Trevor's Sustainable Christmas
In late February this year, Andreas von Einsiedel suggested I host a Christmas photoshoot at my home with Home & Antiques - I love working with him and have been lucky enough to a few times - so the answer was yes! Now I had to think as it’s the first Christmas I have not had at home for 20 years – so decoration needed to be sourced from scratch – after one look at the usual glitter - my mind went to ecology, sustainable and waste free. Not plastic bin bags after the 25th !
The shoot was fun, Amanda Harling kept us on the straight and narrow, with her wit, charm and creativity. It was a great few days spent thinking ahead, little did we know what the year would bring! My inspiration was reusable and green, so we discarded the tinsel, plastic faux glass glitter balls and printed non ignitable paper and on we went to source the finest sustainable decorations one could find in Suffolk (and London).
“Planning starts during the Autumn and for a number of years, Trevor has used natural materials wherever possible to minimise the ecological cost but there is nothing, he says, minimal about the decorative effect”
Silver birch saplings (large twigs give the same effect) gave a Narnia like feel, adding a fine string of low volt lights to create Christmas sparkle. Simple wood decorations and kindling surrounded the base. With recyclable posting mail boxes, wrapped in brown paper and signature pickett ribbon, this continued the natural feel I wanted to achieve.
The theme continued over the dining table, on the mantelpiece and any other flat surface I could find, adding cinnamon sticks, dried orange slices, oranges, pinecones and pheasant feathers creating a timeless look. Finished off with homemade crackers, so at least you know it’s a gift not a gimmick in the tube of expectation, which will also double up as place cards for your guests.
“The Dried slices of orange fill the air with a delicious aromatic scent”
Using black candles alongside dark spruce, which was foraged locally, gave a solid base of colour for the light natural tones of the decoration to play off , there was the ethereal magic I wanted!
Planting my 7 trees will help the planting trees incentives we hear on the news.
Photography by Andreas von Einsiedel
Feature by Amanda Harling