It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

When it comes to decorating your home for Christmas, I would like to make a few suggestions to you based on my many years of interior design experience.
If you’re someone who likes to follow a theme throughout all your decorating at Christmas, the biggest trend that is emerging this year is rustic, homemade looks. We all seem to be very keen on the idea of arts and crafts this year and Christmas is a wonderful time to proudly hang our homemade decorations around the house. If you’re not much of a crafter yourself, but love the look of homemade items, fear not, this too will be another big trend this year. The glamorous decorations will switch to a more subtle, stripped back, country style this year using mostly natural materials. The trendiest pieces will be made from wood, feathers, pine cones and even dried fruit.

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By The Fireside

You don’t have to be a Boy Scout to make a good fire in your fireplace. You just have to use a tried and trusted method.
Let us assume that you’ve had your chimney inspected and cleaned so that there’s no build-up of flammable creosote to worry about and you have taken the old ashes to your compost pile and your fireplace is now clean and ready to begin.
Firstly, look up your chimney to make sure the damper is open. A ‘throat damper’ is located at the bottom of the chimney and will open with a lever. If you have a ‘top damper,’ which is located at the top of the chimney (obviously), then you will be able to open it by pulling a chain or cable.


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GARDEN DESIGN

One of the key elements of garden design is outdoor illumination. Luckily, there’s a whole range of outdoor lighting to choose from, for every part of the garden.
Atmospheric, cosy and essential outdoor lighting helps you to make the most of the space, but knowing where and what to illuminate can be confusing. So here are my go to tips to help you get started.
Portable lanterns are a perfect outdoor lighting option. They can be clustered on patios for a cosy addition to garden seating, line paths to guide your guests to the dinner table, or add an intimate glow to the table itself. They also protect candles from the elements. There are an incredible variety to choose from, just make sure to look for lanterns suitable for outdoor use.
String lights are a fabulous addition to any garden and are loved for their laidback feel. Particularly dramatic and inviting when zig-zagged over a seating or dining area, they create a canopy of lights suitable for any occasion.

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