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…

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By Sophie Hannam

Published: November 20th, 2020 at 4:24 pm

Create a cosy living room

Marry rich tones of red with hints of gold and plenty of candlelight for an enveloping ambience that’s warm and inviting. Finish with boughs of fresh foliage for a joyful look that’s fit for the festive season

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:

Opulent Christmas tree decorated with gold

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.