Christmas gathering; the 50-year-old camellia tree.

FACING PAGE “The living Christmas tree grows with the family,” says Sharon.

52 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

GEELONG W EST V IC HOME

WHEN SHARON AND ROB van der Kruik went hunting for

their first home in 1987, they had one thing they wouldn’t compromise on – the size of the block. “We knew that we wanted children and we wanted the home to have a big backyard – a place where our children could run and play, have pets and swings, and somewhere I could have a garden,” says Sharon, 56.

Looking in Geelong, where they’d both grown up, they came across a two-bedroom Californian bungalow which ticked that box, but it also needed work. “It was a little yellow and brown two-bedroom weatherboard that needed a lot of love,” says Sharon. But, with a multitude of practical skills between them – Rob, 60, as a self-taught carpenter, restorer and maker, and Sharon with sewing skills and a talent for styling – the couple did all of the renovations themselves.

Rooms were added as the family grew, but always in keeping with the original details of the house. All of their furniture was inherited from family or bought secondhand and reupholstered. “We had four children and we didn’t have a large income,” says Sharon. “So we had to do everything ourselves. I’ve come from a family where that’s what you did. I’m lucky that if I physically see something I can make it. I wanted artwork in the house and I couldn’t afford it, so I thought I’d paint it.”

Now, after more than 30 happy years in the family home, Sharon’s creative skills have been channelled into a business she started at the beginning of the pandemic.

“After teaching fashion and textiles for 20 years, I was made redundant and I found myself at a crossroads,” she says. “A chapter of my life had ended and it was time to start the next.” She and her daughter, Kate Van Leeuwen, 33, had attended Sarah Andrews’s Hosting Masterclass, which teaches you how to style and run an iconic Airbnb. However, this proved to be the inspiration for a different kind of business. “It helped us appreciate how beautiful our home already was and it stirred my passion for vintage, styling, and a new love of photography,” says Sharon.

So, she and Kate put together a website featuring a few vintage items and a children’s clothing range Sharon had designed and created, and Family Founded was born. >

“We’re not big on presents anymore, but we love to make things for each other.”

HOME GEELONG W EST V IC Maggie the spoodle surveys the scene in the living/dining area. The dining table was one of the first things Sharon and Rob had made. “We saved so hard for it – we wanted the family to be able to all sit together,” says Sharon. The white kitchen dresser and the cake tin on top belonged to her great-grandmother.

CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 55

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Firewood at the ready; cooking for the family; sketches by Sharon (right) sit beside vintage finds; the timber shelving was made by talented carpenter Rob. FACING PAGE Sharon’s Christmas baking.

GEELONG W EST V IC HOME

PANFORTE DI SIENA “Panforte is a specialty of Siena, Italy, that dates back to the 13th century,” says Sharon. “It is a traditionally chewy Italian dessert containing fruit and nuts. Usually, a small wedge is served with coffee or a dessert wine after a meal. Our family adore it as an after-meal treat and the combination of lightly toasted nuts, dried fruits and chewy chocolate makes it so delicious. It also makes a lovely Christmas gift.” butter, for greasing 1 cup almonds 1 cup hazelnuts 1 cup pecans ¾ cup (110g) plain flour 3 tablespoons cocoa 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots 1 cup dried cranberries 150g dark chocolate ⅓ cup honey ⅓ cup caster sugar ⅓ cup firmly packed light brown sugar 2 tablespoons water icing sugar

Preheat oven to 1800C. Grease a 20cm round springform tin and line with baking paper.

Combine the nuts on a large baking tray lined with baking paper and lightly toast in the oven for approximately 15 minutes until lightly golden and they smell delicious. Put them aside to cool slightly.

Sift the flour, cocoa and cinnamon into a large bowl and stir in the fruit and nuts.

Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Place the chocolate pieces in a bowl and melt over a pan of gently simmering water; set aside.

Combine the honey, sugars and water in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until the sugars dissolve, brushing down the sides of the saucepan using a pastry brush.

When the sugar has dissolved, simmer mixture, uncovered and without stirring, for 5 minutes.

Pour the hot syrup and melted chocolate into the nut and flour mixture. Mix well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and press it down firmly using the back of a spoon. Cut a circle of baking paper the size of the tin and place it on top of the panforte, pressing it down lightly.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until the panforte is set. Cool in the tin overnight.

Remove the panforte from tin. Dust top with icing sugar. Wrap the panforte in foil.

It will keep in an airtight container for 2 weeks. To serve, slice it into thin wedges.

Sharon also makes a wreath every year. To create your own, see instructions page 92.

CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 57

HOME GEELONG W EST V IC

FROM ABOVE In the family living area, the shelving was an old meat safe that the couple restored, while Rob built the shelf above the fireplace and Sharon made the cushions. The reclaimed timber coffee table was from Provincial Home Living; one of Sharon’s living wreaths. FACING PAGE Sharon, Rob and Maggie in the garden.

Once they launched, things took off very quickly. “I sold three vintage pieces within half an hour and had literally sold out within 24 hours – it was crazy,” says Sharon. With this level of interest, she made the decision to focus on the vintage side of things, which also fits with Family Founded’s ethos of sustainability. “We waste as little as possible; recycle, re-use, restore, give new life to old or aged pieces,” explains Sharon. Other offerings on the website include handmade linen aprons and masks and, in anticipation of Christmas, Sharon has been busily hand-painting cards and gift tags.

For her own celebrations, Sharon says they’ll have a simple family gathering. They will be joined by their grown-up children and their partners, as well as their one-year-old granddaughter, Rosie. “We put a couple of tents up in the backyard because the family’s grown – and now we have seven dogs here as well. There’s a groodle, four spoodles, one Newfoundland and a spoodle cross – they’re all beautiful but it’s pretty chaotic!”

“We’re not big on presents anymore, but we love to make things for each other,” Sharon explains. “Last year, Rob was really lucky to come across some beautiful old stools, so we did them up for the children and gave them one each for their homes. I just like to do things like that.”

Christmas lunch is always outside in the garden (weather permitting), adds Sharon. “We have fresh foliage and vintage candle holders along the centre of the table.

I have an abundance of linen napkins made from remnants I’ve saved from sewing projects. The colours >

“Rob made a swing for Rosie during lockdown and can’t wait for her to try it out at Christmas.”

CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 59

CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Hellebores from the garden; Rob created a bedhead from an old chiffonier; Sharon painted the walls of Rob’s study in Porter’s French Wash.

FACING PAGE Sharon made the curtains in the main bedroom. Bed linen is by Bed Threads; throw by Hale Mercantile, from Lily Pond.

are muted earthy tones with a touch of aged silver, burnished gold, and a hint of green from the foliage.

“We use our vintage cutlery and simple drinking and wine glasses I’ve collected, and a white plate setting.

The table isn’t overly cluttered with decorations, as we like to leave enough room for shared plates of our Christmas lunch. We have a traditional turkey, but we love our vegetables as well,” says Sharon.

After delicious offerings such as duck fat potatoes with lemon thyme salt and roasted heirloom carrots and beets from the garden with labneh and dukkah, the family’s attention turns to dessert. “We love traditional Christmas pudding, but our family is big on chocolate, so there has to be chocolate in everything!” says Sharon. “I’m doing a chocolate Christmas cake, panforte, and a beautiful chocolate roulade covered in berries. The whole family loves chocolate and if I don’t have it, they go crazy!”

As for the future of Family Founded, Sharon is keen to get back on the road to hunt for new vintage pieces, accompanied by her trusty helpers, Kate and Rosie. She’s also planning some small-group workshops, including a wreath-making workshop on December 11, and has kindly shared her guide to making a festive wreath on page 92.

To find out more, visit familyfounded.com.au or follow @family_founded on Instagram.

GEELONG W EST V IC HOME

CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 61

Hanna Nipala wraps her Christmas gifts with recycled wrapping tissue and string.

The handmade name tag adds a personal touch. FACING PAGE Hanna favours furniture the same age as their house, and this cupboard from the 1950s fits nicely in the kitchen. She and husband Timo built the banquette wall seat, and added character to the walls with vintage artwork.

C O OL T I DI NG S

A LARGE SPRUCE TWINKLES IN THIS HOME IN FINLAND, CHRISTMAS ELVES PEEK FROM THE WINDOWS, AND THE CHILDREN EAGERLY AWAIT SANTA’S ARRIVAL. WORDS JONNA K I V ILA HTI PHOTOGRAPHY K R ISTA K ELTA NEN/LI V INGINSIDE

FINLA ND POSTCARD

CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 63

POSTCARD FINLA ND

64 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

NOT FAR FROM THE CENTRE of Finland’s oldest city, Turku,

Hanna and Timo Nipala and their four children are looking forward to Christmas. Frost covers the ground in the beautiful gardens of their 1940s home, located in a peaceful area of old detached houses. “We’re completely infatuated with our house,” says Hanna, 38, a business manager. “Back in 2011, we searched for a row house [terrace] apartment for two adults and one school-aged child – and we ended up here.”

Since then, the couple has had three more children, and the house, complete with sauna, has been extended into the basement and attic. “Renovated with love, this house seems to stretch itself into our needs – even though there are six of us now,” Hanna says, laughing.

When the Nipalas bought the house, it quickly became obvious that it needed extensive repairs. Had they known what they were getting into, Hanna says they might never have gone through with it, but they soldiered on and renovated the house completely, from the basement to the chimney. After renovating one room and one floor at a time, Hanna claims she knows everything about the building – even what’s inside the walls.

Eager to maintain the home’s original style, Hanna ensured that all changes were done with a light touch.

She changed the exterior house colour from yellow to grey, with the interiors done in shades of white. The horizontal planking on the inside walls creates a fabulous ambience, and offsets the dark pieces of furniture.

The house has been a passion project for the whole clan – Hanna’s and Timo’s fathers have been invaluable in >

CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Festive preparations are well underway; Hanna creates her own decorations and cards; Hanna and her teenage son made Christmas gift tags from soda dough, then added text with a stamp.

FACING PAGE The kitchen staircase was trimmed and painted.

Hanna and Timo designed and built the huge modular couch – perfect for their family of six. The shelves above display a collection of flea market treasures, including vintage prints. The living room, kitchen and dining room are open-plan, and all the floors and walls are made of horizontal planking board.

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“Renovated with love, this house seems to stretch itself into our needs – even though there are six of us now.”

CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 67

POSTCARD FINLA ND

68 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

helping to fix up the house. “Literally everyone has taken part in the project,” Hanna says.

Scouring flea markets for vintage and second-hand furniture, Hanna enjoys furnishing and decorating the house. Textiles are the only thing she buys new – everything else is self-designed and self-made.

“I think that any home’s interior design should go hand in hand with its exterior appearance,” she explains. “This house was built in 1943, and old pieces of furniture from the same time line fit nicely, and their dimensions are appropriate.” Hanna adds that a sturdy chest of drawers from the 1950s, which is put to good use in the dining area, is a good example of this.

Hanna loves the festive season and reveals that when she sees the first Christmas commercial on television, she feels it gives her unofficial permission to start the “Christmas madness”. Signs of Yuletide can be spotted in the family’s courtyard, as well as inside the house, as early as September and October each year. Hanna kicks off the holiday season by installing string lights both inside and outside. Little by little, she adds more and more Christmassy objects.

One time, Hanna says, even the removalists chuckled at her Christmas decoration selection. There are many Christmas trees on display – at least one in the yard, one in the living room, and one in the children’s room.

“I always make the Christmas tree ornaments myself,” she says. “Over the years, I’ve tried all kinds of things.

This year, my favourites are streamers made of cardboard stars, as well as flaxen flag streamers. I found old >

CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Hanna created a circus theme in the children’s playroom; Hanna juggles family life and her DIY projects; candles create a Christmas scene outdoors. FACING PAGE Hanna’s desk sits in the corner of the living room, and she works here in the afternoons while her children nap.

CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE Hanna adds festive touches throughout her home, including wreaths and bells; candlelight creates a warm glow in the bathroom, which leads to the sauna; the staircase was opened when the attic was renovated to create a bedroom and children’s playroom.

FACING PAGE Under the sloping attic wall, the children sleep in little nest-like beds.

Christmas tree candle holders and candles at a flea market, which had become beautifully yellow [with age].”

The day before Christmas Eve, Hanna and Timo invite their friends over for mulled wine. “We enjoy time together with the children and our friends and their families,” Hanna says. “Then we spend Christmas Eve with our parents and our siblings’ families.”

Christmas dinner is served on Christmas Eve at their grandparents’ place, and in the evening the family returns home to enjoy gingerbread cookies on the couch.

Every year at noon on December 24, a city official reads out the Declaration of Christmas Peace from the balcony of the historic Brinkkala Mansion in Turku. The square is filled with people taking part in the tradition.

“This is always part of our Christmas Eve, but if it is sleeting, we eat rice porridge at home, and watch it on TV,” says Hanna.

