How to create a dark and moody Christmas

With these beautiful and ingenious display ideas, you'll be able to put your antiques centre stage this Christmas

Published: November 19, 2018 at 3:00 pm

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Give your guests a festive welcome by creating a display in your hallway. Use vintage books, antique babbles, festive foliage and candlelight to set the scene for the rest of your home.

A display of vintage books, antique baubles, festive foliage and candles on a console table in a festive hallway. — Wall painted in ‘Card Room Green’ Estate Emulsion, £43.50 per 2.5l; stairs painted in ‘Pigeon’ Estate Eggshell, £60 per 2.5l, both Farrow & Ball. Chippendale period mahogany side table, £2,500, AG Horne Antiques. Antique books, from a selection from £2 each, The Antiques Warehouse. Glass bottle, £35; candle holder, £3, both Packhouse. ‘Leaf Green’ dining candle (in bottle), £36 for a set of 12, True Grace. Smoked cut glasses, £5 each, Rockett St George. Green Jianxi jar, £550 for a pair, Guinevere. Decorative urn, £45, Sunbury Antiques Market. Fluted green glass vase, £45, Raj Tent Club. Moss balls, £4.99 (large), £2.99 (small), Longacres Garden Centre. Vintage glass baubles, from a selection, eBay. Present wrapped in ‘Leicester’ wallpaper in ‘Woad/Sage’, £72 per roll, Morris & Co at The Style Library. ‘Dark Bark’ velvet ribbon, £1.65 per m, VV Rouleaux - -

2

Transform a plain wreath into something spectacular with antique and vintage brooches.

A festive wreath hangs on a dark grey front door. The wreath is peppered with sparkling antique and vintage brooches. — Door painted in ‘Down Pipe’ Estate Eggshell, £60 per 2.5l, Farrow & Ball. Handmade natural wreath, from £30, Winters Workshop. Selection of brooches, sourced from charity shops, prices from £1–£3; The Antiques Warehouse, £5 each; Joanna Elton and Gillian Horsup at Grays, prices from £12–£50. ‘Rose Pink’ velvet ribbon, £1.65 per m, VV Rouleaux - -

3

Create a cosy and inviting living room with a roaring fire and a real Christmas tree laden with antique and vintage baubles.

A cosy living room in a Victorian house with a roaring fire and a real Christmas tree laden with colourful antique and vintage baubles. — Walls painted in ‘Card Room Green’ Estate Emulsion, £43.50 per 2.5l, Farrow & Ball. Early 20th-century Spanish rug, £350; 19th-century club leather armchair, £3,200, both AG Horne Antiques. Gold cushion, £42; green velvet cushion, £40, both Raj Tent Club. Antique books, from a selection from £2 each, The Antiques Warehouse. Green port glass, £6, Packhouse. Mince pie, £1.50, Gail’s Artisan Bakery. Presents wrapped in ‘Leicester’ wallpaper in ‘Woad/Sage’, £72 per roll; ‘Standen’ wallpaper in ‘Forest’, £61 per roll; ‘Acanthus’ wallpaper in ‘Privet’, £72 per roll, all Morris & Co at The Style Library. Swedish Dala horse, £115 for 25cm, The Swedish Wooden Horse Company. Norway Spruce Christmas tree, from £30, from a selection at Crockford Bridge Farm. Tree decorated with antique baubles sourced from eBay, and tiny antique cups, £6 each, from Sunbury Antiques Market. French brass candlesticks, £98 per pair, The Antiques Warehouse. Glass candlesticks, from £11 each, Packhouse. ‘Leaf Green’ and ‘Flint’ dining candles, £36 for a set of 12, True Grace. Antique teacups, from £15, The Antiques Warehouse. Velvet ribbons, from £1.65 per m, all VV Rouleaux - -

4

Create a moody festive table with antique pewter jugs filled with greenery and mophead hydrangeas. Why not bring some colour with a string of neon pompoms, too?

A Christmassy dining table in a dark grey living room. The table is decorated with antique pewter jugs filled with evergreen fronds and mophead hydrangeas. A string of pink neon pompoms brings some colour. — Shutters painted in ‘Down Pipe’ Estate Eggshell, £60 per 2.5l, Farrow & Ball. Panelled wall painted in ‘Juniper Green’ Chalky Interior Matt, £47 per 2.5l, Marston & Langinger. 19th-century farmhouse table, £1,250; 19th-century yew knife-back chairs and 19th-century ash north country chairs, from £1,650, all AG Horne Antiques. Small pewter jugs, from £8; small pewter tankards, from £6; large pewter wine jug, from £48; pewter charger (used as a cheese board), £30; pewter teapot, £34; pewter candlesticks, £45 for a pair, all Ardingly International Antiques & Collectors Fair. Green glasses, £6 each, Packhouse. Regency dinner plates and side plates, £680 for a full dining set of 10 including matching serveware; red floral early Victorian Staffordshire teacup and saucer trio, £35; Aynsley 1891 hand-painted blue teacup and saucer trio, £85, all The Antiques Warehouse. Green glass baubles, from £8.25, Raj Tent Club. Green French bauble (on plate), £6, eBay. ‘Leaf Green’ dining candle, £36 for a set of 12, True Grace. ‘Forest Green’ napkins, £21.84 for 10, Richard Haworth. Vintage cutlery, £16 for four knives and forks, Packhouse. Table runner (made from vintage floral fabric), £15, Sunbury Antiques Market. Pink pom pom garland, £18, The Shop Next Door - -

5

Show off silver goblets and trophies by creating individual place settings - simply fill with a rolled napkin, antique cutlery and tie with a velvet ribbon.

Two antique silver goblets used as place settings. They are filled with a rolled linen napkin, antique cutlery and are tied with a velvet ribbon. — Wall painted as before. Table and chair as before. Large trophy, £265; small goblet, £125, both Alfies Antique Market. ‘Forest Green’ napkins, £21.84 for 10, Richard Haworth. Vintage cutlery, £16 for four knives and forks; linen table runner, £20, all Packhouse. Velvet ribbons, all £1.65 per m, VV Rouleaux. Pewter mug, £8, Ardingly International Antiques & Collectors Fair. Antique plates, from a selection, The Antiques Warehouse - -

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For a fun way to display your Christmas dinner menu, why not recreate this display with an antique silver tray, some evergreen foliage and a hand-written rundown of each course?

A handwritten Christmas dinner menu is tied to an antique silver tray with sprigs of mistletoe and evergreen. — Window frame and shutters painted in ‘Down Pipe’ Estate Eggshell, £60 per 2.5l, Farrow & Ball. Silver tray, £55, Packhouse. ‘Black’ velvet ribbon; ‘Leaf Green’ velvet ribbon, both £1.65 per m, VV Rouleaux - -

Photographs: Katya De Grunwald

Twitter/Instagram: @katyadegrunwald

Styling: Selina Lake

All product prices and names correct at time of publication.