OKA Magazine: Winter 2022 (UK Edition)

CHRISTMAS 2022 Festive Countdown Spruce up your home with our inspired seasonal ideas The Nice List Gift edits and charitable choices to present with love Tablescaping Perfection Host with the most India Hicks sets a truly elegant scene.

Acrackling fire and flickering candles when the light is fading; a tray of toasty mince pies and mugs of mulled wine; the tree, its branches twinkling with ornaments and presents underneath; curled up in your comfiest chair, with your softest throw, a much-loved film on in the background… is there really any better time than Christmas?

If you haven't started preparing yet, why not let these pages inspire you to begin. From our favourite furniture and accessories for bringing that festive feeling into your home, to decorating and tablescaping ideas courtesy of hosting whizz India Hicks, there’s plenty to ignite the imagination.

As for gifts, you’ll find edits from some of our most discerning friends, as well as our Plain Velvet Cushion Covers in Raspberry, the profits of sales from which are donated to Women's Aid. We’ve also created some bespoke Christmas cards in support of the charity, which are perfect for sending good cheer.

Wishing you and your loved ones happiness and health for the season to come.

Sue Jones Co-Founder and Creative Director of OKA

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Your turn to host this Christmas? Bringing a little magic home is simple with our festive countdown, which takes you from decking the halls all the way through the big day, with a few gift ideas to boot.

collection of witty

a playful

The Gift Edit

PANDORA SYKES

broadcaster and author of How Do We Know We’re Doing It Right?

that explore the anxieties and myths of modern life, is an avid reader.

line-up that will perfect a bibliophile’s ideal hideaway, including feline

that all-important

light, and plenty of calming natural tones and textures.

more gift ideas, visit oka.com/gifts

is having a moment, but there’s something timeless about this

’Tis the Night Before Christmas

no one sits idle ’

everything’s perfect for Santa’s arrival.

are

mince

munch

The Gift Edit

PAULA SUTTON

Rose Stem

The Gift Edit

WITH JACK GUINNESS

In High Spirits

A Perfect Fit

Introducing

The brief was simple: to create exceptionally comfortable, well-crafted sofas that could be passed down for generations. But finding a sofa maker to collaborate with – one that shared OKA’s ethos and passion – took time. The family-run business eventually chosen is staffed by some of the most passionate and skilled craftspeople in the business; the father-son duo have been handmaking sofas for years in their Cotswolds workshop.

“Each of the sofas is beautifully uncomplicated; with Tailored we really wanted craftsmanship and comfort to take centre stage, through the shapes, structure and even the stitching,” explains Sue Jones, our Co-Founder and Creative Director.

The range’s sofas, armchairs and footstools are a fusion of classic and contemporary styles. New to the offering is our popular Stafford Range; an OKA favourite that can now be customised, too. Every design is available in velvet, stonewashed or laundered Belgian linen and our ‘clever’ fabrics: ‘clever’ velvet, which has all the tactile appeal of the traditional material, but won’t fade, mark or stain, and ‘clever’ linen, a more durable, colourfast and moisture-wicking linen blend. Each is offered in a variety of shades, from a neutral oyster hue to a rich charcoal.

Tailored by OKA - How it Works

Choose from six styles, five of which are handmade-to-order here in the UK, and one – the Stafford – that is finished by hand to fit your specifications. Each can be crafted in a wide range of fabrics and colours, with sustainably sourced oak legs in a variety of finishes.

1. Select a Style

To begin designing, select a style from the range and get creative with our online tool. Alternatively, pop into your nearest OKA store where our team will be happy to help.

Beale

A contemporary classic, with a smart, clean-cut silhouette

Availableas: Armchair, Loveseat, 2-Seater Sofa, 3-Seater Sofa

Egerton

The ultimate in comfort, with sumptuous seat cushions

Availableas: Armchair, Loveseat, 2-Seater Sofa, 3-Seater Sofa

Radcliffe

A minimalist’s dream, with clean lines and flared arms

Availableas: 2-Seater Sofa, 3-Seater Sofa

Highmore

Timeless English style with a sprung seat and back

Availableas: Armchair, 2-Seater Sofa, 3-Seater Sofa

Fanshawe

A versatile footstool to pair with any OKA sofa

Availableas: Rectangular, Square

Stafford

Our extra-comfortable and much-loved classic, now available to customise

Availableas: Dining Chair, Dining Chair with Arms, Bench, Bar Stool

2. Choose your Fabric and Legs

Each style is available in five fabrics and 34 colourway options. If you can’t decide, you can order up to five complimentary swatches. The legs are crafted from oak and are available in a selection of finishes.

