Serena Fresson Shares Her Christmas Design Tips
I love a cohesive, co-ordinated and considered approach to decoration for the holiday season – much to my children’s horror! I rarely use red but, when I do, I like to use a lot of it. I adore a Christmas tree planted in a huge Chinoiserie pot with no decorations and just some soft lights. I also like to have fresh green foliage around the house and vases filled with green and brown magnolia leaves – perfection.
In early November, I usually plant masses of scented narcissi bulbs in various pots and unusual planters, ready to flower at Christmas. I prefer to use foliage from the garden and indoor bulbs rather than cut flowers, apart from on the dining table where I place a huge vase of scented lilies. I really enjoy making my wreath every year with a group of girlfriends and normally stick to blue and green, adding some mini blue and white china ginger jars. I’m afraid I find it hard to move away from blue and green!
I have some very large bright green glitter reindeers that I bought many years ago from TK Maxx, much to my daughter’s amazement. I do like to mix things up and add the unexpected. One year I hung approximately 30 wreaths around the house, above doors, in windows, you name it, there was a wreath. I will admit to spending less time thinking about the food that year!
The hall and kitchen are most important to me. The first is the point of entrance and the kitchen is where the whole family spend the most time. I try to lay the table for Christmas Day in advance and eat in the kitchen on Christmas Eve. Christmas music is very important (but only allowed from 1st December) and, of course, scented candles. I like to buy indoor activities for the grandchildren (not super messy ones, I hasten to add), such as puzzles, pads and pencils (not felt tips), and I like to think about movies for us all to watch in advance, otherwise we can never agree!
I like the table to be fairly formal for Christmas Day. But we have the grandchildren eat with us so nothing too serious! Then I keep it casual for the rest of the meals. To make things personal and when time permits and I haven’t gone mad in other areas of decorating, I like to hand paint name cards.
A few years ago, I got my glue gun out and made a green and silver bauble tower as a centrepiece. It sounds shocking but it’s fab and I put it in a silver rose bowl in the centre of the table. I think it covers festive, chic and handmade! A glue gun is always a good idea when it comes to decorating, as are good scissors, oodles of ribbon and double-sided, super strong tape for mantle pieces.
This time of year, a seasonal table means lots and lots of candles of varying heights – and no electric light. I use linen napkins with Father Christmas embroidered on them which I designed for Mrs Alice, and my husband’s family's silver – it’s very rarely used but Christmas is an occasion when I do.
This is going to sound mad but the older I get the more I try to make my tables less overwhelming for my guests. The table is and has always been hugely important to me but more important are my guests! We always plan to eat with the older grandchildren, so meal times are arranged around them. We also try to play games after dinner – Articulate, Who Am I etc. My grandchildren are so good and eat what we do which is a credit to my daughter Alice and her husband Tom. I am very lucky indeed!
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