an Australian Country House Christmas Story
I walked past a local shop in town the other day, with its blackboard out the front—62 sleeps until Christmas, it read in cursive.
I always say to my husband that the Christmas season really begins when this sign is put out. And around the same time, decorations begin to fill the windows of shops, and those lists—scrawled into notebooks or links saved in your apps—start to extend.
We're a breath away from November as I write this, and the calendar already feels full.
Before gifts have really been purchased, or annual leave is submitted, school wraps up for the year, long journeys home commence, and the familiar flurry of Christmas arrives, there's a gentler type of celebration to be found.
Perhaps a moment to bring the better linen out of the cupboard, set a beautiful table, and light candles as a gentle spring afternoon gives way to evening.
Not everyone we love will be sitting around our table on Christmas day. Some will be travelling, interstate, working, spending the holidays with different branches of family—so perhaps that's all the more reason to begin celebrations a little earlier.
The pleasure of gathering.
There's no need to wait until December 24 or 25 to set a beautiful Christmas table.
For our intimate gathering in the country here, we took inspiration from the crossover of seasons itself: soft greens, softly striped linen, and a palette of ivory, sage, amber and natural timber.
We love using cushions in our table settings, not only for comfort, but for a touch of refinement. The Darcy Brown Stripe Ruffled Cushions and Hallie Olive Stripe Ruffled Cushions by Down the Lane brought that softness into this space, but they'll also be hero pieces in our interiors—we'll be using these for another project soon. And if you love interiors like us, you can never have too many cushions.
Our simple starter of cheese and fruits were offered on the Sea Glass Serving Board from Nest & Bird. These gorgeous pieces are solid, striking, and became a feature of the table itself. If you're someone who finds gifting tricky—finding something lovely for your daughter, mother, or that person who has everything—a beautiful entertaining staple like this is a must-have.
Then, we lit the gorgeous Ella Candles by Studio Billie, made with 100% natural soy and beeswax and hand-poured in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. These gorgeous candles are like sculptures themselves, that we almost didn't want to burn them! But if you're wanting to set a beautiful table with impact, we recommend having something that blends functionality with beauty.
Sarah styled plates on Indra Chargers, along with Amour Napkins in Noelle Napkin Rings. We filled Gruyere Flower Pots with greenery, and added a Flocked Christmas Tree to the centre—all from one of our long-time Christmas-styling favourites, Provincial Home Living.
We also popped in a little sneak peak of some of our new Hope & Co. dishes, available in our Christmas Open Studio and online soon!
We used leftover blooms from Pemberley of Malmsbury, used at Rural Women's Day—spectacular delphiniums that lasted and lasted! We both made a commitment to growing our own. There's nothing more special and impactful for a table setting than fresh greenery and blooms, so wherever you can source or grow your own, do—but otherwise, support a local micro flower farm or family-owned small business, instead of buying sprayed blooms from the supermarket. It really makes all the difference!
We also used the gorgeous, durable Round Table Cloth by ELL Events, which is available to hire.
Then, we poured a delicious rosé from Paul Nelson Wines, which we discovered through Naked Wines, and very much enjoyed a drop after concluding the photoshoot!
It was one of those evenings that didn't need to be hurried, and as we settled into chairs afterwards, overlooking the pool and watching the rainless storm clouds roll over and the sun drop below the horizon—you could almost feel the energy of a Christmas gathering there.
In our mind, the best thing about entertaining at home is that it needn't be elaborate to be special, and you can curate a table at your own pace. The pack-down is always longer!
But half of the payoff of a beautiful Christmas setting and entertaining experience, is found in the preparation and the moment of exhale when everything is packed away and clean at the end.
A home ready to welcome.
Long before the Christmas tree is surrounded by presents, there's often an iceberg of preparation—and we'll get to that in a special blog and some content over the next couple of weeks!
We generally associate Christmas preparation with bringing out familiar decorations and adding festive touches, but if you're hosting at home, so much of the impact of your entertaining experience is created through refreshing your living spaces in the days or weeks leading up.
It's less about transforming your home for Christmas, than allowing Christmas to become part of your home.
When I was growing up, our parents allocated us to different “stations” to prepare for guests. Some supported Dad with mowing, weeding and light landscaping, others washed sheets and helped make up the spare bedroom, ironed table linens or stowed things away, wiped down the kitchen, or polished silver.
Back then, we resorted to your stock-standard supermarket cleaning supplies. As someone allergic to many chemicals like I am, that meant stinging burns and rashes on my hands, or gloving and masking up akin to a hazmat suit to get the job done. My siblings said my avoidance towards cleaning was pure laziness, but I swear there was more to it!
I used to resent cleaning, until I found a way to make it more enjoyable; a way to ritualise it.
The little rituals of preparation.
Behind every beautifully laid table and welcoming home are these small, everyday rituals that make it all possible.
Freshly washed linen, a clean kitchen, and surfaces wiped spotless before the guests arrive, and again after the last glass has been cleared.
There's something satisfying about these quiet preparations. They're acts of care, both for the spaces we inhabit and the people we invite into them.
When we connected with LOMARRA, we knew we had found something special. All natural, no nasties, Australian botanicals—and a product so beautiful, and so effective, it makes you want to clean! (We alternated between Calm, Uplift and Love)
For me, to have a cleaning product I could finally use without fear of acid-like burns on my hands has been a game-changer, but it's the scent that makes it something phenomenal. These cleaning products are gentle, vibrant and full of native botanicals that make walking into a room feel like a breath of fresh air. If I could bottle it up and share it with you through the screen, I would—but I think you'll just have to try it for yourself here.
When it comes to Christmas gifting, beautifully considered, useful things for the home can be just as thoughtful as something wrapped purely for the occasion—particularly when they're made to be enjoyed long after the festivities have passed.
Something Worth Wishing For.
As we gallop towards Christmas, we're reminded that the festive celebrations are not confined to a single date on the calendar.
So much of the excitement is found in the preparations, spontaneous invitations, smiling faces around the table, and the simple pleasure of making someone feel at home. Here’s to the dinners before Christmas, the friends we make time for, and the little gatherings that remind us what the season is really about.
After all, Christmas always begins earlier than we think!
Georgie x
Over the coming weeks, we'll be sharing a number of Christmas stories with you—but we'll also be sharing the culmination of these stories, our best styling tips, and gift recommendations in our first ever digital magazine! Pop your email in below to receive this to your inbox when it's ready.
Featured Products:
CANDLES:
Studio Billie — Ella Candles (Soy & Beeswax)
CLEANING PRODUCTS:
LOMARRA — All Purpose Sprays
CUSHIONS:
Down the Lane — Darcy Brown Stripe Ruffled Cushion and Hallie Olive Stripe Ruffled Cushion
SERVING BOARDS:
Nest & Bird — Sea Glass Serving Board Clear & Amber
CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS & HOMEWARES:
Provincial Home Living
Amour Napkins
Noelle Napkin Rings (2025 stock, currently available in-store only)
Flocked Tree
Pinecone Placecard Holder
Gruyere Flower Pot M & S
Indra Chargers
TABLE CLOTHS:
ELL Events (Hired)
Round Table Cloth (White)
Pleated Cocktail Table Cloth
WINE:
Paul Nelson through Naked Wines
Terra Australis Reserve Rosé 2023
