A message from Irene - Gunter & Co's Christmas interior design and decorating gift guide
What Christmas means to me
Christmas has always been a firm holiday favourite of mine. This is Maastricht, the University town which was a 15 minute cycle ride from my family home where I grew up just across the Belgian border. We usually visit twice a year when seeing family, but we haven't been since last December and I'm starting to feel seriously homesick. Cobbled stones streets, freshly baked waffles and wrapping up in warm winter coats are what December dreams are made of for me. I’m keeping everything crossed that we can visit soon.
London at Christmas
That being said, London is one of my favourite places to celebrate Christmas. So many beautiful sites to see, outdoor installations to visit, classic Christmas traditions and lights to dream about. As London interior designers, we’re absolutely spoilt for choice when it comes to beautiful Christmas decorations for the home. I find inspiration around every corner and front door as I stroll around London and our offices in Wimbledon and Chelsea.
Our Christmas styling and gifting guide
We were recently appointed to use our interior design skills and love of Christmas to help a young couple make their home Christmas-ready. It was a dream project to work on, it allowed me to create a curated list of Christmas decorations and homeware gifts and was a lot of festive fun!
Here are my top picks for Christmas interior decorations including wreaths and garlands, Christmas tree decorations and festive tableware.
Christmas design touches for your front door
Scarlet & Violet Wreath - Nothing says Christmas to me like a deep red berry, I absolutely love this colour at Christmas and this Scarlet and Violet Wreath is my pick of the best this year.
McQueens Flower Archway - I spotted this breathtaking Christmas archway and had to stop and take a closer look. The attention to detail and the synergy between the archway and the wreath on the door ticked all of the boxes for me. This Christmas Arch is by McQueens Flowers at The Zetter Townhouse, Clerkenwell, simply stunning!
How to deck the halls and staircases like an interior designer
When you have a beautiful mantelpiece it’s hard to resist a beautiful decoration – we decided to throw in some extra lights also for an extra festive touch!
A decorative Christmas garland on the stairs is the perfect way to add a touch of drama and class. I spotted this showstopper in House & Garden magazine last year. The combination of fresh and dried flowers and foliage works beautifully to add colour, texture and depth.
Selfridges - Neom Candle - It wouldn’t be Christmas without candles, I love the ambience and cosy atmosphere they instantly create. This is my favourite Christmas candle, close your eyes, inhale and Christmas is all around you!
My favourite Christmas tree decorations
For the best tree decorations there’s nothing better than reusing old classics. I’ve been using decorations I inherited from my parents for years. They’re beautiful hand-painted pieces carved from wood and full of memories from my childhood.
Etsy - If you’re looking to start your own Christmas bauble collection check out these beauties, they're all from small suppliers which is so important to me, especially at this time of year.
Christmas decorations are as much about their looks as they are about their smell, fill your home with scented candles and lovely naturally scented decorations like these!
Hang your stockings by the chimney with care
Hanging stockings and taking pleasure in filling them up with little gifts and traditional treasures is one of my favourite Christmas activities. I start planning Oscar’s stocking fillers early and take so much joy in wrapping each individual gift. I sit and wrap them by the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve each year and reminisce over where I found each item and what I was doing. I always find the trip down memory lane plus the physical act of wrapping the gifts to be very therapeutic.
Etsy - These stockings tick all of the design boxes for me and I love that they can be personalised too.
Interior design tips for your Christmas table
You’ve got your house looking stylishly festive, the tree is decorated perfectly with care and love, now it’s on to the big occasion - the Christmas dinner.
When we added our interior design touches to our Christmas project we sourced this beautiful decorative table linen from one of our favourite suppliers, Gayle Warwick. The napkins, coasters and hand towels are inspired by traditional German wooden ornaments and we paired them with leather placements and simple, natural table decorations using seasonal dried or fresh foliage and wooden decorations.
