dorset.greatbritishlife.co.uk64 DORSET December 2012

HOMES & INTERIORS

For Charlotte Starling, Christmas is an opportunity to

unleash a riot of rich jewel colours and Baroque styling.

Here she shares her home decorating secrets

Deck the Halls...

Cox & Cox, coxandcox.co.uk

Bristle Reindeer decoration, £4.60 Hunter Gatherer, Blandford Forum huntergatherer.info

Brown glitter reindeer, £8; Gold glitter reindeer, £6; Brown glass tabletop tree, from £15 John Lewis at Home, Poole, johnlewis.com

Next, next.co.uk

their stems with a cage of birch twigs, hang them with tiny gold and silver baubles, and there you have a spectacular table centrepiece. Statuesque wine-red amaryllis planted in groups of three add instant drama, and make a wonderful present. Houseplants also come into their own at this time of year. Clusters of crimson mini cyclamen will brighten a dark corner for several weeks.

Before you go shopping, forage from your garden or hedgerows. I’m a big fan of natural materials, but that’s not to say I won’t gild the lily! Alliums to artichokes, poppy seed-heads to trusty pine cones, even runner beans can all be sprayed silver

Christmas is a shining beacon of light in the dark depths of winter. When it comes to decorating, my goal is to fill my home with sparkle,

colour and fragrance; every sense should be stimulated. I try to evoke the twinkling Christmases of my childhood – the rituals, the anticipation and excitement – for my own children.

Preparation is the key to a perfect Christmas look. A house filled with blooming flowers in December can’t fail to cheer yourselves and your guests; hyacinths and paper-white narcissi send out clouds of beautiful scent. Support

dorset.greatbritishlife.co.uk DORSET December 2012 65

Charlotte StarlingVelvet & Dash Interiors, Frampton01300 320 657, velvet-dash.com

Gingerbread man decorations by Devonly Crafts, £16 for 3. Love Local, love-local.com

Wooden double spire church, £15; Wooden village, £20. John Lewis at Home, Poole, johnlewis.com

Robin napkins, £24 for 4 Made with Love by Charlotte Fleming madewithlove.uk.com

John Lewis at Home, Poole, johnlewis.com

or gold and used in many ways, such as in wreaths, on the tree or scattered down the centre of your table. If you pack them away carefully they will last for several years.

Buy wreaths that are basic and natural and embellish them yourself. Wreaths made from dried hydrangeas can be stuck with birch twigs and hung up, then after Christmas they can be used as a centrepiece filled with candles, for any time of year. The same applies to those made of lichen or eucalyptus.

Christmas is the ideal opportunity to give your home a mini makeover. Making space for the tree? Moving furniture around may give you ideas on how to improve the layout of the room in future. Clearing a windowsill for a seasonal arrangement? Don’t put the clutter back in January. Make a cosy games corner with a side table and two chairs, finish with a giant jigsaw or chess set, and this can stay in place all winter. Granny’s vintage glass jelly moulds or pretty china tea cups filled with sugared almonds will make a pretty, sweet addition. Whatever you use, be generous; satsumas piled high make an eye-catching orange pyramid, and a multitude of creamy church candles, threaded with ivy, will provide an ethereal focal point.

Choose candles in dark colours such as chocolate brown or teal; these are great teamed with silver for the festive season and then can be used alone for months to come. My favourites are red and white-striped like candy canes, which I have on the table amongst vases of anemones and green spikes of rosemary. A clean, crisp contrast to the tree next door.

The tree is the main event so I say buy the biggest you can. My favourite is the blue spruce, it doesn’t drop needles and gives off a delicious piney scent. My ever-expanding collection of baubles are in Quality Street colours – turquoise, purple, red, green, orange and pink. Add clear fairy lights and silver rain or loops of beads to give depth and sparkle. It mustn’t get too perfectly tasteful though: a blingy Barbie angel sits at the top of our tree – Christmas is the time to indulge in some kitsch!

Just like getting dressed up for a party, the preparation and anticipation for Christmas can be as enjoyable as the event itself. Put on your favourite carols and pour yourself a glass of mulled wine – this is not a job to rush, but one to savour.