Deck the house as early as possible
Christmas starts in October in the Penfolds’ home. Ady Shannon reports.
Christmas comes early at the Penfold house. This year Kiri started hauling out the dozens of trees and scores of boxes filled with fairy lights, garlands, wreaths, baubles, beads, birds and much, much more in late October.
‘‘I usually try to hold off until towards the end of November, but this year I just couldn’t wait,’’ Penfold laughed. ‘‘I love Christmas. Every year it happens that I wake up one weekend and I can be bothered.’’
Her husband Skot was thrilled with the earlier than usual installation.
‘‘Skot is my enabler. He loves Christmas as much as I do. If he had his way we would leave the decorations up all year.’’
Their old villa, in a private garden in the Christchurch suburb of Burwood, is the ideal backdrop for Penfold’s ‘‘Christmas on steroids’’ installations. On the front porch, wooden sleighs are propped against the wall, Christmas trees flank the front door and cane reindeer surround potted plants.
Once inside, there is an undeniable sense of ‘‘total surround celebration’’. Christmas music plays, decorations hang from every surface and clusters of trees abound.
Christmas trees are on the bench, in baskets, in toy trucks, in stumps, in trunks, in bowls, in trophies and a stunning live tree laden with baubles and bows stands tall in the family lounge. The high stud is ideal for the immense, perfectly formed tree.
Penfold, a stylist, interior designer, curator, consummate collector and ultimate up-cycler of all things sold and traded, cherishes the chance to showcase her creative flair in-home every Christmas.
An attic that runs the length of the house provides ideal storage, but even that cavity is almost at capacity with the Christmas collection.
‘‘I have a constant fear that one day the roof will give out and everything will tumble into the lounge,’’ she said.
A small door that opens to the attic limits storage access for some of the big trees, but that will be sorted next year.
‘‘Friends recently donated us a large kauri door so, once that’s installed, we will be able to get the large trees in and out.’’ For now, some oversize treasures live in the garage when not on show. Planning and buying is a year-round mission for Penfold. As well as adopting many old and discarded trees, she is always on the lookout for bits and bobs that will enhance the decorative effect. ‘‘I love a bargain and I love to shop around. I am always on the lookout.’’
She has her favourite shops – Ballantynes and Pataka, – but online sites, including Trade Me and Marketplace, have produced some of her most treasured finds. She recently bought three vintage toy trucks that have small trees on their trays.
A long and lush green garland weaving up the stair balustrade, laden with gold balls, was part of an auction package. Friends often pass on unloved trees and treasures. Penfold adds paint, panache and a dash of her unique style to embellish, revitalise and reinvent the old and ordinary.
On a table in the lounge, two white feathered owls and a small tree sit in an aged tin bowl alongside a vase of fresh foliage and a jar of candy canes. ‘‘My friend was over those owls. I loved them and when she gave them to me, I made her promise not to claim them back one day.
‘‘I replaced an eyebrow on the big bird and set up the table arrangement. When she saw that she was so impressed, she wants year on year, shared custody for the birds, the bowl and the tree beside them.’’
Penfold is coy about the number of trees she has but suggests there are ‘‘more than 50 and possibly more like 100. I’m embarrassed to count. I do include every tree though, not just the big ones.’’ In the dining area alone the tally exceeds 20, including a cluster on the bench Penfold made by gluing pine cone seeds to a polystyrene cone. Penfold’s taste is diverse but quite particular. There are some cheesy pieces included, especially to appeal to children, like the fluffy deer head with padded gold horns that sings when his ear is pressed.
There are snow globes, yellow trees and pink flamingos with gold angels on their backs, as well as extravagant and authentic decorations like a Disney musical carousel, bespoke wooden artworks and a large Santa sleigh complete with eight reindeer.
Tinsel is a pet hate. Glitter, green and gold is abundant, as are birds, bows, beads and baubles. Strings of fairy lights line the hallway and paper snowflakes and golden globes hang from ceilings. The overall effect is playful and stunning.
Undaunted by the task of packing up and putting out the decorations, Penfold says that feathering out the tree branches is the most timeconsuming part of the set up.
‘‘Fluffing a tree with 1800 tips takes a long time, but it’s really important.’’
She admits she is ‘‘a savage packer’’ and has a well-planned and executed system of labelling and
Tinsel is a pet hate. Glitter, green and gold is abundant, as are birds, bows, beads and baubles.
packing. Decorations specific to every tree and room are boxed together.
Christmas comes with a number of traditions for the Penfold family of five. ‘‘On Christmas Eve, we put on a brand new pyjamas and settle in to watch the Princess Bride over platters laden with cheese, berries and crackers. That is our favourite movie. Skot sang the theme song at our wedding 22 years ago and now we all watch the movie every Christmas with our children.’’
Often, the Penfolds open their home to friends and neighbours, raising funds for local causes.
‘‘People love to come and see the interior and we sell goodies so we can donate the proceeds to people less fortunate.’’
As for the Christmas menu, there is always a table laden with food though not all traditional fare. ‘‘Skot adores sausages and steak. We’re not big on fruit cake so dessert is usually a galette with lots of fresh berries.’’