3. Work Begins

Once your order has been confirmed, our makers get to work on your design and our team will give you an estimated timeline for delivery.

4. Your Piece Arrives at Home

Our Customer Service team will be in touch to arrange delivery at a time that suits you. We'll unpack and install your item in your room of choice, with all packaging removed.

We

Home for Christmas

WITH INDIA HICKS

India Hicks’ storied heritage is embedded in every nook and cranny of The Grove. From a set of interlocking Hs that decorate the facade of the house – an emblem of her father, the late interior decorator David Hicks – to the corridors of old photographs of her mother, Lady Pamela Hicks, who was Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Elizabeth II, it’s a property that’s positively bursting with tales and memories. The perfect setting then for a festive family reunion; while Hicks spends most of her time in the Bahamas, a Christmas celebration in England is always in the diary.

“Our Christmases are very traditional in many ways,” muses Hicks. Decorating the tree is an occasion in itself, even in the Caribbean, where a combination of inherited ornaments and newly acquired trinkets results in a fir that becomes more and more laden with each passing year. The presentation of gifts, too, is important in the lead up: “I go completely over the top; there was a point in my childhood where I wanted to work in Harrods in the present-wrapping area.” Hicks loves to have a theme each year; one might be craft paper and tinsel, the next, paper stamped with individual's names.

The big day starts with her children opening their stockings; crafted by her mother’s dressmaker, with each name inscribed in stitching, they are heirlooms in the making. “There have been protests recently when I posed the question of whether, in their 20s, they all really needed one. Apparently, they do,” she laughs. A full English breakfast and a trip to church follows, all gearing up to the main event of lunch with all the trimmings, and a beautifully decorated table to match.

“I do focus a lot on the tablescape,” Hicks says. “It takes very little effort to make a Christmas table feel utterly warm and inviting.” While she likes to mix up her place settings and colour schemes, Hicks has one golden rule: “For a festive feel, more is more is more. This is not an occasion for less, in my opinion,” she tells us – it’s all about layering in abundance.

Let your surroundings be your starting point; here, the panelled walls of the dining room guide the tabletop. Created by the famed 20th-century painter and illustrator Rex Whistler for Hicks’ grandparents, they tell (and hold) a fascinating story. Originally designed for the Hicks' London home, each vignette details an element of their lives – had they not been painted on panels and relocated, they would not have survived WWII. “They anchor the room, they command it. The palette needs to work with them, not against them,” explains Hicks. “The low-key colours of the chairs and plates, mixed in with some of my family’s pieces, works perfectly.”

Every Christmas table needs a statement centrepiece. Hicks' chosen silverware has been passed down for generations and, when paired with a faux wreath, adds that essential festive drama. “OKA's foliage is very convincing, which is hard to find,” she says, “but adding some pheasant feathers from the garden makes it feel a little wild, and certainly not predictable; I hate predictable.”

To discover more of Hicks’ world, follow her on

I am extremely proud to be able to offer OKA’s voice and support to this worthy cause”

Support Women’s Aid this Christmas

The important work of our charitable partner, Women’s Aid – the national charity working to end domestic abuse against women and children – comes to the fore during the festive period, a time that revolves around being at home. To support its mission to create a future where survivors feel safe in their homes, this Christmas we are donating all profits from three particular OKA products to Women's Aid.

We are delighted to have partnered with Alice Edwards, the founder of bespoke stationery company Memo Press, to create a beautiful five-piece set of hand-painted Christmas cards. Inspired by our collection, they feature a cheerful red bauble design and are printed on recycled paper. If it’s a present you’re after, look to our Rectangular or Square Plain Velvet Cushion Covers in Raspberry – sure to spark a smile on Christmas morning.

Everyone should be able to have a safe and happy Christmas. With each cushion or set of cards purchased, you are helping us to help Women’s Aid make this a reality – thank you for your support.

Sue Jones Co-Founder and Creative Director