The Nipalas enjoy a traditional Christmas lunch of fish, ham and casserole dishes. “For dessert, we have date cake or plum kissel,” Hanna says. “And in the evening, we go to the graveyard and remember our loved ones who have passed away. On Christmas Day, we meet our relatives; the meaning of family has a really big role in our Christmas. On Boxing Day, we continue our yearly tradition of making sushi with our friends. The Christmas season continues all the way to New Year’s Eve, and we spend time with lots of people during this period.”

A cosy family Christmas doesn’t vary all that much across the world, then.

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“On Christmas Day, we meet our relatives. The meaning of family has a really big role in our Christmas.”

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72 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

Christiana Jackson’s range for her brand Mimosa Botanicals includes natural essential oils and perfumes. FACING PAGE Lockdown in Victoria saw Christiana seeking joyful, uplifting scents.

CASTLEM A INE V IC PEOPLE

CHRISTMAS IN A BOTTLE INSPIRED BY THE PINE FORESTS NEAR HER CHILDHOOD HOME, AROMATHERAPIST CHRISTIANA JACKSON HAS CAPTURED THE ESSENCE OF THE FESTIVE SEASON. WORDS LY N J USTICE PHOTOGRAPHY M A R NIE H AWSON

“Folklore offers real sanctuary with its pine needle notes from the woods. It has oils that are gentle and grounding.”

74 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

CASTLEM A INE V IC PEOPLE FROM TOP Christiana’s Slumber Therapy Roller; freshly picked lavender.

FACING PAGE Christiana sourced vintage display cabinets for her studio, which she calls The Apothecary.

NOTHING SMELLS LIKE Christmas more than the earthy,

woody fragrance of pine trees. Aromatherapist Christiana Jackson grew up not far from a pine plantation in the tiny town of Halls Gap, in the heart of the Victorian Grampians region. She has always loved nature and the Australian bush – and she put pine at the centre of her newest essential oil blend, Folklore.

Working on bottling the nostalgic, joyful smell of Christmas trees for her business, Mimosa Botanicals, in Castlemaine, Victoria, kept Christiana busy during several COVID-19 lockdowns. For her, the scent represents hope. “Folklore offers real sanctuary with its pine needle notes from the woods,” she explains. “It has a lot of oils that are really gentle and grounding. When used in a diffuser, it brings the outdoors into people’s homes, creating a quietness to help get them through lockdown.”

After Christiana, 47, left school, she studied performing arts in Ballarat, before moving to Melbourne and working in retail at organic grocers and health food stores, where she learnt about natural skincare and essential oil blends.

A folk singer and dancer, she then lived in Ireland and Scotland for three years, before returning to Australia at age 30 to study massage and aromatherapy. “While working as a massage therapist, I started making my own skincare,” Christiana says. “I had a hobby business called The Sweet Bee Keeper for eight years, selling skincare and soaps at markets.”

It was after leaving the city and moving to the historic goldfields town of Castlemaine with husband Nick – who works in the renewable energy sector – and their infant son, Gus, that Christiana gave free rein to her love of aromatherapy and perfumery. “I was making products and working for someone else in nearby Daylesford when I decided to start my own brand,” she says.

Of the name, Mimosa Botanicals, Christiana says: “I’m a bit of a Francophile – ‘mimosa’ is what the French call wattle, and they have a history of aromatherapy and perfumery. So the name Mimosa is homage to both.”

She also loves Australia’s cheery yellow wattle: “When the wattle blooms as we’re coming out of a long, cold winter, it’s so uplifting with its sunshine smell.”

Christiana sources organic ingredients where she can, such as Aussie sea salt, clay and lavender. After initially making her products at home in their “cute miner’s cottage”, Christiana moved her business to The Mill, a hub for microbusinesses in Castlemaine – and she hasn’t looked back. There are now 50 stockists across Australia that sell her bath soaks, perfumes and essential oil blends, plus she has a thriving business online.

All the products are lovingly made by hand. “They’re my own recipes, or secret blends,” says Christiana, who works as a sole trader, except for help with labelling and packing orders during busy periods. >

Christiana loves all her creations, but of her six bath soaks, her favourite is French Lavender & Oat Milk, which was her very first bath blend. “It’s a calming and restorative blend that’s nourishing for dry skin – a very gentle soak,” she says.

Three years ago, Christiana launched a perfume range.

She started with four scents and now has eight; her pick is the blend she called In The Meadow, which features lavender, hay and Australian citrus. “This is more of a summer perfume – the smell of the late, steamy storms you get in summer,” she explains. It’s the heady, unique aroma of rain on the sunburnt earth and parched trees.

Finally, of Christiana’s four essential oil blends, she “absolutely loves” her signature Christmas creation, Folklore, which will feature in her curated Christmas gift box this year. As well as Mimosa Botanicals favourites, it will include delicious chocolates made by local chocolatier Cabosse & Feve.

Christiana, Nick and Gus, now eight, will be spending Christmas in Ballarat with her parents – dad Chris Baulch, a former Uniting Church minister, and mum Anna, a retired midwife – and their extended family.

“We don’t have a traditional Christmas lunch – we’ll have a picnic on Mum and Dad’s lawn, then go for a long walk,” says Christiana, who will be contributing fresh salads and enjoying the glorious Australian outdoors she loves so much.

For more, visit mimosabotanicals.com.au or follow @mimosa_botanicals on Instagram.

76 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

CASTLEM A INE V IC PEOPLE Christiana makes her Rose Bath Soak by hand. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Nature’s scents inspire Christiana’s work; her range features a natural parfum called Botanist’s Garden; vibrant pine pollen.

PEOPLE CASTLEM A INE V IC Christiana collects pine pollen while foraging in the bush.

“For Christmas, we’ll have a picnic on my parents’ lawn, then go for a long walk.”

78 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

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TAKE A WALK THROUGH MAGICAL PINES WITH CHRISTMAS PRESENT IDEAS FOR EVERYONE. PHOTOGRAPHY NIC GOSSAGE ST YLING JONO FLEMING

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP Pleated candle shade with clip, $29.95 (18cm), French Candlestick tree decoration, $14.95, solid brass French horn, $29.95, French silhouette decoration, $12.95, solid brass bugle, $29.95, pleated candle shade with clip, $24.95 (12cm), all from The Lost and Found Department.

House of Heras Sugarbush rug, $4690, from Designer Rugs. Metal Floral swag with velvet trim, $178, from The Lost and Found Department. Wrapping paper from Vandoros Fine Packaging.

CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 81

GA R The DEN ER

GREEN THUMBS WILL APPRECIATE DECORATIVE INSECTS AND EYE-CATCHING ORNAMENTS TO ADD TO THEIR GARDENS, PLUS NIFTY TOOLS AND SEEDS TO GROW. ABOVE Brass bee, $24.95, frog on leaf, $49.95, and snail, $24.95, all from The Lost and Found Department. Brass garden snail, $47.50, and sparrow, $50, from Merchant Campbell. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Bergs Potter Daisy vase in Green Emerald, $99 (12cm), Bergs Potter Simona pot in Green Emerald, from $85.95, and teeny scissors, $19.95, all from The Lost and Found Department. British Meadow pocket pruner and holster, $53, and Passiflora indoor watering can, $46.50, both from Perennialle Plants Nursery. Hedgehog shoe cleaner, $139.95, from Merchant Campbell.

Twine and snips in tin, $45, from The Lost and Found Department. Sophie Conran Everyday blue ticking gloves, $46.50, from Perennialle Plants Nursery.

The Grampians Goods Co. Travel Tin candle (assorted scents), $20, from Merchant Campbell. Plantable gift tag, $14.95 (pack of 6), from Inartisan.

Bergs Potter Helena pot in Rosa, $24.95 (10cm), from The Lost and Found Department. Assorted Heirloom seeds, $5, from Perennialle Plants Nursery.

Gardener’s soap, $15.95, leather handle secateurs, $39.95, and Paper Pot press, $44.95, all from The Lost and Found Department. Grow Your Own seed kit, $29, from Inartisan. Heaven in Earth assorted wire sprigs and flowers, from $16, from Perennialle Plants Nursery.

82 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

GIFT GUIDE

The

PA RT Y HOST

GIFT GUIDE

THE ENTERTAINERS ON YOUR CHRISTMAS LIST WILL ADORE THESE BEAUTIFUL BOWLS, VINTAGE CUTLERY SETS AND STYLISH DINING ACCESSORIES. CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Eka small footed tray, $59, from Inartisan. Batch Ceramics round serving bowl in Basil, $140, from Cedar Cicada.

La Rochere Dragonfly wine goblets, $64 (set of 6), from Peter’s of Kensington. Vine leaf jug, $59.95, from The Lost and Found Department. Ginkgo bowl in Jade, $75, from Merchant Campbell. Green glazed pourer jug, $19.95, from The Lost and Found Department. 2021 Estate verdelho, $25, from Boydell’s. French pumpkin jug, $179, from Montmartre Store. Green Orient side plate, $49.95, blue cracker plate, $19.95, vintage finish satin fork, $10.95, knife, $10.95, and teaspoon, $6.95, all from The Lost and Found Department. Gingham tea towel, $39.95, from Montmartre Store.

Clementine bowl, $69, Kenith terracotta candle holder, $99, from McMullin & Co. Casa e Cucina ‘Arabesque’ dinner plate, $68, from Cedar Cicada.

Tea towel, $25, from Montmartre Store. Robert Gordon Garden Party cake stand, $69.95, assorted wooden spoons, from $25, and Modern carafe, $54.50, all from Saardé. Ginkgo plate in Jade, $60, from Merchant Campbell. Set of three nesting bowls, $49.95, from The Lost and Found Department. Miss Harriet sparkling rosé, $25, from Boydell’s. Kowloon bowl in Green and White, $119.95, from Provincial Home Living. Casa e Cucina Arabesque pasta bowl in Primavera, $67, Batch Ceramics oval serving bowl in Basil, $150, from Cedar Cicada. 2020 Méthode Cab Nouveau wine, $32, from Patrick of Coonawarra. Wicker jug, $105, from Montmartre Store. Candle cloche, $39.95, and Hidden Vale candle, $65, both from Southern Wild Co. Globe bowl in Basil, $39.95, from Cedar Cicada. Mahdi stone podium bowl, $79, from Inartisan. Shore tablecloth in Natural, $159 (180cm x 300cm), from Saardé. Down to Earth linen tablecloth in Rustic White, $135.95, from Linen Barn. Thonet No. 14 chair, POA, from Thonet Australia. All pastries and bread courtesy of Black Cockatoo Bakery, Lawson and Katoomba, NSW.

CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 85

PA M The PER ER

GIVE THE GIFT OF RELAXATION THIS CHRISTMAS, WITH LUXURIOUS PRODUCTS GUARANTEED TO PAMPER AND INDULGE – DON’T FORGET TO INCLUDE YOURSELF. ABOVE Lawson stool in Natural, $139.95, from Provincial Home Living. German nail brush with pumice stone, $19.95, from The Lost and Found Department. Original hand and body wash, $35, from Saardé. US Apothecary bath soak, $79.95, and soap in muslin ball, $15.95, both from The Lost and Found Department. Evy Onyx mini dish, $24, from Inartisan. Grampians Grown Luxe lotion (assorted scents), $40, from Merchant Campbell. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Vintage Wash 100% cotton towel, $79, from Saardé. Studio 1 Windsor 1550mm claw-foot bath with brushed nickel legs, $1019, from Harvey Norman. Vintage Wash 100% cotton hand towel in Pale Grey, $39, from Saardé. Dry massage brush, $29.95, Grecian natural sea sponge, $79.95, from The Lost and Found Department. Passionata Thelma kimono in Talc, $89.95, from Birdnest. Sakura blossom, $29.95, and Kylix urn, $139.95, both from Provincial Home Living. Casa e Cucina Salon large vase in Putty, $110, and small vase in Avocado, $83, and Lennon Moss stripe cushion, $154, all from Cedar Cicada. Malawi nook rug, $340, from Armadillo. Florence leather crossbody bag in Caramel, $199, from Bahru Leather.

86 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

GIFT GUIDE

After a challenging year, we all deserve a little ‘me time’ this festive season.

Create an enchanting scene for any child with cuddly toys, cosy bedding and a touch of whimsy.

