All that glitters

Flora Rigg has given her city flat a cosy rural feel with a pretty palette and sparkling homemade decorations

There’s no place Flora Rigg would rather be at Christmas than at her childhood home in rural Wiltshire. ‘It’s a family tradition to watch The Snowman on Christmas Eve with the fire roaring,’ she says, ‘then on Christmas morning, we open stockings in bed with the dogs and a cup of tea, and then head to church. Afterwards we wrap up and take the dogs on a long walk before all our aunts, uncles and cousins arrive.’

Country living is in Flora’s blood and she has replicated this rustic feeling in the London

flat she shares with husband Chris and their two-year-old son Wilfred, plus their beloved dachshund, Bumble. Filled with country-style accessories, their home fools you into thinking you are in a sweet cottage in a little village. ‘I love sewing,’ says Flora, who owns online homewares shop, Flossie & Bumble. ‘It’s so addictive creating things from scratch by hand.’

When the couple moved here from a rented property nearby in 2013, the flat didn’t need too much more than Flora’s decorative touches and a lick of paint. ‘The interior was fairly neutral, so I gave it a bit of personality with a palette of duck-egg blue, putty and French grey,’ she explains. ‘ We also fitted shutters in the sitting room and doubleglazed French windows in the bedroom.’

Despite spending the main festivities at her parents’ house, Flora plays host to some special, though smaller, celebrations at her own home. ‘Chris and I like to have a bit of quiet time at Christmas with Wilfred and Bumble,’ she says, ‘so we can begin some new traditions of our own here.’ For this, Flora has been busy rustling up some pretty yuletide decorations. ‘I love dried hydrangeas and thistles, vintage tartan bows and large fir cones from the garden to adorn our table.’ As the winter sun goes down, this warm, laid-back atmosphere is enhanced even further with dozens of scented candles, bundles of aromatic cinnamon sticks and strings of fairy lights.

Flora has thoroughly enjoyed putting her personal stamp on the place, making it feel snug and inviting for Christmas and beyond. Admittedly, she would like to return to the country one day, but for now she is enjoying her first real family home. ‘I always try to live in the moment,’ says Flora, ‘and right now, I couldn’t wish for anything more.’