Our edit of must-have homeware and decs for Christmas
Sophie and Charlotte share which interior buys are on their wish list for the festive season
We’ve compiled a delightful combo of interior buys that are at the top of our lists to Santa this year, as well as some of our favourite seasonal decs we’ve spotted along the way. So whether you’re on the hunt for a few new Christmas decor buys, gift ideas, or you’re looking to spruce up your house ahead of the festive season, hopefully you’ll find something that tickles your fancy in our edit.
While all the products in this newsletter have been independently chosen by us. If you do buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission on some of the items.
On Charlotte’s list…
1. Beatrice Two Tone Woven Stripe Large Storage Footstool, £199, Dunelm
I’ve been coveting this footstool for ages – anyone who knows me is aware of the fact that I LOVE a stripe (especially a red and pink one), plus I’m very taken with the fact it has storage. Our coffee table is looking somewhat knackered and has become a dumping ground for Laurie’s infinite supply of puzzles, so I’d love to be able to hide them all away and for my husband and I to have a cosy footrest in the evenings (currently Martin likes to place one of my ‘nice’ pillows on top of the coffee table and use it as a footrest, which obviously I don’t approve of.)
2. Almost anything from Søstrene Grene, but especially this Tealight Holder House, £9.34…
I’ve only recently discovered Søstrene Grene and I feel as an interiors writer I shouldn’t be this late to the party, but after walking into my new local branch in Tunbridge Wells, I wanted to buy the whole shop. I was enamoured with their range of little tealight houses, which start from just a couple of quid and you could easily fill a whole mantlepiece with a mini street of them - very adorable indeed!
3. Elbow Rechargeable Wall Fitting In Antique Brass, £87, Pooky
Ever since Pooky introduced its ingenious rechargeable lighting range, I’ve been lusting after these wireless wall lights, so they’re definitely top of my home must-haves this year. I explained in another Substack post about my top reno mistakes and not having enough lighting in the back corner of our open-plan space was one of them and I plan to rectify that in 2025…
4. Create Your Own Wreath, £35, M&S
I’m pretty sure every year it gets to November and I think, ‘this will be the year that I actually book a class to make my own wreath’. Does it happen? Of course not. It’s a lovely idea, but with two small humans to look after and more social events in the space of a month than I’d usually attend in the whole year, it’s often something that falls by the wayside. So getting this ready-made kit to do one evening at home – with access to my own bottle of Prosecco, naturally – I think it’s not a bad buy at £35.
5. Hermes Peonies Limited Edition Print, from £75, Rachel Bottomley
I’ve long been a fan of Rachel Bottomley’s work and I was lucky enough to receive an original painting from her last year (the husband won MASSIVE brownie points). So, as you can imagine, I was thrilled when I saw that she’s set up a print shop this year, just in time for Christmas, with a range of more affordable pieces, with prices starting from £75. You can buy one of her many beautiful prints, which are signed and in small editions, here.
On Sophie’s list…
1. The Clementine Lampshade, from £206.25, Tinker & Tallulah
I’ve been looking for the perfect shade for our bedside lamps for nearly a year! I keep going back to these stunning shades designed by influencer Hayley Stuart for Tinker & Tallulah, but don’t end up buying them because they cost more than I would usually spend. But if someone else is buying then, as Mariah Carey says: “All I Want For Christmas Is You” you beautiful shades!
2. Pine & Eucalyptus Home Candle, £59, Jo Malone
My husband Charlie and I love lighting a scented candle at night – partly to help mask the nasty damp smell in our kitchen – but also, nothing says “relax” like a scented candle to help mark the end of a busy working day. Candles are my go-to gift for friends and relatives, but I’m also equally as happy to receive one myself – as long as it’s the right scent! I’m currently coveting the Jo Malone English Pine & Eucalyptus candle, £59, which has a burn time of approximately 45 hours and a has a delicious Christmassy aroma.
3. The Camilla Collection dinnerware set, £88 for a set of 4 dinner plates, Anthropologie
You may be noticing a theme here – yep, I STRUGGLE to make a decision! Our current dinnerware set was a wedding gift bought for us 12 years ago and its looking a little worse for wear! I’ve been looking for the perfect collection for a while now but just can’t make up my mind! But when I recently saw this green glazed stoneware set, I (finally) knew it was the one!
4. Set of 2 Coupe glasses, £15, Marks and Spencer
I think these Coupe glasses are a bit like Marmite – you’ll either love them or hate them. I LOVE them! I’m hoping to have a bar/ cocktail area once we’ve renovated our ground floor and I know this colourful glassware will fit perfectly!
5. The Beginners Upholstery Toolkit, £225.90, Jamilton Upholstery
Recently, I was treated to an Intro to Upholstery day course at The GoodLife Centre in London – a 40th birthday gift from Charlie. I had the best day upholstering a tiny footstool that was gifted to me by my in-laws (they were going to throw it out), and I think it’s safe to say that I have firmly been bitten by the upholstery bug! I’ve got another stool that needs covering, and we’re hoping to have some built in banquette seating in our new kitchen next year so will need to upholster a bench soon, so a toolkit is a must for me this Christmas!
We hope you found this personal gift guide helpful. If you need ideas of what to buy your children this year, head on over to our What's actually on our kids' Christmas gift lists to Santa this year newsletter featuring 20 ideas for kids aged 3-9 years old.
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