CREATE A MAGICAL SETTING Designer Susie Watson’s guide to dressing a house for Christmas

m g

the preparations are almost the most exciting part of the season for me –I really enjoy it. I love adding that whole extra layer of decoration to the house, and the fact that the holly, the tree and a crackling fire also add their own scent by the time its Christmas,” says Susie, who is adamant that creating that Christmas feel at home can be achieved in an afternoon.

SETTING A RELAXED TONE

“I really like a comfortable English country house look, and I don’t personally like things to look too precious. Decorating is about entertaining, and family and friends. You want it to look beautiful but welcoming, and not at all off-putting.Create an environment that encourages people to sit down. Little children and be ready with throws and cosy cushions – nice feather ones that are comfy. One has to remember it’s a home, a place for people to gather and somewhere that they enjoy coming.

“I don’t think you need to be concerned about things matching exactly. Old English houses had lots of things brought back from around the world and there was plenty of colour and variety. I think that’s the best of British decorating. You may have things you’ve owned a long time, such as an old piece of mahogany furniture, and newer things to add in, particularly at Christmas [such as additional seating for guests]. It’s good to have a mix, and once it’s all in there, you don’t notice it.

“The same applies to decorations. You may have some favourites that remind you of Christmases past, you can then add maybe one or two, or even four, new baubles every year. I think we should reuse and pass down decorations that we treasure – such as heavy cotton-and-jute Christmas stockings or sacks that last at least a childhood, or festive tableware that’s a little bit of an investment just for Christmas. When you 

RIGHT The magical scene starts as guests approach Susie’s home. “I think it’s lovely to have some decorations outside and to use trees or climbers that are strong enough to decorate with inexpensive baubles that twinkle nicely,” she says.“It makes such a dfference when you arrive as a guest to see a welcoming wreath. We decorate the stone dogs with ivy collars and sometimes ribbons for Christmas. For me, it shows that dogs will be inside to welcome you, too.” LEFT “Very occasionally you do have quite fine weather at Christmas and it’s lovely to sit outside and huddle up after a walk. It’s a bit of a fantasy. Decorating the garden is a really fun idea, especially if you create a spot in which to enjoy a hot drink in the gardenbeneath twinklingbaublefilled trees.” All products used to decorate throughout Susie’s home and garden are from Susie Watson Designs Handmade Home Collection

you bring them out at this time of year, it marks the occasion and makes it feels special. There are also simple touches, like ribbon, which is very useful for stringing up wreaths and baubles, and can be ironed and put away for next year rather than thrown away.”

KEEP IT CLASSIC

“I don’t do anything particularly fashionable. I think my style is quite classic or contemporary-classic. The colours I use in my home are all soft and very much to do with the English countryside; all can be found in nature and therefore all go together.

“I like to layer different colours and textures. For example, I create a Christmas sofa with a red or green throw and cushions in a mixture of fabrics. Velvet is very important to use because it’s as soft and tactile as the wool throws are and I like the contrast between

ABOVE ”We place the Christmas tree in the hall, which instantly makes the house feel festive and looks very pretty by the staircase. I put faux ivy garlands intertwined with rosehips up the banister. It’s a bit of a cheat but I like using faux as you can create a garland two or three days before Christmas and know it’s not going to deteriorate.

“I do, however, always love a real Christmas tree – the smell of it is so lovely. You don’t need every millimetre of the tree covered in baubles. Enjoy the tree – they are quite expensive and you don’t need to completely cover them. I like to see the green branches and just add some white lights, a few decorations, which I mix up, and a handmade fairy on top.”

RIGHT “If people are coming on Christmas Eve, it’s quite fun to make the sitting room look very cosy. I use baubles, glass hurricane vases and tea light holders everywhere, putting greenery where I can and hanging the stockings at the mantelpiece. It gives an opportunity to add a different dimension to a room. Christmas is an opportunity to go mad and people do love it when they walk in. I’m always so sad to take all the decorations down.

“Cushions are very useful – a layer you can put on instantly. If you want to change the colour of your sofa, you can add a throw and cushions to change the look for the season.”

ABOVE ”A dresser is another area to decorate quickly and effectively. Use white hellebores, Christmas plates, cyclamen in tea cups or jugs, pine cones and ivy. A few little things, like baubles in vases that glint in the light, can add a whole different layer of decoration. Little flower bottles are really useful and you can use them all year round in different ways.” the two. I always add in linen, but if it was all linen it would look at bit flat. Adding velvet or silk adds a shot of shiny fabric without being too much – everything is better for being mixed up with something else.

“It’s about using a bit of this and a bit of that and trying to give a look that’s eclectic and appears to have been put together over a period of time. This creates something relaxed and seamingly unstudied. Then you can swap things around more easily if you see something new that you love and want to add in.

RIGHT & BELOW ”We often place small cushions at the back of the dining chairs to make them a bit softer and allow guests to sit comfortably for a longer time. I mix up the designs of the chair cushions to give a bit of interest. I do the same with Christmas crockery and use two different designs along with some plain plates. It’s possible to be effective with just a few Christmas plates and bowls rather than it being necessary to have a whole set. A little bit of Christmas pottery is really fun. If I didn’t have any, I’d start with the candles as they are cheaper, and the hurricane vases make great vases, too – it’s important to have things that are versatile and reusable.

“To dress the table I mix short candles, hurricane vases and tall vases. Something with personality adds a further layer of interest, such as our hand-painted, candy-striped candles. Don’t worry too much about how to style it, but have a pair or even numbers and something in the middle of a table like a jug of flowers, and then the same amount of candles both sides, but have lots – pile them on! Of course, make sure candles are lit in a hurricane vase or in a candlestick and never leave them unattended when lit – especially if tinies [children] are around.”

KEEP IT SIMPLE & EFFECTIVE

“I think people can find decorating for Christmas daunting and complicated, but it needn’t be. If you have a pile of baubles, string them up in unexpected places and in groupings of different colour combinations. Use foliage everywhere – I love using a mix of faux and real trailed across door frames, picture frames and headboards.

“I think candlelight is extremely important and really gives a Christmas atmosphere. I put candles everywhere around the house and they never look gaudy. Use a few techniques like this and repeat them all over the house – there’s no need to feel that you need to do something different in every room. By the second year you do this, you’ll find you have discovered what works and it’s a real pleasure to spend an afternoon adding festive touches to your home.” n

ABOVE ”If guests are coming to stay and find a posy of festive flowers by the bed or trailing ivy decorating the chandelier or headboard, it really shows that you’ve thought about them. Find a place on the bed or a window latch in which to group baubles together and hang them up to show off their lovely colours. Use different clusters of colours – blue and silver, green and red – to vary the look around the house.” About Susie Watson Susie Watson started her current business by designing a range of kitchen china which was made at a small Stoke-on-Trent factory. A lucky introduction brought Susie and her team to a highly specialist ceramics factory in Sri Lanka. This in turn led to further product ranges being developed in India, using specialist makers and preserving traditional techniques and skills. These family-run workshops have become very much part of their working family and close friends. Today, Susie Watson Designs produces items for every room in the home which can be bought online and in 10 showrooms around the UK. The business sells homeware focused on a classic look and also offers an interior design service. For more information visit susiewatsondesigns.co.uk