An Australian white Christmas is more about sand than about snow, but when you have 16 hours of daylight, it sparkles so much brighter. This year we’re ditching the red and green and going pure platinum. Foraged foliage gives decorations a handspun feel, and dustings of metallic sparkles set off the look.
Light Fantastic
This tranquil setting (left) is the poster child for a dreamy Christmas. It is made contemporary thanks to a desaturated palette. A handmade wreath, spray-painted white and posies of scrubby natives displayed on the wall, add charm.
Simple Stockings
Continuing the muted aesthetic, folksy knitted prints on traditional Christmas stockings are swapped out for linen in refined neutrals, which have been sewn into oversized stockings.
Pocket Full Of Posies
Pine and mistletoe are so Northern Hemisphere chic, but south of the equator, eucalypts, olive trees and herbs serve up an earthier mood. Layer up sprays of foliage and woody herbs such as rosemary and thyme into a loosely structured posy with raffia string and suspended upside down from a picture nail. The scent is still evocative, but the feeling is more relaxed.
DIY Decor
Flower pressing gets a modern update with this easy project. Collect an assortment of leaves and fronds. Spray-paint them white, allow to dry, then tape onto artist’s quality paper and display in simple, contemporary frames (either under glass or with the glass removed).
Branch Out
Reimagine the traditional Christmas by keeping it natural, eco friendly and handmade. Bare branches are a beautiful alternative to a tree. Decorate with baubles tied with raffia, battery-operated fairy lights, posies and gumnuts.
Mood Making
Carry the white-hot feel all the way through to the Christmas table with washed linen decorated with foraged evergreens, and fragrant, woody herbs down the centre. Metallic and pearlescent Christmas baubles, fairy lights and gold- painted gumnuts among the leaves and twigs help dial up the drama. For a personal touch, add small presents, wrapped in butcher’s paper and raffia, to serve as place cards.
Picture Perfect
A vignette of framed pictures, vases and found treasures is a tried-and-tested way to personalise a space. Here, the all-white scheme is tempered by organic shapes and a metallic glimmer. Gold-sprayed gumnuts prove a bit of sparkle is a good for the soul, and a clear glass vase makes a ready-and-able container for a delicate string of fairy lights – obligatory at Christmas.
