TINSEL-FREE CHRISTMAS
Three creative women, three very different styles — and not a strand of tinsel between them. Nathalie Marquez Courtney discovers how to do festive décor without going OTT. Photographs by Nathalie Marquez Courtney.
IF you’re searching for a fresh theme for your Christmas décor, look no further. Whether you want to tap into your inner kid with vintage toys and festive stockings, play with dramatic colour combos or keep things Nordic noir, there are plenty of alternatives to the traditional red, gold and green baubles and bling.
We meet three stylish homeowners who aren’t afraid to ditch the tinsel for something different.
PRETTY IN PINK
A self-confessed magpie, jewellery designer Chupi Sweetman leans in to the sparkle of the season in a big way. “My love of gold means I’m always drawn to gold decorations,” she says, adding, “Even our non-Christmas style is pretty gold and sparkly.”
As her 65,000 thousand Instagram followers can attest, Chupi is also a huge fan of pink, and her fondness for the feminine hue is scattered throughout both her Instagram feed and her city pad, through cushions, candles and artwork, as well as her Christmas decor. Her tip for striking the right balance? “A friend who is an interior architect gave me a wonderful tip once, which is to paint everything grey,” she says. “It means we can bring in hints of the colours we love without it being overpowering.”
“I really wanted to add a sparkle of pink to our tree this year but I couldn’t find any decorations I liked so I made my own, using some drops from fuchsia chalcedony gemstones and I adore them,” she says.
Chupi and her husband Brian have a tradition of buying each other a Christmas decoration every year and writing the date on the back. “We’ve been together 17 years so we have this great archive in lots of different colours and from different countries; it’s a little collection of the story of our lives together.”
But for Chupi, whose delicate pieces are known for their decadent wrapping, the presents under the tree are as much decor as the ornaments on it. “For me, it’s all about the ribbon, never mind the paper,” she laughs. “It adds such a feeling of luxury and decadence, but costs so little. I buy my favourite gold sparkly 35mm ribbon online in big 50m rolls so I’m always ready.” chupi.com @chupi
Wendy’s house bears all the cosy xfexsxtxive ambience of Christmas without any of the commercial tinsel. The dark tones of the interior come into their own in winter, says the lifestyle store owner. Natural elements such as garden holly and berries help to provide a softer hue. The overall effect combines simplicity with elegance