T L I T he

T ON E LE S

PREPARE FOR SQUEALS OF DELIGHT FROM THE CHILDREN AS THEY UNWRAP CUTE TOY BOXES, SOFT BEDTIME BUDDIES AND SWEET BEDROOM FURNISHINGS. ABOVE Hansa toy bear, $120, and Numero 74 blue lace wand, $25, both from Montmartre Store. Desert Moon cotton baby blanket in Honey, $49, from Saardé. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Nobodinoz Pierrot Moon cushion, $45, from Designstuff. Numero 74 Mini Star garland in Sweet Blue, $55, from Poème Lifestyle. Samir round floor cushion in Mustard, $229, from Inartisan. Nobodinoz Sitges cushion in Nude, $79, from Designstuff. Pompom tassel blanket in White, $110, from Scandi Folk. Vintage wash cushion in Nutmeg with piping, $109, and velvet cushion in Clay, $95, both from Saardé. Nobodinoz Organic Cloud cushion, $39.95, from Poème Lifestyle. Numero 74 Moby Whale cushion, $125, from Poème Lifestyle. Fergus koala, $48, from Saardé. Olli Ella See-Ya suitcase in Blush, $149, from Designstuff. Ferm Living Pear braided small storage, $79.95, from The Lost and Found Department. Olli Ella Casa toy bag in Straw, $55, from Designstuff. Muskhane felt mushrooms, from $13, from Poème Lifestyle. Ferm Living Pear braided storage basket, $159 (large), from The Lost and Found Department. Shore Tufted pillowcase in White, $89 (set of 2), from Ferm Living Pear braided. Numero 74 Vicky swan cushion, $139, from Poème Lifestyle. Boat in Porter’s Paints Eggshell Acrylic in Red Ochre.

CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 89

I N T The T R A R EP V EL I D LER

GOT A LOVED ONE WHO’S EAGER TO HIT THE ROAD? THEY’LL BE THRILLED TO RECEIVE THE LATEST ESSENTIALS FOR TRAVEL, CAMPING AND ADVENTURE. ABOVE Longines Heritage Classic watch, $3050, from Longines. Brass mortar and pestle, $89, from Saardé. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Horrie Oilskin dog coat, $119, from Driza-Bone. Leather wine bag, $150, from Boydell’s. Plain & Simple long matches, $34.95, from Merchant Campbell. Stanley Classic vacuum flask, $84.95, from House. Vintage globe, POA, from Adrienne & The Misses Bonney. A5 leather journal cover in Toffee, $160, from Saddler & Co. Light-up vintage-look globe, POA, from Adrienne & The Misses Bonney. French paper writing set, $39.95, from The Lost and Found Department. Toiletry bag in Camel, $48.50, from Merchant Campbell. Beechwood shaving brush, $34.95, Acca Kappa 1869 shaving foam, $34.95, Misc. Goods Co. Black playing cards, $29.95, all from The Lost and Found Department. Acadia petrified wood bookends, $129, from Inartisan. Italian Argan soap, $19.95, from The Lost and Found Department. The Duffle bag, $850, from Saddler & Co. Verdigris long fish bottle opener, $45, from Merchant Campbell. Wholeswage belt, $89.95, from RB Sellars.

90 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

GIFT GUIDE

TH E FESTI V E W R E AT H “Festive wreaths are the perfect way to adorn any doorway during the Christmas season,” says Sharon. “I create a different one every year – this one is made using fresh moss. It’s wonderful because it can take on many forms, and uses minimal foliage and twigs that I gather from the garden. The wreath should stay alive for two weeks if it’s misted, but looks beautiful as it dries.” Here’s how to create your own…

WORDS SH A RON VA N DER K RUIK PHOTOGRAPHY M A R NIE H AWSON ST YLING BELLE HEMMING

WREATH BASE

• 1 x metal wreath ring, 30cm in size if available • 1 x reel of green florist’s wire • 1 x bag of moss (available from florists) • string of desired length, for hanging FLORAL MATERIAL

• 2 x medium branches of spruce or pine • 4 x bunches of various foliage that looks •

‘Christmassy’, plus a few dried twigs I like to have one bunch that has a small berry, such as hypericum berry

MAKING YOUR WREATH 1 Attach wire to wreath ring. Don’t cut the

wire – leave it attached as you will use it as you decorate the ring with the foliage.

2 Attach a piece of string to the ring – ensure it’s strong enough to hang your wreath.

92 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

3 Form a large sausage shape with the moss

and use the wire to wrap it around the ring.

4 Using small sprigs of spruce or pine and working around the ring, wire them to the outer of the wreath and then to the inside of the wreath.

5 Make up small bunches of each of your chosen foliage.

6 Working separately with each foliage bunch, wire them to the wreath.

7 Make sure inner branches for the wreath are small, so you can see the centre, otherwise it will look like a mound of foliage.

8 Add the berries to fill in any gaps.

9 Lastly, poke in a few dried twigs to give the wreath some interest and form.

10 Keep the wreath misted and enjoy it for at least two or three weeks.

To make Sharon’s panforte, see page 57.

CR A FT CHRISTMAS

“I like to add one bunch that has a small berry, such as hypericum berry.”

FOOD FESTI V E MENU

EVERYONE HAS ARRIVED, THE TABLE IS SET AND NOW IT IS TIME TO TUCK INTO DELICIOUS CHRISTMAS FAVOURITES. PHOTOGRAPHY JA MES MOFFATT ST YLING OLI V I A BLACK MOR E

94 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

Barbecued butterflied turkey with peach green sauce (page 98)

FESTI V E MENU FOOD

PEAR & BLUE CHEESE SAVOURY GALETTES Serves 8 Prep + cook time 45 minutes

60g butter 2 tablespoons honey ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 2 teaspoons ground coriander ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper 2 large beurre bosc pears (660g), cut into thick wedges 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, just thawed ⅓ cup (95g) caramelised onion relish 1 egg, beaten lightly 100g blue cheese, crumbled, plus extra to serve 6 sprigs lemon thyme, plus extra to serve ¼ cup (35g) skinless roasted hazelnuts, chopped coarsely 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 200°C. Place two lightly oiled oven trays in the oven to preheat.

Heat butter and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat until just melted. Transfer to a medium heatproof bowl; stir in nutmeg, coriander and black pepper. Add pears; toss until well coated.

Cut a 23cm round from each pastry sheet; place each round on a piece of baking paper. Spread onion relish evenly over pastry rounds, leaving a 3cm border. Brush the border with a little of the egg. Fold and tuck in pastry edges to create a rim. Carefully lift pastry on paper onto heated trays.

Working quickly, arrange pears evenly on relish, drizzling with any remaining honey mixture. Brush rim with a little more egg. Top evenly with cheese and thyme sprigs.

Bake galettes for 25 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden.

Serve galettes topped with hazelnuts, extra blue cheese and extra thyme sprigs. Drizzle with oil just before serving.

TIPS Use a 23cm frying pan lid to press into the pastry and mark a round. Use goat’s chevre instead of the blue cheese, if you prefer.

BABY GEM LETTUCE WEDGES WITH GREEN HERB DRESSING Serves 6 Prep + cook time 15 minutes

¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil 1 cup (70g) coarsely chopped sourdough bread ⅓ cup (45g) coarsely chopped macadamias 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 4 baby gem lettuce (360g), trimmed, washed, quartered lengthways

GREEN HERB DRESSING

2 green onions (scallions), chopped ⅓ cup mint leaves ½ cup firmly packed flat-leaf parsley 2 tablespoons tarragon leaves ½ cup (130g) plain kefir ¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil 2½ tablespoons lemon juice 2 teaspoons dijon mustard 1 teaspoon honey

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat; cook bread pieces and macadamias, stirring, for 5 minutes or until light golden. Add garlic; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until mixture is golden and crisp.

Season; stir in parsley. Drain on paper towel.

Make green herb dressing.

Place lettuce quarters on a serving platter. Drizzle with dressing, sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture.

GREEN HERB DRESSING Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender; blend until smooth. Season.

TIPS You can use baby cos in this recipe. Kefir gives a lovely tang to this dressing, or you can use Greek yoghurt.

DO AHEAD The crumb mix, without parsley, can be made up to 2 days ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Lettuce can be prepared a day ahead. The dressing can be made a day ahead, but it will lose some of its vibrant green colour.

CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 97

FOOD FESTI V E MENU

POTATO PAVÉ WITH THYME SALT

Serves 12 Prep + cook time 4 hours (+ overnight refrigeration) 1kg unsalted butter, chopped coarsely ⅓ cup (40g) sea salt flakes 2½ tablespoons thyme leaves, chopped finely 4kg large desiree potatoes

To clarify the butter, heat the butter in a large saucepan over low heat for 15 minutes or until the fat and milk solids separate. Gently strain clear yellow butter into a large heatproof jug, discarding white milk solids. You should have 800ml clarified butter.

Combine salt flakes and thyme in a small bowl.

Peel potatoes, place in a large bowl of water.

Line a 6cm deep, 20cm x 30cm rectangular baking pan with two layers of baking paper. Place clarified butter in a very large heatproof bowl set over a large saucepan of gently simmering water.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Drain one potato; pat dry with paper towel. Using a mandoline, V-slicer or sharp knife, cut potato into 2mm slices. Place slices in the bowl of clarified butter to coat. Repeat with remaining potatoes. Arrange a single layer of potato slices, slightly overlapping lengthways, in lined pan.

Place a second layer of potato slices, slightly overlapping crossways; season with the thyme salt. Repeat layering with remaining potato slices, alternating the direction with each layer and seasoning with thyme salt every second layer.

Cover pan with a large sheet of foil; bake for 1 hour 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender when centre is pierced with a skewer.

Remove foil; cover potatoes with a piece of baking paper, then weigh down with a heavy baking dish. Push down to compress potatoes; drain away excess liquid. Discard liquid.

98 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

Repeat compressing until dry. Place additional weights, such as heavy cans, in the dish on top of potato.

Refrigerate overnight to set.

Preheat oven to 220°C. Line a large rimmed oven tray with baking paper (the rim will prevent butter from dripping into oven).

Remove weights from top of pavé.

Invert pavé onto a cutting board; trim sides. Cut into 12 equal pieces; place on lined tray. Bake for 1 hour or until golden and crisp. Serve sprinkled with remaining thyme salt, if you like.

DO AHEAD Start this recipe at least a day ahead of serving. Recipe can also be made up to refrigeration point, up to 2 days ahead.

BARBECUED BUTTERFLIED TURKEY WITH PEACH GREEN SAUCE Serves 8 Prep + cook time 1 hour 50 minutes

8 medium ripe yellow peaches (1.2kg) 250g salted butter, softened 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tablespoons finely chopped tarragon 5kg whole turkey, butterflied 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

PEACH GREEN SAUCE

1 cup firmly packed flat-leaf parsley, chopped coarsely ½ cup firmly packed mint leaves, chopped coarsely ½ small clove garlic 2 tablespoons tarragon leaves 3 cornichons (45g), chopped coarsely 1 tablespoon baby capers ½ cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon red wine vinegar

Place a medium sieve over a medium bowl; line with muslin or a clean dish cloth. Chop 2 of the peaches; process in a food processor until smooth. Pour into lined sieve. Gather cloth corners, then twist to squeeze out excess liquid. Reserve puree and liquid separately; you need 1⁄3 cup (75g) puree and ½ cup (125ml) juice.

Place peach puree in a medium bowl with the butter, garlic and tarragon;

stir to combine. Season with pepper.

Using your fingers and starting from the legs end, carefully separate turkey skin from the flesh by running your hand under the skin above the breasts and thighs. Spread half the peach butter under the skin, being careful not to break the skin. Rub skin all over with oil; season.

Heat a large flameproof roasting pan over medium heat of a hooded barbecue. Cook turkey in pan for 8 minutes each side or until well browned. Brush with half the remaining peach butter. Leave two outside burners on, turn off centre burner. Place turkey pan over the centre burner, close hood; roast for 1 hour, maintaining temperature at 200°C, or until turkey is tender and juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer. Brush turkey with half the remaining peach butter; set aside to rest.

Meanwhile, cut remaining peaches in half; remove stones (if using clingstone peaches, remove stones after roasting). Place, cut-side up, in another large roasting pan.

Top peaches with small pieces of remaining peach butter; season lightly. Place pan over centre burner in barbecue; cook, with hood closed, for 30 minutes or until peaches are tender.

Make peach green sauce.

Sprinkle turkey and peaches with extra tarragon. Serve with pan juices and peach green sauce.

PEACH GREEN SAUCE Place all ingredients and reserved peach juice (from step 1, topping up with water if necessary) in a blender; blend until smooth. Season to taste. (Makes 1¼ cups.)

DO AHEAD Peach butter and peach green sauce can be made a day ahead.

Allow butter to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to soften before using.

FESTI V E MENU FOOD

Christmas is more than beautifully wrapped presents under the tree and an abundant table. It’s about spending time and creating memories with the ones you love.

BAKED HAM WITH CHINOTTO, ORANGE & CINNAMON GLAZE

Serves 12 Prep + cook time 2 hours 30 minutes 3 large navel oranges (720g) 3 litres (12 cups) chinotto ¾ cup (265g) honey ½ cup (125ml) red wine vinegar 3 small sprigs fresh rosemary 3 cinnamon sticks 6 cloves 1½ tablespoons wholegrain mustard 8.5kg leg ham

Using a vegetable peeler, remove rind from oranges, leaving the white pith behind. Squeeze the oranges; you need 1 cup (250ml) juice.

