Thursday 22 December 2011

Christmas wishes from an old farmhouse in England

(Update: this was our home until November 2012) With Christmas now just a few days away the preparations here have reached fever pitch! Having put the finishing touches on the decorations and stacked baskets with fragrant logs for the fire we are almost ready to welcome friends and family to join us in the celebrations. I adore this last minute flurry of activity and will be, as you read this, busy filling tiny white crackers with Italian truffles and arranging white roses and herbs from the garden into mercury vases for the table. With the ancient oak beams hung with snowflakes, this year our old farmhouse is decked in ice and snow! Here are a few photographs from our home (please excuse my awful photography and the length of this post!!!): 
Image: The Paper Mulberry - 
A small live blue spruce from Homebase on a dresser in the kitchen the oversized mat and shiny silver baubles are part of a 75 piece set from Tesco!  
Image: The Paper Mulberry - the kitchen
Image: The Paper Mulberry - the kitchen
The white ceramic pot that we have planted the Christmas tree in is from Cape Henley and the white ceramic flower tea light holders are from Bliss & Bloom
Image: The Paper Mulberry - the kitchen
tiny glass cloches filled with silver parcels
Image: The Paper Mulberry - the kitchen fireplace The silver plated charger plates 
Image: The Paper Mulberry - the kitchen mantelpiece swag 
A faux pine needle swag with mat and shiny baubles part of the 75 piece set from Tesco!
Image: The Paper Mulberry - the kitchen fireplace swag
Image: The Paper Mulberry - the kitchen
Image: The Paper Mulberry - the kitchen - Aga mantel shelf decorated for Christmas!
Image: The Paper Mulberry - the kitchen - Aga mantel shelf with a combination of faux pine needle foliage, berries and fresh pine cones
Image: The Paper Mulberry - the kitchen - Aga mantel shelf with mouth blown, recycled glass goblets
Image: The Paper Mulberry - the kitchen dresser
Icy faux pine branch garland with fresh pine cones 
Image: The Paper Mulberry - the kitchen dresser
Icy faux pine branch garland with fresh pine cones & the china is Asiatic Pheasants by Burleigh

Image: The Paper Mulberry - the sitting room
Image: The Paper Mulberry - the sitting room with the faux tree stands in a log basket, the tablecloth is burlap and the tree covered in faux snow and glass icicles! 
Image: The Paper Mulberry - the sitting room tree
the artificial snow is from Snowbusiness the special effects company who provided the snow scenes for the Harry Potter films! They now sell a range of artificial snow for domestic use, I used their spray snow topped with display snow coarse and finished with the amazing snow sparkle that glistens like the real thing!  
Image: The Paper Mulberry - the sitting room fireplace 
the swag is faux pine and covered in artificial snow and icicles
Image: The Paper Mulberry - the sitting room fireplace swag
the lantern is a vintage find, the icicles I have been collected for a few years now
Image: The Paper Mulberry - the sitting room 
I have placed an old lantern in a niche in the living room with a carved wax candle 
Image: The Paper Mulberry - the home
I have place a large wreath of faux pine and beaded fruit covered in simulated ice on the oak banister at the top of the first staircase
Image: The Paper Mulberry - the home
Image: The Paper Mulberry - the entrance hall
the console table is decked with a gilded leaf garland from Decorative Country Living and coach lantern from Culinary Concepts
Image: The Paper Mulberry - the entrance hall console table

So until the new year...

Warmest of Christmas Wishes from this old farmhouse in England 
- Glenda xxx


 

Thursday 8 December 2011

Christmas

Christmas: filled with branches of Blue Spruce, Rosemary, Eucalyptus and snow dusted pine conesdecorations in antiqued Mercury glass and shades of smokey grey; rich textures and contrasts of velvet ribbons, chalky candles and shimmering silver. Here are a few of my favourite finds...    
Above image: Online magazine Bo Bedre
Above images: 1.Picture Library Gap Interiors Photographer Nick Carter 2.Name place baubles from Cox and Cox 3.Little angel photo from Italian interior archive agency Living Inside 4.Candlesticks from Affari
Above image: pine cone wreath from Riviera Maison
Above image: Antiqued, mercury silver heart from The White Company
Above images: 1.Glass chandelier ornament from West Elm 2.Festive gift wrap & ribbon from The White Company 3.Mouth blown champagne flutes from Summerill & Bishop 
Above image: Silver branch candle sconce from West Elm
Above image: Antiqued silver tea light holder by The White Company
Above images: 1.Candles and accessories by Jeanne d'Arc Living 2.Wooden rose wreath from Garden Home Designs 3.Grey Christmas tree baubles from Lindsay Interiors 4. Jingle bell wreath from Lakeland
Above image: House to Home Country Homes and Interiors Magazine
Above images: 1.Sprigs of holly and velvet ribbon BHG Better Homes and Gardens Magazine 2.Easy to make pine cone decorations from Country Living Magazine  3.Decorated kitchen from Country Living magazine 4.Smokey grey Christmas bauble from Cox & Cox

For more information on anything shown in the above images please click on the names under each photograph to go through to their web sites. The colour swatches featured are my suggestions for accent shades and do not relate to specific paints unless otherwise stated, but I'm sure your favourite paint companies would be happy to suggest matches!
With warmest wishes