Sarah Beeny’s love your home
Property expert Sarah reveals how to set the scene for your best Christmas yet
Simple ways to give your house a seasonal makeover
What are your plans for Christmas?
We’re hosting the celebrations in our new home, which is on a sheep farm in Somerset. What with our four children and the extended family, there’ll be 20 of us, aged from nine to 81 – quite a bunfight! The house we’re currently in is actually only temporary for us; we’re about to start building our permanent home on the farm. We ‘de-cluttered’ when we sold Rise Hall [their East Yorkshire property] and our London home and moved here, but we still have a huge number of Christmas decorations to unearth from rapidly packed boxes. Of course, the basis for all seasonal decor is provided by Mother Nature: things gathered from hedgerows, and cuttings from trees and bushes.
How do you add festive cheer without a huge expense?
I take favourite cards we’ve been given over the years (many made by children) and staple them to lengths of ribbon, then hang them up on hidden hooks. It really brings the room to life – and costs barely anything! Another win is to rearrange what you already have. For example, pulling out all your candles and arranging them together in the window or on a piece of furniture can make a really lovely focal feature. Also, don’t confine fairy lights to the tree – they also look fantastic strung along the tops of pictures or up the banisters.
‘A clay pot lovingly made by a child is as special as a diamond ring’
‘Mother Nature provides the basis for all seasonal decor’
What should I splash out on?
One area I believe it’s worth spending a bit more on is home fragrance, because many cheaper candles use nasty chemicals that you wouldn’t necessarily want to inhale. Abahna is one of my favourite brands.
I also love good-quality crackers. Make your own – it’s so rewarding – or at least invest in some that contain presents you’ll keep and use. Look for ones with less foil and glitter so they can be recycled.
How do you dress your front door?
I love making wreaths from coat hangers, some collected greenery and a couple of baubles. Saying that, they don’t always end up looking the star attraction I’d hoped for, so I think it’s worth investing in a beautiful one – after all, it’s the first thing visitors see. I’ve recently discovered some gorgeous ones by commonfarmflowers.com, an amazing company that grows all its flowers organically in Somerset.
They’re absolutely stunning.
Any tips for creating stunning table settings?
It’s a real luxury if you’re able to dress the table for Christmas dinner well in advance. That’s not always possible, of course. Either way, a nice piece of striking-looking fabric running down the centre can really make a table come to life. Also, tying napkins and pieces of greenery together with bright ribbon is surprisingly effective. Lighting is also key so, if you don’t have one already, it might be worth fitting a dimmer switch before Christmas to create a festive feel.