For the glaze, place chinotto, honey, vinegar, rosemary, cinnamon, cloves, orange rind and juice in a large, wide saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Boil for 1 hour or until reduced to 1½ cups (375ml).

Remove from heat; cool for 10 minutes. Stir in mustard.

Meanwhile, use a small sharp knife to cut through ham rind 10cm from the top of the shank. Run your thumb under the rind and above the fat to separate edges all the way around.

Starting from the widest edge, gently pull back rind to remove. Score fat in

straight lines at 2cm intervals. Do not cut too deeply or the fat will spread apart during cooking.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Place a wire rack in a roasting pan large enough to hold the ham; pour 1 cup (250ml) of water into the pan.

Place ham on rack in pan. Brush ham all over with a quarter of the glaze. Bake for 1½ hours, brushing with remaining glaze every 30 minutes and rotating if necessary for even cooking or until golden and caramelised.

Strain pan juices into a medium saucepan over medium heat; skim off the fat. Bring to the boil; cook juices until thick and syrupy. Add any remaining glaze and stir to combine.

Brush some of the mixture all over the ham.

Carve ham into slices and serve warm or at room temperature drizzled with reduced pan juices.

TIP Chinotto is an Italian bittersweet soft drink available from liquor stores and supermarkets.

DO AHEAD Glaze can be made up to a week ahead. Ham can be cooked and glazed up to 2 days ahead. Reheat in a low oven to refresh the glaze. If the glaze becomes too thick to spread, warm in the microwave until it becomes a spreadable consistency.

Recipes from The Australian Women’s Weekly’s Christmas Table ($49.99).

Available where all good books are sold and at aremediabooks.com.au

CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 101

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Information correct at time of printing. For up to date details and full terms and conditions please refer to www.rslartunion.com.au.

FESTI V E TR EATS FOOD

made with love

SUGAR, SPICE AND ALL THINGS NICE… SPOIL YOUR LOVED ONES WITH TREATS FROM FESTIVE: RECIPES FOR ADVENT. PHOTOGRAPHY J ULI A STIX ST YLING EVA FISCHER

CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 103

FOOD FESTI V E TR EATS

PANETTONE Serves 4

50g butter, plus a little extra for the tin 300ml milk, plus 1 tablespoon milk for brushing 3 cups (450g) plain (all-purpose) flour 80g white sugar 1 pinch salt 20g fresh yeast 1 orange 100g (3½ oz) white chocolate ⅓ cup (50g) candied orange peel ⅓ cup (50g) candied lemon peel ¼ cup (30g) unsalted pistachios 1 egg yolk icing (confectioners’) sugar, for dusting

Heat the butter and milk in a small saucepan to melt the butter. Leave to cool. Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the sugar and salt and combine thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Crumble the yeast into the well and add 3 tablespoons of the milk mixture. Cover and set aside for about 15 minutes. Add the remaining milk mixture and knead to form a smooth dough. Cover again and leave to rise for about 30 minutes in a warm place.

Wash the orange under hot water, pat dry and finely grate the zest.

Coarsely chop the white chocolate, candied orange and lemon peel and pistachios. Combine the mixture with the orange zest. Vigorously knead the dough, incorporating the pistachio mixture.

Grease a panettone tin (or a small kugelhopf tin). Transfer the dough to the tin, cover and leave to rise for about 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Bake the panettone on the middle rack for about 30 minutes.

Whisk the egg yolk into the extra milk and brush it over the cake.

Continue to bake the panettone for another 15 minutes on the lowest rack. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Dust generously with icing sugar to serve.

104 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

SAFFRON & CINNAMON RING Makes an 18cm ring

12g fresh yeast 40g butter ½ cup (125ml) milk, plus 2 tablespoons milk for brushing 1 small pinch saffron threads 25g raw sugar ¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground cardamom 1⅓ cups (200g) spelt flour, plus extra for dusting 1 egg, for glazing

CINNAMON FILLING

50g butter, at room temperature 25g raw sugar ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste grated zest of ½ orange 1 pinch salt

Crumble the yeast into a large bowl.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the milk and saffron, and heat until lukewarm. Pour the mixture over the yeast and stir until the yeast has dissolved. Stir in the sugar, salt, cardamom and flour. Knead for at least 5 minutes to make a smooth,

pliable dough. Cover the bowl and set the dough aside to rest for 60–90 minutes or until it has doubled in volume.

Meanwhile, combine all of the ingredients for the filling in a small bowl and set aside.

Lightly dust your benchtop with flour and roll out the risen dough to a 50 x 30cm rectangle. Spread the filling mixture over the dough, leaving an edge of about 1cm.

Roll the dough up from the long side. Use a sharp knife to cut the rolled-up dough in half lengthways to make two long pieces. Turn the cut surfaces up and twist the two pieces into a plait, ensuring that the cut surfaces (showing the filling) face upwards.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Transfer the plait to a baking tray lined with baking paper and shape it into a ring by connecting the two ends. Loosely cover the ring and leave it to rise again for 45 minutes. Whisk the egg and milk and brush it over the ring.

Bake until golden brown, about 18 minutes. Leave to cool a little on a wire rack.

With 24 recipes for Advent and Christmas Day, there is plenty of inspiration for family meals, tasty snacks and edible gifts for friends and loved ones.

FOOD FESTI V E TR EATS

GINGERSNAP COOKIES Makes about 50

280g plain (all-purpose) flour 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) ½ teaspoon salt 3 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground allspice ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper 225g butter, at room temperature 100g raw sugar 100g brown sugar 1 egg ⅓ cup (80 ml) molasses or dark, thick honey

Combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and spices in a bowl and set aside. Whisk the butter and sugars in another large bowl until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and molasses and mix well. Add the flour mixture and gently combine to make a smooth, very soft dough.

Tightly wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours or until firm.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line

two trays with baking paper.

Roll the dough into balls, about 2.5cm diameter. Place the balls on the trays, leaving at least 5cm between them. Bake for 10–15 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown. Remove from the oven, leaving the cookies on the trays to firm up a little, about 3–5 minutes.

Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely, then store in an airtight container.

Recipes from Festive: Recipes for Advent by Julia Stix and Eva Fischer ($24.99, Murdoch Books). Available online and at bookstores.

FLAVOURS

Puds on parade

THE BEST CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS AVAILABLE AROUND AUSTRALIA. on,

e oiled in Find out why y re award-winners! puddinglane.com.au

ABBOTSFORD CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS These luscious puddings are filled with Riverland dried fruit, Barossa Valley brandy and Coopers Extra Stout. christmaspudding.com.au

f lavours WHAT TO EAT, DRINK AND COOK THIS CHRISTMAS.

PUD FOR ALL SEASONS Karen Kelly’s plum puddings, made with her grandma’s secret recipe, are available all year round! Pair with one of her decadent sauces. pudforallseasons.com.au

SUPER SPREADS

When it’s too hot for the oven but you need to feed a crowd, it’s time to break out a snack board. Maegan Brown, aka The BakerMama, serves up 50 spreads for easy entertaining, covering celebrations like Christmas, New Year’s Eve and birthdays. There are also build-your-own options for omelettes, pizzas, smoothies and more. Spectacular Spreads by Maegan Brown ($24.99, Murdoch Books).

M ATILDA R INGROSE

WINE FOR WOMBATS

PHOTOGRAPHY NIC XXXXXXXXXXXXXX GOSSAGE STYLING XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Blend rhubarb gin with a long, cool draught of citrus tonic for a summery, festive pink drink with a zingy twist. Warner’s Rhubarb Gin, $79.99.

Visit danmurphys.com.au

DREAMTIME TUKA CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS Wiradjuri man Herb Smith’s delicious self-saucing puddings feature traditional Indigenous ingredients. dreamtimetuka.com.au

WORDS H A NNA H JA MES,

If you live on 33 hectares in the Yarra Valley, Vic, you get used to wildlife popping round every now and then. But when Matthew Davis and Brad Atkins (both left), of Steels Gate Wines, kept seeing a wombat in the daytime, they knew something was wrong – wombats are usually nocturnal. They soon realised the marsupial, which their son, Sebastian (above), named Ewok, had mange – a potentially fatal skin disease. So they contacted volunteer group Mange Management, who sent them a treatment kit. Ewok is now, thankfully, on the mend. “Helping Ewok brought us closer as a family,” says Brad. “But we wouldn’t have been able to treat his condition if it wasn’t for Mange Management. We need to do everything we can to protect our native Australian wildlife.” To thank the group, Brad and Matthew have put together a pack of their favourite wines, donating $30 from each sale to Mange Management. Ewok’s Pack, $225, steelsgate.com.au/ewoks-pack

JOINTHE GIN-AISSANCE

PICNIC CHIC

It’s picnic season, and we’re going plastic-free with Villeroy & Boch’s glass and porcelain To Go & To Stay collection. Lunch boxes, lidded mugs and drink bottles mean carrying food is a breeze; it’s all leakproof and safe for the dishwasher, microwave, freezer and oven. Visit villeroyboch.com

LOCAL FLAVOURS Sample amazing Indigenous flavours this Christmas by adding dried lemon myrtle to your baking or roasts. Bush to Bowl, an Indigenous-owned company, sells the leaves, along with bushtucker plants for your garden. A Bushfood Starter Kit consists of coastal pigface, midyim berry, saltbush, native oregano, native basil and warrigal greens. Visit bushtobowl.com CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 107

CHERRY DELIGHT

mix it up

Picking your own cherries is both a fun day out and a great way to ensure you enjoy farm-fresh produce. Cherries at Verdun is an historic family farm in the Adelaide Hills that was established in 1847, with the seventh generation of the family still working the land today. Current owners Tony and Coral Gallasch donate all their cherry-picking entry fees to the Australian BPAN Research Fund, which is developing treatments for BPAN, a rare genetic condition.

Visit cherriesatverdun.com

USE KITCHENAID’S NEW 13-CUP FOOD PROCESSOR, $499, AVAILABLE IN FIVE COLOURS AND WITH STORAGE FOR EXTRA TOOLS, TO WHIP UP THIS CHIFFON CAKE. GO TO KITCHENAID.COM.AU

CLASSIC CHIFFON CAKE WITH BASIL WHIPPED CREAM AND STRAWBERRIES

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 2 tablespoons hot water 4 large eggs, room temperature 1 cup white sugar 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 1 cup plain flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 / teaspoon fine sea salt 4 For the macerated strawberries: 3 cups ripe strawberries, trimmed 11 /2 tablespoons white sugar 11 /2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice pinch sea salt For the basil whipped cream: 2 tablespoons white sugar 8 large basil leaves 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat the oven to 180oC. Grease a 23cm cake pan with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Line the pan with buttered baking paper. Combine the remaining 3 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons hot water. Keep warm.

Break the eggs into the KitchenAid Food Pro or food processor and whip on high speed for 1 minute. Sift in the sugar and beat until the mixture is thick and pale yellow, and falls in

108 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

ribbons from the whip (8-10 minute About 5 minutes into the mixing tim slowly pour the vanilla down the side the bowl. Once the eggs are at ribbon stage, turn the mixer to low speed an add flour, baking powder, and salt.

Be careful not to over-mix the batte Remove the mixer bowl, and use a spatula to blend in any flour on the sides. Fold in butter mixture until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean (about 30 minutes). Cool on a wire rack and transfer to a cake plate. While the cake is baking, halve the strawberries and gently toss in a bowl with sugar, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Let macerate while the cake bakes. To make the whipped cream, pulse the sugar in the food processor with torn basil leaves until blended (flecks of basil are fine). Add the whipping cream and whip on medium-low speed until it begins to thicken. Increase speed to high and whip until medium stiff peaks form. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, spread the basil whipped cream over the cake, leaving a 2.5cm border. Drain berries with a slotted spoon; pile on the cake. Serve.

HEAVEN SENT

Fresh from the sparkling waters of Coffin Bay in South Australia, Pacific Oysters from Angel Seafood are justly renowned. And now you can get them delivered every month, complete with a shucking set, dressings and sides, thanks to the new Hālo Club. For December, the oyster accompaniment is champagne jelly along with citrus and berry mini baubles. Sign up at haloclub.com.au

FLAVOURS

PANTRY PERFECTION

CRAVING ONE OF THOSE SUPER-ORGANISED PANTRIES COMPLETE WITH GLEAMING SHELVES OF GLASS JARS? START WITH A STYLISH FIVE-PIECE SET FROM PULLEN & CO, OR FILL THEM WITH HOMEMADE GOODIES FOR A FABULOUS CHRISTMAS PRESENT. FROM $54.95 FOR FIVE JARS. VISIT PULLENANDCO.COM.AU

SWEET NOTHINGS With 39 flavours to choose from,

Bettenay’s soft nougat, infused with locally sourced honey from the Margaret River, makes for an excellent foodie gift – or simply keep yourself for a festive season indulgence. Visit bettenaysmargaretriver.com.au

TASTY TUCCI You’ll know him

from his appearances in foodie films Julie & Julia and Big Night, and for his turns in blockbusters The Devil Wears Prada and The Hunger Games. But actor Stanley Tucci is a confirmed gastronome, too, and this memoir recounts a life spent cooking, eating and enjoying food, from his Italian heritage to his famous perfect negroni. Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci ($45, Penguin).

