A VERY VINTAGE CHRISTMAS
A tiny Shropshire cottage comes alive during the festivities, when it is filled with jolly decorations and seasonal greenery
On the edge of south Shropshire, where the county’s green fields meet the wilds of Wales, among the rolling hills sits a tiny 18th-century farm-worker’s cottage, hidden up a dirt track. Owned by art director and stylist Mary Norden and her husband Charles Garrad, an artist and film-maker, it is where they go to escape the noise and speed of London, and to celebrate Christmas each year.
Originally belonging to Charles’s parents, the property was found as a ruin in the early 1970s, with only its old cooking-heating range still intact, and it has been slowly restored. There was just the one door, leading from the meadow straight into the large front room, with a lean-to at the back, and a tiny kitchen, a bathroom, bedroom, and upstairs, just two more small bedrooms. “It had a no-nonsense robustness about it, and the design was simple, but winters could be challenging,” Mary remembers. Recently, the old range was exchanged for a much more efficient woodburning stove and the lean-to was replaced with a solid extension and a new front door. This new entrance opens onto a spacious hall, which might seem extravagant for such a small cottage, but it is perfect for dumping hiking boots and coats, logs and, at Christmas, piles of foliage for decorating. Otherwise,
little has changed. Furnished with old-fashioned wallpapers, patterned rugs, inherited pieces of furniture and found vintage objects from local junk stores and car boot sales, the cottage has a comforting feel. “There are plenty of bright fabrics, which is something I have introduced. My background is textiles, and I love mixing pattern and colour,” Mary says. The beds are covered with traditional Welsh blankets and eiderdowns, while crocheted throws cover the two large, comfortable armchairs either side of the fireplace. Curtains are all from ebay and, where possible, interlined for warmth, and cushions are made from odd pieces of fabric or tapestries: “It’s an eclectic mix – nothing has been planned or schemed, just added to in a random sort of way.”
The same applies to decorating the cottage for Christmas. “I like to call it the rummage and improvisation style of decorating,” Mary says. “Whatever is to hand outside, what I remember to bring with me from the house in London, and what I find in the cupboard. It’s all done very quickly and spontaneously, and usually with a glass of mulled wine at hand, while listening to Christmas carols to get us firmly in the festive mood.”
The first task is to source evergreen foliage. Armfuls of
trailing ivy and lengths of pine and holly are gathered from the woods and hedgerows along the bridle paths behind the cottage. They are used to fill the earthenware jugs that adorn the mantelpiece, trail over pictures and decorate window ledges. Any remaining pretty sprigs are added to the bases of candles and kept for the dining table. Red berries are fixed to foliage to break up the green and make it look more festive – but there is always a shortage in the hedgerows. “I think the birds get there first, so I cheat and buy some fresh branches or even faux ones,” Mary says. “I sometimes get a couple of generous stems of eucalyptus, too – the grey-green colouring adds another dimension and more interest.”
Using their old Land Rover, the couple collect a Christmas tree from a local farmer and, as there is little room in the house, put it in the porch, topped with a red ribbon. “I don’t usually bother with a wreath for the front door – the tree does all the festive showing off – but if I have a lot of good foliage, I might tie it into a generous cascading bundle and hang it from the knocker with a large bow,” Mary says. “I have collected vintage Christmas baubles for years, as I love their tarnished colours and, rather than putting them on the tree, I like to heap them into large bowls and then place them randomly around the cottage. Even the bathroom gets a festive bowl!”
Easter or summer seem to be the best times to strike lucky at the local car boot sale for other old-fashioned Christmas bits and pieces – it’s when everyone is having a clear-out. “I have found vast stashes of wonderful 1950s wrapping paper, present tags and quirky plastic decorations,” Mary continues.
She is not a fan of tinsel though, preferring nostalgic crepe paper streamers, which are twisted and strung across the living room and along the edge of the fireplace as a garland. Candles are positioned all over the house and, for festive scent, dried whole citrus fruits (small satsumas or clementines, not too juicy, are best) are slashed and dried slowly in the oven overnight and placed in a bowl near the woodburning stove to scent the room.
Finally, even the garden gnome comes in from the cold and is adorned with a green star and sprig of foliage. “The secret to successful festive decorating is just not to try too hard but keep it all simple,” Mary says. Effortless Christmas at its best.