How to create a Victorian-style Christmas
Draw up a comfy armchair by the fire, put on some merry music and enjoy a classic Dickensian-style Christmas that invites you and your guests to feel right at home…
Create a cosy living room
Walls painted in ‘Pugin Red’ eggshell from Dulux Heritage collection, £31.38 per 2.5l, Dulux; Lady Caroline Hill attributed to Mary M Pearson c1836 printed onto canvas 600 x 900mm, £185, Surface View; Red dining candles, £9 per pack of 12, Shearer Candles; faux red amaryllis, £4.10 per stem, Decoflora.
More Christmas inspiration:
- How to decorate with gold this Christmas
- The best wreaths for your front door
- 6 stylish ways to dress your festive table
- How to decorate with William Morris this Christmas
- How to use antique Christmas decorations
Wow with the desert table
Turn your dessert table into a wow-factor display using elegant serveware, decorations and vases filled with blooms in rich jewel shades. Set your delicacies at varying heights to create an eye-catching and tantalising effect
Macaron tower, made to order from £50, The Crow Kitchen; Fresh flowers, from £2.99 per bunch, from a selection at Longacres Garden Centre; Cakes, from £1.30 each, Gail’s Bakery; Glacé fruits, £30 for a 400g box; glass petit four Christmas decorations, £10 each; cranberry and orange Christmas fruit cake, £14.95, all Fortnum & Mason.
Dress the bedroom
Layer your spare bed with linen, throws and cushions in shades of crimson, white and gold. Antique lace, velvet and a canopy made from boughs of natural foliage produce a welcoming festive haven for your guests to withdraw to
‘Rose’ plush velvet double bed frame, £945, Button & Sprung.
Lay the table
Taking cues from a traditional Victorian Christmas, with a little nod to France, lay the table with crimson plates and serving dishes. Complete the decorations with a festive runner, fresh foliage and candles along the centre to throw a soft glow and create a mellow atmosphere
‘Winter’s Scene’ 6in plate, £9.25; ‘Winter’s Scene’ open veg dish, £46; ‘Winter’s Scene’ covered sugar pot, £28.50, all Spode; Red dining candles, £9 for a pack of 12, Shearer Candles. ‘The Nutcrackers’ Christmas crackers, £60 for a set of six, Fortnum & Mason. Present wrapped in ‘Vintage Peacocks in Red’ paper, £2 per sheet, Paper Tree Nook. Ribbons, from £3 for a 5m roll, Hobbycraft.
Create a display with flowers
Bring floral touches into your home to enhance your winter decor, whether you’re designing a centrepiece for your Christmas table or a display for your hallway. Mix greenery from the garden with plenty of scarlet blooms – here, we’ve mixed a few faux amaryllis along with freshly cut roses
Tablecloth made from ‘Halte De Chasse’ (B1744001), in ‘Fond Rouge’, £160.80 per m, Pierre Frey; Fresh flowers, from £2.99 per bunch, from a selection at Longacres Garden Centre.
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