PHOTOGRAPHY DIONISVERA, KATESTUDIO, STOCK.ADOBE.COM

PIZZA TO GO

ICY COOL

Hosting Christmas lunch? It’s time to upgrade that fridge.

This stylish Westinghouse model features French doors, an integrated water and ice dispenser, and a clever FlexSpace convertible drawer with five predefined temperature settings to keep food fresh.

Visit harveynorman.com.au

A smoking-hot pizza oven means classic favourites in less than 60 seconds and now you can make them in your own backyard. Gozney’s Roccbox portable pizza oven has a stone base for heat retention, a thermometer for temperature checks, retractable legs, and a silicone coated exterior that ensures it is safe to touch during cooking. From $799.

Visit au.gozney.com

FROM THE HEART If you want to bake your own gifts, which are sure to be received with joy, or simply fill your table with goodies for a special gathering, head to BakeClub for a refresher course in the most delicious of all the culinary arts. An Edible Christmas is a full-day workshop covering mince pies, granola, biscuits, panforte and more. $450 per person. Go to bakeclub.com.au

FOOD COUNTRY COOK

the results are in

IT’S OFFICIAL: PLUM PUDDING IS OUT AND PAVLOVA IS IN AT STEVE CUMPER’S CHRISTMAS TABLE.

EVERY TIME CHRISTMAS rolls around,

I mention my mother-in-law, Nancy, in my column and her benchmark plum pudding. I can assure you that this is not out of laziness nor lack of ideas for the subject, but a reverence for her mastery in the Christmas Pudding Arts.

This time around, I thought I’d start a new tradition by breaking with, er... tradition. In a recent poll I conducted among my children and their wide net of friends, I inquired about their preferred choice of Christmas dessert: traditional pud or pav?

Now, one could argue that these two options may not adequately represent all the offerings that we bring to the Christmas table. It could also be akin to ‘push-polling’ – that dark art favoured by pollies seeking a predetermined outcome.

But it is neither.

The two choices were decided through the prism of my many years of preparing Christmas lunches, both personally and professionally, in which they stood head and shoulders above any other contenders.

110 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

So, the poll result held no surprise for me, with the pavlova reigning supreme. Those who remain unconvinced of the result might clutch at the straw of the specifically younger demographic only being canvassed – but before you cry foul with Trumpian indignance, there were quite a few oldies among the crew I asked, as well.

Though I’m reluctant to admit this so publicly, I’ll do so in the name of humility: I have never had much luck in making meringues or pavlova.

It’s not that I don’t know how, it’s just one of those techniques that I assume I know and therefore don’t pay the requisite attention.

To the readers who understand the precise alchemy that sweet-making demands, this might seem like a rookie mistake. I put it in the same basket as my guitar-playing… I never seem to get past Smoke on the Water.

Having said all that, the beauty of this dessert is that the meringue does not have to be ‘Margaret Fulton perfect’. In a way, it validates my lack of meringue skill and I don’t need to strive for higher attainment.

But for you, it simply represents an achievable and delicious outcome without introspection.

When you combine favourite dishes in this way, you must be sure-footed and confident in your resolve. One wrong step and you’ll have a dessert that leans into icecream territory. I’ve mapped out the strides carefully for you to take this ‘cake walk’ with the bravado of a seasoned kitchen veteran.

It’s always been strange that we celebrate our southern hemisphere Christmas with a northern hemisphere menu. I’m sure we’ve all scratched our heads when portioning up the roast in 40- degree heat while the flies hover and the cicadas chirp. So, swapping one hot dish for an ice-cream-based one makes sense and could be one small step in recalibrating our Christmas meal to suit our clime.

Another positive for this Christmas-classic-in-the-making is that it’s so easy to assemble: just slice, decorate and serve, leaving you time to catch up with family and friends.

Merry Christmas to all.

PHOTOCHEF DIXIE ELLIOTT

PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN PAUL UR IZA R ST YLING MICHELE CR A NSTON

CHRISTMAS PAVLOVA Serves 6-8

5 egg whites ½ teaspoon salt 1½ cups caster sugar ½ teaspoon cream of tartar 1 punnet ripe strawberries 1 cup brandy ½ cup caster sugar 1 litre premium vanilla ice-cream petals from 2 roses 6 passionfruit juice of 2 lemons 500g caster sugar 1 mango

Preheat oven to 120OC. Make the meringue: using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites and salt in a bowl until very stiff peaks form. Reduce the speed of the

mixer and add the 1½ cups of sugar in a slow, steady stream until combined.

Stop mixer and scrape the sides down, then add the cream of tartar and whisk at high speed for one minute.

Spoon meringue onto a tray lined with baking paper and smooth out evenly in a sheet. Bake for 1½ hours, then turn oven off and let meringue cool completely. Reserve for later.

Slice the strawberries into rounds.

Mix the brandy and ½ cup of sugar together in a bowl; add the strawberries to macerate for 1 hour.

Drain well and reserve.

Line a 20cm round cake tin or bread tin with plastic wrap.

Turn the ice-cream out into a large bowl. Break it up with your hands (food gloves are a good idea). Add the strawberries and petals, then

add shards of crumbled meringue to the mix. Gently combine everything before returning to your lined mould.

Freeze immediately until needed.

To make the two coulis: scoop the passionfruit pulp into a saucepan; add juice of 1 lemon and 250g sugar and bring to the boil. Let cool, then chill in the fridge before use.

Chop the peeled mango pieces and place in a saucepan with the remaining lemon juice and 250g sugar. Bring to the boil, then blitz to a smooth puree with a stick blender or processor. Let cool; chill before use.

To serve, decorate your plate with the two coulis in an old-school Yin and Yang pattern. Cut a 3cm thick piece (if from bread tin) or 5cm wedge (if from a cake tin) of ice-cream slice and place it in the centre.

a Christmas legacy

THOUGH SHE NEVER KNEW HER GRANDMOTHER, MICHELLE MOFFITT’S FESTIVE MENU FEATURES HER TRADITIONAL DATE PUDDING. WORDS A LICE MOFFITT PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN PAUL UR IZA R ST YLING MICHELE CR A NSTON

MICHELLE MOFFITT LIVES on a 1400-hectare property near

Bega in southern NSW. She grew up just across the river on a dairy farm, and for as long as she can remember, a traditional boiled date pudding was served at the end of Christmas lunch. The recipe originally came from her paternal grandmother, Emily Anastasia Rheinberger.

The brandy custard recipe was discovered by Michelle’s mum, Marjorie Rheinberger, at a field day in Orange many years ago and is the perfect accompaniment.

In a family of seven kids, Michelle, 63, says Christmas was always chaotic growing up. “Mum had to make a few puddings, three or four at least. We always had extras at holiday time, so there were plenty to feed! My dad would bump her elbow when she was adding the brandy to the custard. My sisters and I loved making colourful paper chains to decorate the dining room, and Mum would send one of us up to the dairy to get a jug of cream from the top of our Jersey’s milk to make the custard for the trifle,” she recalls.

Although her nana died before she was born, Michelle remembers her grandfather, Charles, well. “Pop, as well as two of his sisters, lived with us and he died when I was 10, so I have lots of fond memories of him,” she says.

“Their father arrived in Australia by boat from Germany as a 15-year-old with his family, who had answered the call of local farming enterprise Kameruka – ironically the

same farm my husband and I own today – for experienced dairy farmers and cheesemakers.

“My nana was a music teacher who had moved to the area from Wollongong. Charles and Emily were married in 1920. They lost a son at birth before my dad Noel, their only child, was born in 1923 when my nana was 38 – considered very old for those days. The European heritage of my pop and my dad was obvious – they were both very reserved, quiet gentlemen with high standards and a love of good food.”

Suet (fat from around a cow or lamb’s kidneys) is used instead of butter or lard in the pudding. “It creates an interesting smell when it’s being cooked. You’ll need to pre-order it from your local butcher – if you ask really nicely, they might put it through the mincer for you,” says Michelle. “Otherwise, chop it as fine as you can when it’s cold out of the freezer and make sure there’s no meat left on it.”

This pudding is now enjoyed by the fourth and fifth generations of the Rheinberger family. “It’s very much part of our Christmas tradition,” Michelle says. “My sisters make it every year and my kids love it as well – my son has even experimented with a gluten-free version.

Christmas Day, in our big family, is still wonderfully chaotic, so I look forward to eating a slice for breakfast on Boxing Day morning, when things are a bit quieter.”

HEIR LOOM FOOD Michelle (inset, near left) cherishes her grandmother Emily’s (far left, with baby Noel) traditional pudding recipe.

CHRISTMAS PUDDING Serves 10

PHOTOCHEF DIXIE ELLIOTT

225g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 225g self-raising flour 455g dates, chopped 225g suet 340g brown sugar ½ teaspoon bicarb soda 1½ cups milk 4 tablespoons rum (or to taste) ½ teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon mixed spice

Place a large boiler of water on the stove and bring to the boil.

Put all pudding ingredients in a bowl and mix together well by hand.

Take a calico pudding cloth (at least 80cm square) and wet it very well – it has to be wet enough that the flour will stick to it. Find the middle of the cloth and position it in the centre of a large mixing bowl, draping the rest of the cloth out over the sides. Evenly flour the cloth that’s inside the bowl – this creates the ‘skin’ of the pudding.

Put the pudding mixture inside the cloth in the bowl and lightly flour the top of the mixture. Starting with the four corners, gather up the cloth into your hand, holding it above the bowl, pulling it up evenly so that every fold gets tied off so no water gets in.

Using an old shoelace or length of baker’s string, tie a very tight bow around the calico (this will be easier to undo when it’s cooked and hot), making sure you leave a gap of about three centimetres between the top of the pudding and where you tie it off to allow for the pudding to expand.

Fill the top of the tie with about a teaspoon of flour, then tie off again very tightly about one centimetre above the first tie. This will make sure no water gets in, which would ruin your pudding.

Put the pudding into the boiler of water and simmer for 3 hours.

Make sure it’s always simmering and fully covered with water. If the water level drops, fill with boiled water from the kettle.

Take the pudding out and place in a colander somewhere cool to dry.

TIP You can make the pudding a week ahead. Store in a cool, dry place.

Before serving, place the pudding back in a large boiler of boiling water and simmer for 1 hour. Then take it out and place in a colander; undo the ties, then peel the top of the cloth open very gently. Invert pudding onto a large plate and slowly peel the rest of the cloth away.

Top pudding with a sprig of holly and serve with brandy custard.

BRANDY CUSTARD

Double the amount if you like a generous serving of custard!

2 level tablespoons plain flour 2 level tablespoons caster sugar 2 level tablespoons butter 1 level tablespoon golden syrup 285ml milk pinch of salt 1 /3 cup whipped cream ¼ cup brandy (or to taste)

Combine the flour, sugar, butter, golden syrup, milk and salt in a large, microwave-proof bowl. Mix well, so there are no lumps. Cook on high for 5 minutes, then stir. Continue to add 5 minutes to the cooking time, until your custard is thick enough that the spoon stands up in it.

Allow to cool, then gently fold in the cream and brandy just before serving.

CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 113

REGIONAL SHOPPING GUIDE

T H E JOY OF GI V I NG

FOR UNIQUE, MEANINGFUL CHRISTMAS GIFTS TAILORED TO YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS, LOOK NO FURTHER THAN THESE CHARMING REGIONAL STORES. WOR DS ABBY PFAHL

Merchant Campbell stocks high-quality homewares, gifts and more. FACING PAGE, FROM LEFT Merchant Campbell furniture and vases; the luxurious interior at Parlour J Health & Beauty.

PHOTOGRAPHY CAMILLA DUFFY, ABBIE MELLÉ

NEW SOUTH WALES Merchant Campbell

Regular readers of Country Style will know Merchant Campbell is our mecca for all things fabulous for the home. Owner Margot Shannon is renowned for her ability to source unique pieces from all over the world and style them through the lens of her Australian country life.

Furniture, quilts, jewellery, linen, ceramics and more are ethically bought from trusted friends and makers in Thailand, Indonesia, India, Morocco and Vietnam, as well as from regional New South Wales. At the time of press, three containers full of handmade timber and rattan furniture, marble, soft furnishings, garden pieces and pottery, are wending their way to her Yass emporium for the festive season.

“Christmas is huge in our shop,” says Margot. “We love to celebrate with the store decked out in our beautiful decorations. Last year, we had late-night shopping events with a Bollywood dancer, which lent a fun, festive feeling to the evenings.”

As well as gifts, customers love Merchant Campbell’s extra-special decorations. “We have beautiful handpainted papier-mâché decorations made for us from Kashmir, and lovely seashell stars and wreaths from Bali – we really treasure being able to work with and support these artisans, who have suffered so much from the decimation of COVID and the loss of tourism in their countries,” Margot explains.

The team has been busy putting more stock on the website this year, thanks to weeks spent in lockdown.

“We ship just about everywhere – we’ve sent so many pieces to Adelaide, Lord Howe Island, Bourke, Central West Queensland and beyond, plus we have more furniture online now, too,” says Margot. Shop in store or online to enjoy complimentary gift wrapping.

287 Comur St, Yass, (02) 6226 1240; merchantcampbell.com.au, @merchantcampbell

Parlour J Health & Beauty

Self-care is a concept we all became familiar with during lockdown. Be it a walk around the block, a DIY hair treatment or a solo swim, ‘me time’ was more valuable than ever. This Christmas, we’re tipping a shift toward experiential gifts that nurture your favourite people, and you’ll find many at Parlour J. Opened in 2020 in the village of Jugiong by Emma and Angus Graham (the creative pair behind architectural salvage store Woodstock Resources), it’s no surprise this wellness space feels ultra-luxurious. The reclaimed oak beams and terracotta tiles ground each room, bringing a sense of history and tranquillity to the spa. But it is Emma’s eye for high-performance products – both innovative and natural – that has loyal customers returning.

“Our clients love the Clearlight infrared sauna,” she says. “It detoxifies, increases the metabolism, and stimulates the immune and lymphatic systems.”

Clients are also travelling for Dazzle Dry, which Emma tells us is “a nail polish that delivers long-wearing results, like a gel or shellac, but without the UV lights or harsh chemicals.” Best of all? “It dries in five minutes, tops!” she adds.

Along with the on-trend offerings, there’s plenty of country hospitality at Parlour J. Experienced staff will happily tailor skincare regimens, or leave customers to browse the collection of CosMedix products, Jane Iredale make-up, JS Health supplements, Al.ive Body gift sets and Three Warriors organic tan.

Gift vouchers for massages and facials come beautifully packaged, or for those needing some pre-Christmas pampering, there’s lots to choose from.

“It’s a hive of activity here as we head into Christmas,” says Emma. “It’s our busiest – and most fun – time of the year. Brow shaping and tinting, waxing, spray tans and nails become our most popular treatments as we all prepare for the festive season.”

It’s easy to book and shop online via the website – and it’s wise to do so early for weekends, when neighbouring luxury accommodation direct their guests here, too.

Shop 2, 3619 Jugiong Rd, Jugiong, 0408 745 234; parlourj.com.au, @parlourj.beauty >

CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 115

REGIONAL SHOPPING GUIDE Find eco-friendly gifts at The Little Store.

FACING PAGE, FROM LEFT The Little Store has made a big impact with locals; a beautiful morganite and diamond ring designed by Carol Schefe at Coomber Bros Jewellers, along with a stunning custom-made engagement ring.

PHOTOGRAPHY BULB CREATIVE, CAROL SCHEFE

QUEENSLAND The Little Store

Housed in a chic converted shipping container tucked under a shady tree in the lush Currumbin Valley, The Little Store is a delightful find. Grab a coffee at neighbouring cafe Pasture & Co, then wander onto the shop’s deck, where you might spy kangaroos nibbling the surrounding grasses.

Inside, carols are playing and there’s lots to browse on the flawlessly arranged timber shelves. Natural brushware and sustainable toys sit alongside interesting books and handspun Japanese towels – there’s a gift for everyone on your list.

Store owner Tatiana Neumuller says she’ll be wrapping up plenty of Mindful & Co children’s yoga flash cards this year, as well as The Beach People bucket sets, Incausa incense and the ever-popular recipe book Village for Mama by Leila Armour.

Known locally as ‘the little store with a big heart’, the shop hosts a free weekly event that has been running for four years – Story and Craft Time brings locals together through play, reading, movement and song, with some Christmas-themed activities planned during the festive season.

Indicative of her generous spirit, Tatiana offers free wrapping, and dehydrates local orange slices to tie onto each gift. “They smell amazing and add that special festive touch to presents,” she says.

You can shop The Little Store’s range online, too. Keep an eye out for cute Advent calendars, and organic cotton Christmas stockings in earthy colours like dove-grey and mustard.

2 Village Way, Currumbin Valley; thelittlestore.com.au, @thelittlestore_

Coomber Bros Jewellers

In the heart of outback Queensland is a jewellery shop that’s more than 100 years old. For the last 15 of those, husband and wife team Carol and Gary Schefe have been at the helm of the Roma icon. “We’re both from a rural background,” says Carol, “and we’ve built the business up to what it is today.”

Coomber Bros Jewellers stocks a large range of rings, earrings and necklaces, as well as giftware. They also offer a bespoke service, making engagement rings and other pieces for clients, sending them as far north as Darwin, west to Perth, down to Tasmania and to the east coast.

“We travel the world to hand-select diamonds in Antwerp, as well as attend jewellery fairs in the US, Hong Kong and Thailand,” says Carol.

The Schefes have added their own touch to the historic business by introducing horse and cattle brand jewellery. This allows customers to bring to life their station’s unique mark in the form of signet rings, hatpins, cufflinks and more.

The personalised jewellery is a very popular present for family members and loyal workers. “A brand is a family heirloom that gets passed down through the generations – it’s the equivalent to an Englishman family crest,” Carol explains.

78 McDowall St, Roma, 0746 221 145; coomberbros.com.au, @coomberbrosjewellers

TASMANIA Black Swan Bookshop

Books… there’s bound to be at least one wrapped up under every tree this year, and for good reason! Boxing Day and beyond is the ultimate time to deep-dive into a beach read or savour the pages of your new coffee-table candy. Up there with the joy of receiving books for Christmas is >

“We’re both from a rural background and we’ve built the business up to what it is today.”

CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 117

REGIONAL SHOPPING GUIDE

CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT With a coffee in hand, visitors to Black Swan Bookshop can happily browse the shelves; Red Hill House offers beautiful homewares made by local artisans; cleverly crafted games are popular at Wild Woodland Toys.

118 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

SOUTH AUSTRALIA Wild Woodland Toys

Leading up to Christmas, the staff at Wild Woodland Toys, in the town of Kapunda, busily wrap presents, pack online orders, and make room for new books and games on the shelves. And while colour is everywhere, there is very little plastic; no flashing lights, singing cars or talking teddies.

Owner Amanda Keller believes in toys that rely totally on the child to get their imagination going – and they’re mostly made of wood. “I like to choose sustainable wooden toys which inspire a child’s imagination,” she explains. “They must be of superior quality and craftsmanship, ethically sourced and, above all, exceed the high safety standards we have here in Australia.”

Amanda also lists simple packaging and no need for batteries as benefits of her thoughtful range – parents will know that’s a gift in itself on Christmas morning! Her passion for quality toys began early. “I was always scouring op shops for old wooden toys and marvelling at the sensory feel of the smooth, worn wood,” she says.

What began as a market stall 10 years ago moved to an online business, then a bricks-and-mortar store. Locals feel lucky that they don’t have to travel far for unique gifts for the little people in their lives, and the rest of us can order via the website.

72 Main St, Kapunda, 0408 763 341; wildwoodlandtoys.com.au, @wildwoodland

VICTORIA Red Hill House

An hour from Melbourne, nestled amid the Mornington Peninsula’s finest wineries, is the lovely locality of Red Hill. It’s here that Josie Achermann runs Red Hill House.

Like walking into a big country kitchen, her store is filled with earthy ceramics and glassware, butter dishes, enamelware, practical brushes, bundles of linen tea towels and jars of wooden spoons.

Josie has an eye for traditional and useful homewares – think rustic timber stools and side tables, gingham cushions in neutral tones, sturdy firewood baskets and rubber boots for the garden. Of her business, she says: “The focus is to support local artisans who create beautiful things with meaning and purpose, like hand-forged fire pokers, pottery, timber boards and coat racks, olive skincare products and fine merino wool knitwear.”

There’s something for everyone, plus a cute range of cards to attach to your Christmas gifts 169 Shoreham Rd, Red Hill South, (03) 5931 0225; redhillhouse.com.au, @red_hill_house

PHOTOGRAPHY KATE DONNELLY, ALEXANDER OKENYO, AMANDA KELLER

shopping for them at an independent bookseller. Case in point is the glorious Black Swan Bookshop, in the quiet rural village of New Norfolk – just 35 minutes from Hobart along the River Derwent.

The store is the creation of Alexander Okenyo, professional artist, co-chair of Derwent Valley Arts, and bookseller of 19 years.

Inside, the custom floor-to-ceiling bookshelves make each cover look like a work of art, and the all-white interior is offset by parquetry floors made from reclaimed Tasmanian oak.

Alexander says that putting up the Christmas tree in the centre of the store is a family affair. “Baubled and lit, the shop shifts up a gear as the weather warms, the concertina windows are opened wide, the space is filled with light and music, and Christmas shopping begins!” he says.

At a shop like this, with such an experienced owner as your guide, the hard work is done for you in terms of selecting gifts. Choose from the best art, architecture, interior design, garden design and cooking titles, plus fiction books in their best editions.

This year, Alexander recommends Sarah Andrews’s Principles of Style, or the latest offering from Phaidon cookbooks paired with a perfectly aged Lubiana Chardonnay (also available in store). Did we mention there’s a coffee machine here, too?

Happy shopping!

11 Stephen St, New Norfolk, 0459 279 011; @black_swan_tasmania

G RE AT E SCAPE S SPEND CHRISTMAS AT A LUXURIOUS HOLIDAY HOME IN THE COUNTRY. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES, KY LIE IMESON

STAYS

PHOTOGRAPHY MARNIE HAWSON

The four-poster king-size bed in the main bedroom at Farmhouse on Oxley in the NSW Mid North Coast.

FACING PAGE One of the Highland cows wanders past the window at Five Acres on Phillip Island.

CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 121

STAYS

FIVE ACRES

P H I L L I P I S L A N D, V I C

When it comes to lockdown projects, Rom and Katie Lamaro are over-achievers.

During regional Victoria’s lockdown this year, they conjured up three retreats out of a once-bare paddock on their Phillip Island farm. They built the luxury cabins, fitted them out, crafted much of their furniture and created beautiful landscaping for them to sit in. The wooden cabins are perfectly rustic on the outside, as befits the farm location and ocean views, but perfectly luxe inside, thanks to interior design by Belle Bright. “It was important to try to mirror the tones found in nature to give a sense of calm,” says Katie, so the cabins are decked in muted, earthy shades, with wood-burning fireplaces, pristine timberwork and top-quality finishes.

For more, go to fiveacres.com.au

122 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Guests enjoy breakfast on the deck at Farmhouse on Oxley; the property has its own jetty; a reading nook in the main bedroom; the open-plan living and dining area has a wood heater and comfy sofa.

FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT The bathrooms at Five Acres contrast natural timber and sleek concrete; huge windows let the light in; a cute Highland cow; sweet dreams.

FARMHOUSE ON OXLEY

PHOTOGRAPHY MARNIE HAWSON

OX L E Y I S L A N D, N S W

Sitting on the double swinging chairs that hang on the wide front verandah, watching the horses graze in the paddocks as the sun sets, is just one of the simple pleasures you can enjoy at Farmhouse on Oxley. Another is sipping tea on the back deck as the morning mist lifted from the Manning River, before heading off for a canoe. Despite these outdoor temptations, it is hard to pull yourself away from the house as there are beautiful artefacts, books, games and antiques to look at on every shelf, side table and bench. This attention to detail is thanks to owner Sherinah Peck, who says, “I haven’t followed today’s trends, but rather I’ve chosen a sense of warmth and homeliness.” Sleeping up to 16 people, this sprawling farmhouse is the perfect place for a Christmas holiday – the Belling dual-fuel oven is up to the task. There is a gym with a ping-pong table, fire pit, Weber barbecue, bunk room, twin outdoor baths and a standalone granny flat. Sherinah leaves a gift for every child who stays, and for the adults there are the makings of classic cocktail and essential provisions, including a cheese platter. Old Bar beach is just down the road – that’s if you can pull yourself away from the farmhouse. For more details and bookings, go to farmhouseonoxley.com.au >

STAYS

THE BLACKWOOD SASSAFRAS

SASSAFRAS, VIC

Located in the grounds of owner Justin Bishop’s grand Edwardian home, which dates from 1910, the Blackwood Sassafras is – against all appearances – a new build. Interior designer Justin and his lighting-designer partner, Guy Reeves, were determined to mirror the style of the main house, which they have painstakingly restored to its glory days. “It was very important that we retained the same look and feel,” Justin says. “It has the look of a London or a New York apartment from the Edwardian era and could pass as being built with the property’s nearby original house in 1910.” It’s a restful haven, with restrained but luxurious design, adds Justin. “I wanted a neutral palette with woody tones to create a subtle masculine atmosphere, with decorative highlights in cut glass and thoughtfully selected vintage pieces.”

For more details and bookings, go to theblackwoodsassafras.com.au

124 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

PHOTOGRAPHY ALEX REINDERS STYLING JUSTIN BISHOP

CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT White walls, dark floors and classic furniture are elevated with elegant antiques; relax on the leafy verandah; vintage details make it the perfect gentleman’s retreat.

21 years of delivering Inspiring Homes with Heart

SPECIAL BIRTHDAY ISSUE ON SALE NOW

FASHION

HAYLEY PRIEST AND SHARON VAN DER KRUIK CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS IN CLASSIC, COMFORTABLE OUTFITS WITH A TWIST. PHOTOGRAPHY BR IGID A R NOTT, M A R NIE H AWSON ST YLING JODIE GIBBONS, BELLE HEMMING

Sharon takes a stroll with her spoodle, Maggie. FACING PAGE Hayley holds a festive wreath by Rebecca Syphers of florist Porter & Hudson.

CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 127

FASHION

HAYLEY PRIEST CREATIVE FREELANCER AND DESIGNER, 39

Hayley lives in an off-grid, black barn-style house in Fitzroy Falls, NSW, with her partner and their many pets.

FROM TOP Hayley with her quarter horse Arnie; festive table settings feature ceramic bells by Ilona Glastonbury of Otti Made; Hegi Design House bedside table holds fresh roses and Hayley’s favourite products.

What do you love about living in the country?

The connection to land and season: riding my horses to the backdrop of paddocks full of curious cows; hunting for mushrooms in winter; the spoils of our vegie garden in spring. I lived in Hong Kong when I was younger, but have always craved the open space and calmness of the country.

How would you describe your style?

Black, with a hint of equestrian. I love marrying timeless pieces with everyday items. Things look best when they have miles on them. Boots need scuffs; they need to tell a story of how you live. Bags need to be useful; they need to hold a beautiful pen and amazing perfume, while sharing the space with measuring tapes and horse treats.

Are you interested in fashion?

I like brands that tell a story and wear better with age.

What’s the best style advice you’ve ever received?

“Buy well, buy once.”

What are your wardrobe essentials?

Black jeans, a great pair of boots and beautiful perfume.

What are your favourite clothing labels?

Ralph Lauren, R.M. Williams, Ksubi and Country Road.

Where do you shop for clothing and accessories?

I wear timeless staples, mixed with some of my favourite items found in tiny stores when I’ve travelled overseas.

What are your essential beauty products?

I like La Mer Moisturising Cream.

Do you have a favourite fragrance?

Le Labo Rose 31. I also like Tom Ford Oud Fleur.

Do you have any favourite accessories?

My R.M. Williams custom Adelaide black crocodile boots.

How do you keep a balanced life?

Exercising outdoors and walking cavoodle Max (with Turkish the cat usually following us). Riding and spending time with my horses grounds me. They are so intuitive.

What are you reading/listening to/watching?

I’m reading Alexis Fernandez’s Be Bold, and I listen to French radio stations featuring bistro music or jazz.

Where are your favourite local spots to eat?

Moonacres Kitchen at Robertson, and Ms Pho in Bowral.

Where do you shop for Christmas presents?

Dirty Janes antique market in Bowral and Canberra; The Bookshop Bowral; and Joadja Distillery.

What will you be wearing on Christmas Day? A comfortable outfit to accommodate the eating festival!

What is your favourite thing to do at Christmas?

Foraging for pine cones on our property; designing an Advent calendar; making a fresh Christmas wreath and drinking a glass of champagne for breakfast while unwrapping presents!

To see more of Hayley’s stunning home, turn to page 28.

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lasting comfort

HAYLEY LIKES CLASSIC BRANDS AND GARMENTS THAT AGE WELL.

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PRODUCED BY K ATE LINCOLN

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1 Sleeper Atlanta off-the-shoulder shirred linen midi dress in Navy, $383.36, from Net-A-Porter. 2 Calloway Ash hat, $129, from Will & Bear. 3 FollowMe table lamp from Est Lighting. 4 Retreat hammered wine glasses in Grey, $83 (set of 6), from Amara.

5 Nudie Breezy Britt jeans in Black, $239, from The Iconic. 6 Officine Universelle Buly alabaster porcelain box, $43, from Mecca.

7 Adelaide Yearling leather boots in Dark Tan, $595, from R.M. Williams. 8 The Large Bellport bag in Black Crocodile, $1329, from Ralph Lauren. 9 Le Labo Jasmin 17 fragrance, $406 (100ml), from Mecca. 10 Linen Forest duvet cover set, $195, from Cultiver.

11 Joy Sundance denim shirt, $189.90, from Outland Denim.

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SHARON VAN DER KRUIK FOUNDER OF FAMILY FOUNDED, 56

Sharon lives in a Californian bungalow in Geelong West, Vic, with her husband, Rob, and their spoodle, Maggie.

FROM TOP Blooms from the garden; hand-painted Christmas gift tags; vintage candle holders are a favourite for Sharon and her customers. FACING PAGE Sharon adds some festive touches to her vintage wares.

130 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

What do you love about where you live?

We’ve lived in Geelong West for 34 years. We’re near the bay, where I walk every morning. Although it’s a bustling little town, it never feels congested.

How would you describe your style?

Relaxed silhouettes with a focus on detailing.

Who are your style influences?

One French label I adore is Sézane.

What’s the best style advice you’ve ever received?

I read French Women Don’t Get Facelifts by Mireille Guiliano and a quote she wrote from her mother is one I will always remember: “bien dans sa peau”. It translates to “well in one’s skin – content or at ease with oneself”.

What are your wardrobe essentials?

High-waisted pants in lightweight denim or linen that I make myself. A linen or cotton shirt – always with a special detail such as shell buttons, a small frill, delicate pintucks or cuff detail (I call it “a bit of spice on top”).

What are your favourite clothing labels?

I like Morrison as their philosophy is true to my style: “relaxed silhouettes with a focus on beautiful detailing and luxurious natural fabrics”.

What are your essential beauty products?

Go-to Face Hero, YSL Touche Éclat Radiant Touch, and Dior Forever Skin Glow Foundation.

Do you have a favourite fragrance?

Coco Chanel, and Mizensir Ideal Oud. Do you have any favourite accessories?

My pearl earrings, given to me by my dad when I was 18.

What helps you keep a balanced life?

My morning walk on the bay, my 11am coffee, and yoga.

What are you reading/listening to/watching?

I’m reading Recipe for a Kinder Life by Annie Smithers, and Petersham Nurseries by The Boglione Family. We have a vintage turntable and my favourite albums are by Corinne Bailey Rae and Frank Sinatra. At Christmas, A Pentatonix Christmas by Pentatonix is truly magical.

Where are your favourite local spots to eat?

We love Le Fournil French Bakery, which isn’t far from our home. Sunday is always “French pastry day”.

Where do you shop for Christmas presents?

We love to give gifts that we have made or buy something vintage and restore it. Often, it’s a piece of furniture we gift each of our children. I also make baskets for them with homemade preserves, cakes, biscuits and a panforte.

What is your favourite thing to do at Christmas?

I love it when all the family comes to stay and the house is full – it’s chaos but the kind I adore. The backyard is full of tents, and no-one has anywhere else to go.

For more on Sharon’s life and home, turn to page 50.

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relaxed style

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SHARON OPTS FOR COMFORT, QUALITY AND A TOUCH OF FLAIR. PRODUCED BY SA FFRON SY LV ESTER

1 Palm Trees & Pioneers antique photographic print, $265, from Vintage Art Emporium. 2 Mac Olive stripe dress, $289, from Morrison. 3 Linen puff sleeve shirt, $89.99, from Ceres Life.

4 Crosley Voyager bluetooth portable turntable in Sage, $189, from Harvey Norman. 5 Rio Branco sneakers, $189, from Veja. 6 Seville rustic ratt an armchair, $379, from Temple & Webster. 7 Bett y Basics raffia slide, $39.95, from Birdsnest. 8 Recipe for a Kinder Life by Annie Smithers book, $26.90, from Booktopia. 9 Pachino Cane round storage basket, $69.95, from Temple & Webster.

10 Etro Eucalypt round cushion, $90, from L&M Home. 11 Odile pant in linen, $295, from Worn Store. 12 Freshwater pearl 7mm stud earrings, $39.95, from Coomber Bros Jewellers.

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SCENT OF A MODERN MAN

THIS CHRISTMAS, SPOIL THE MEN IN YOUR LIFE WITH AN EDGY FRAGRANCE, OR A HYBRID THAT DELIVERS SKINCARE WITH SCENT. WORDS TR ACEY W ITHERS

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, the idea

that a smell can be something ‘for him’ or ‘for her’ has always been absurd.

And truth is, it’s never really been what makes perfumers tick.

“Perfume begins with ingredients from nature, from the world, with touching the memory of a moment or a place – it doesn’t start with gender,” says Dimitri Weber, the FrenchBelgian creator behind Australian luxury perfume house Goldfield and Banks.

“It used to be you’d go to a perfumer and have a fragrance custom-made from whichever ingredients you liked – it was only with the industrial revolution, when bottles could be made in mass numbers, that marketing some scents to men and others to women began.”

Genderless fragrances have, of course, been a thing since you, your boyfriend and his sister all wore CK One back in the day. Boutique brands have also been big on it. Aēsop is just one that has always ignored lines between men and women with scents inside apothecary-style flacons. Its gorgeous new Othertopias collection of eau de parfums wants only to tell stories in scent: warm and woody Miraceti snapshots a boat battling a savage sea; salty and aromatic Karst conjures a craggy shoreline; Erémia imagines the future, when moss and

134 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

wildflowers have reclaimed a concrete jungle. That certainly gives everyone something to think about.

But what about men who want something bottled specifically for them? At a time when we are shrugging off stale stereotypes and rethinking how being a man looks and sounds, what could masculinity smell like? Short answer: whatever you like, mate.

Dimitri reckons Australian men are ready to explore. “We get a lot of requests from men who really want to know about longevity, how a perfume is going to project from their skin, and what ingredients will smell like together,” he says. “They’re curious.”

Scent-makers have begun bottling a bouquet of flowers and previously ‘feminised’ notes in compositions aimed squarely at blokes. This year, the luxury house of Hermès released Hermès H24 EDT, its first fragrance for men in 15 years, calling it “delicate” and “a fragrance beyond the lines”, wrapping velvety clary sage, narcissus flower and fresh rosewood around the smell of hot metal.

Yves Saint Laurent also relaunched its iconic Y fragrance with an intensified Y Le Parfum – its sparkly opening of green apple, sage and mint giving over to notes like cedarwood heart, which YSL invented to bring out the softer, more sensorial character

of woods and flowers. It’s for a man who loves a tux but less… uptight.

The man wearing Goldfield and Banks’s sublime Silky Woods perfume is harder to pin down. Native agar smells of a rainforest camp fire while sweetish suede and tobacco smoulder into lush ylang ylang and vanilla. He’s the man who wears a neat collar into town, but his R.M. Williams boots are still dusty. He’s also the guy as at-home on a bushwalk as in a museum of contemporary art. If this is manliness, it’s easygoing and unselfconscious.

Not sure what suits your husband, father, son or brother? He can have his very own signature scent. At Jo Malone London, it is part of Sarah-Louise Jacob’s job to help first-timers through the art of fragrance combining.

“We can show you how to layer one fragrance over another to create something fresher or deeper and warmer,” Sarah-Louise says. Just start with a note you know and decide where you want it to go. “Men are often comfortable starting with a woody fragrance,” she suggests. “To amplify it, adding an ‘oud’ fragrance would be lovely; for a lift, adding bright fruit notes would bring freshness.”

Match-ups like Jo Malone London’s earthy Cypress and Grapevine Cologne Intense with deliciously juicy English Pear and Freesia Cologne are delightfully classic. “Put the strongest

PHOTOGRAPHY ALANA LANDSBERRY STYLING CORINA KOCH

scent on first, spritz the lighter over the top,” Sarah-Louise says. Sticking to one brand and composition – say, cologne on cologne – makes combining easiest but it’s just fragrance, she says – just let him have a crack.

Mark McDonald, founder of Gentleman + Son, says: “I think that for a long time, men’s interest in scent and expressing themselves through grooming has been underestimated.”

He started his online barber shop “to give modern men, wherever they are in Australia, access to international and niche local brands in a place where they will feel in their element”.

So, what are gents searching for?

Elegant functionality. Tiny tins of solid perfume balm to put in a gym kit or pocket and Milkman After Shave Serum that fuses no-hassle skincare with contemporary scent are winners. “Beard-care shampoos and conditioners or serums that smell like chocolate also tick all the boxes,” says Mark.

The site’s blog posts how-to information and explainers to help men explore new stuff, as well as content from a mental health expert on things that matter to men these days. “We don’t have to buy into any old ideas about what being a man, or a gentleman, is anymore,” Mark says.

Let’s hear that for the boys.

Yves Saint Laurent Y Le Parfum EDP, $190 (100ml); Stag Supply Dark Chocolate Beard Oil (limited edition), $26 (25ml), from Gentleman + Son; for a bespoke scent, layer Jo Malone London Cypress and Grapevine Cologne Intense, $190 (50ml, not pictured) under Jo Malone London English Pear and Freesia Cologne, $145 (50ml); Milkman After Shave Serum Spring Rider!, $39 (100ml), from Gentleman + Son; Goldfield and Banks Silky Woods (concentrated perfume), $299 (100ml); Aēsop Karst Eau de Parfum, $220 (50ml).

Star Christmas decoration in Bronze, $3, from Target; Nessy ribbon in Silver & White, $9.95 (10m roll), from Provincial Home Living.

BOOK CLUB FOR THE PERSON WHO HAS EVERYTHING, A NEW BOOK IS THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT. REVIEWS ANNABEL LAWSON

FEATURE, I’ve invented recipients.

Sue and Dermot manage a stud farm.

Their son, Todd, is at uni, hoping to end up in Silicon Valley, while his sister, Rowena, has won a scholarship to study biology in Switzerland. Sue’s parents, Grace and Rory, are retired and enjoying domestic life. Sue’s boss, Verity, reads only one book a year, so it has to be life-changing. On a farm nearby are four-year-old twins Lauren and Humphrey. Sue’s best friend Nazreen, a keen reader, is coming for Christmas. Finally, Dermot’s mum, Maeve, has a broken femur and needs something visually transporting…

DERMOT

HARLEM SHUFFLE Colson Whitehead, Fleet, $32.99 No wonder he’s a Pulitzer Prizewinner. This is Whitehead’s 10th novel. His Harlem furniture dealer, Ray Carney, is an honest, kindly soul.

But he has a cousin, Freddie, who attracts trouble. The youngster has a priceless necklace in his battered briefcase which unleashes the wrath of the boltcutter brigade and beyond.

The robbed owner, too, is in a position to – erm – exert pressure.

He’s only the scion of a family that came over with the Mayflower – as posh as you can get in New York society. But then, it gets worse. Oh, so much worse.

NAZREEN

THE YOUNGER WIFE Sally Hepworth , Macmillan, $32.99 Stephen Aston, Sydney’s leading cardiac surgeon, is about to host a very nice luncheon. He has arranged to introduce his two adult daughters, beautiful Rachel and maternal Tully, to his bride-to-be,

Heather. She’s the same age as the girls.

Stephen, bless him, is sanguine.

What could possibly go wrong? But before the meal is over, Tully has already committed a felony towards Heather. It’s only the beginning.

Each woman has her Achilles heel.

Hepworth always manages to give us a dollop of luxury in her fast-paced novels, while at the same time, nudging us to recognise outrage that is taking place right under our noses.

RORY

GARDEN LIKE A NONNO Jaclyn Crupi, Affirm, $24.99 Everything about this book is a delight: the way it sits in the hand; the feel of the cover; and Felicita Sala’s magnificent illustrations – I’m not surprised she made the New York Times’s 10 best book illustrators list in 2018.

Soil, Seeds, and Seasonal Plan are the first three chapters, followed

by Tools, Hens, and How to Cook

What You’ve Grown. Crupi’s two grandfathers, Vincenzo and Michele, dominate the narrative. With so many beloved nonnos cooped up away from the tribe in past months, this manual is especially comforting right now.

SUE

WORK. LOVE. BODY. Edited by Helen McCabe & Jamila Rizvi, Hachette, $32.99 The pandemic’s impact on women has been massive. McCabe and Rizvi commissioned three think-pieces about women’s lives today. Jane Gilmore, a single mother, contributes a feast of facts about paid and unpaid work via individual case histories.

The pay gap between what men and women earn in a lifetime is 45 per cent – an appendix at the back of the book shows the calculations.

However, the Coronavirus Supplement lifted 600,000 people out of poverty, and the testimonies of women whose lives had become

PHOTOGRAPHY ALANA LANDSBERRY STYLING CORINA KOCH

FOR OUR BOOKS-AS-PRESENTS

BOOKS

safe and more dignified complete Gilmore’s findings. Meanwhile, Santilla Chingaipe is single by choice and lives alone. “Maybe we will have the pandemic to thank for us ceasing to treat every prospective date as disposable and replaceable,” she says.

Emily Brooks’s ‘Body’ section covers couples, parents and extended families, but her main focus is on the one in four households with only one occupant.

There’s a silver lining. Fitness has become democratised. The $300-a-month gyms are gone and in their place we can enjoy customised online exercise routines either free or very cheaply.

VERITY

12 BYTES Jeanette Winterson, Vintage, $32.99 It’s four books in one; a taste of power shifts ahead. The first part is a superb history of the machine/human relationship alternately enabling and threatening. The second section looks

at the transhuman experience, from Dracula to biometric mindmelds.

The third explores the dollbot universe. Fifteen thousand dollars buys you a super-articulated doll with conversational powers, but it seems not many punters want their ‘alternatives’ to talk.

Bots with a tiny waist, an understanding of commands and the wiring to perform any fantasy are expected to be bestsellers by 2024.

A choice of 32 nipple colours seems excessive, however McMullen’s Abyss Creations has done the research.

The last section of the book offers an assortment of possible futures.

Winterson tells us how to prepare; we’re far from helpless. A treasuretrove of revelation and wisdom.

a finger on it… It’s certainly the illustrations – simple crayon and watercolour, but super-expressive.

The characters are a chicken who wants to be left alone, and a cheerful worm who is looking for connection.

The underlying, very comforting theme here is how hard it is to make friends when you’re starting to venture forth in life. Sometimes it’s easier to pretend you’re not interested. Every page is a joy. >

LAUREN AND HUMPHREY

CRANKY CHICKEN Katherine Battersby, Lothian, $14.99 You just know when you find a gem that will enchant the preschool crowd. Hard to put

Wooden Stripe Finial Christmas decoration in White, $5; Linen Christmas bauble in White, $5, both from Target.

CHRISTMAS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 137

BOOKS

Every image in this hefty novel is a marvel to behold. Astonishing!

TODD

ROWENA

MAEVE

AN UGLY TRUTH

THE CODE BREAKER

UNDERWATER WILD

Sheera Frenkel & Cecilia Kang, The Bridge Street Press, $32.99

Walter Isaacson, Simon & Schuster, $49.99

Craig Foster & Ross Frylinck, Black Inc, $59.99

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has been cited as one of the two most powerful people in the world. With 2.7 billion users, his domain is bigger than any nation. When it comes to new devices, Zuckerberg is imaginative. Yet the eruption of paedophile rings, terrorist cells and a Russian cabal skewing the US elections took him by surprise.

Frenkel and Kang dazzle with their fly-on-the-wall run-down. Zuckerberg refused to meet them. Why doesn’t someone stop his sale of users’ details for advertising purposes, or for more sinister aims, in the case of the Cambridge Analytica scandal? Ten out of 10 for excitement. Stay tuned.

In 2020, Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Their contribution to gene editing made possible a range of interventions in the womb – and took us closer to the sort of designer babies that horrified the world when genetic engineer Dr He Jiankui produced the first pair.

Lab warfare is thrilling stuff. James Watson, who won the Nobel Prize for the discovery of the double helix, is now banned on his very own campus.

Watson told Isaacson and Doudna that in his days at Cambridge University, he’d really hoped to discover a gene that would make all women pretty.

He’s 93 now, so we have to forgive him.

Streaking across a double-page spread is one tiny jellyfish, its spring-loaded tentacles weaponised with minuscule harpoons. Every image in this volume is a marvel to behold. Astonishing!

138 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

GRACE

PRINCIPLES OF STYLE Sarah Andrews, Simon & Schuster, $49.99 If you’re bothered by a painting that is hung crookedly, your first reaction to Andrews’s compendium will be puzzled. Her principles are: Surprise, Storytelling and Being You. The provocations in her approach makes them interactive. Grace will love it.

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Ethically made designs from Hygge Dress invoke happiness and well-being with the nurturing feel of 100 per cent pure natural fabrics. hyggedress.com

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Pretty French Country nighties, pure cotton nightshirts for men & women, boxer shorts, shirts, shirt dresses & more.

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Dee Jackson Australian artist, Dee Jackson, creates beautiful watercolour portraits.

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Use code CS10 for 10% off your purchase Four Fillies is an Australian Jewellery brand that specialises in Leather, Pearl & Metal jewellery including earrings, necklaces and bracelets.

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yggedressaustralia Modern Yet Timeless Ethically Made in Australia with Sustainable Premium Linen

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Australian Designed & Handmade Jewellery Specialising in Venetian Glass.

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RITZYROCKS

Timeless bespoke linen clothing individually made for you

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shop online www.lazysundaylifestyle.com

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Simply beautiful Australian handcrafted lampshades and bespoke timber lampbases. lightenup_handmade

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twistedwillowhomestore.com 0447 900 649

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Enjoy unparalleled luxury and comfort in this stunning heritage property. Let the warm hospitality and tranquil peace overtake you… It’s all about the detail and intimacy here at Bishop’s Court Estate Bishop’s Court Estate 226 Seymour St Bathurst NSW 2795 Ph: 02 6332 4447

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THE LITTLE COOKING SCHOOL MUDGEE, NSW

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COUN TRY SQUIRE

CHRISTMAS RETOLD ROB INGRAM REIMAGINES JESUS’S BIRTH IN MODERN TIMES – QR CHECK-IN AND ALL. marks in history class all those years ago were the result of confusion about time and place. I guess I just found it more entertaining to reflect not so much on what history had been, but what history could have been. Was it Brutus who spoke on the steps of the Roman Forum at Caesar’s funeral… or John Kerr? Who inspired the Long March…

Chairman Mao or Martin Luther King Jr? And so we come to Christmas – that special time when television channels screen The Greatest Story Ever Told starring Charlton Heston, and believers everywhere mark the occasion by going to the shopping mall of their choice.

So, what might The Greatest Story Ever Told have been like if time and place had been a little different?

Joseph and Mary plod up to the Bethlehem Travelodge and a boy leads their donkey away.

“Valet parking,” says Joseph. “Not bad.”

Alas, the clerk at reception says, “Nothing available.

All our floors are set aside for COVID quarantine. By the way, I hope you registered at the QR Code.”

“Listen,” says Joseph, “we’re from out Nazareth way.

All of this is new to us. My partner is about to give birth and we need a bed. What’s this COVID thing anyway?”

“It’s a worldwide pandemic,” explains the clerk. “The hotel is full of quarantine cases, and we’ve got Christmas Just what you need after riding a donkey from Nazareth bookings on top of that.” and enduring a natural birth in a shed.

“What’s Christmas?” asks Joseph.

There is a bit of a hiccup, of course, when the proud new “It’s a new religious festival,” says the clerk. “It’s just parents want to check out. kicking off this year, but it’s going to be big.”

“Fourteen days!” protests Mary. “I’ve known new Joseph rolls “Christmas” over his tongue. “Nice name,” mothers who’ve been discharged the same day. Okay, he says. “If the baby’s a boy, we might call him that. Or three to four days if they had a caesarean delivery. In my Christ for short.” case, both the conception and “Now, a bed for your wife – sorry, the delivery were immaculate.” partner,” says the clerk. “I’ll call “LISTEN, WE’RE FROM OUT Jason does his best to explain the day manager and see what he NAZARETH WAY. ALL OF THIS can suggest.”

IS NEW TO US. MY PARTNER IS quarantine regulations.

“Jason…” he says into the phone.

ABOUT TO GIVE BIRTH AND WE “The 14-day mandatory quarantine period is a legal “We got a couple here from out NEED A BED. WHAT’S THIS requirement under the Public Nazareth way. She’s about to give THING ANYWAY?” ID COV Health Order,” he says. “We birth and needs a bed. No, I don’t can’t disregard it for just anyone.” really know if he’s the father of the child. That’s a bit But all’s well that ends well and Joseph returns to vague. The manger? Well, I suppose. You’re not worried his carpenter’s job in Nazareth, Mary becomes a popular about bad press? Okay, thanks Jase.” model for paintings and statuettes in Catholic souvenir And so it is. Was. The donkey’s already in the manger, shops, and the little fellow goes on to be blessed and but they make room and, after the donkey journey, Mary worshipped wherever December 25 is observed with is happy to hit the hay. The manger is surprisingly cosy, paper hats, crackers and prawns. and the delivery of the baby is stress-free – except for a kid And a Merry Christmas to you all. with a drum kit going parum-pum-pum-pum next door.

154 COUNTRY STYLE CHRISTMAS 2021

PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY ABBIE MELLE BACKGROUND PHOTOGRAPHY SAM MCADAM-COOPER STYLING PHOEBE MCEVOY

QUITE RECENTLY, I’VE BEGUN to wonder if my disappointing