Portfolio: Ideal Home’s Complete Guide To Christmas 2015

I’ve worked on Ideal Home’s Complete Guide to Christmas – a standalone magazine, dedicated to all things Christmas – since 2012. I edited the 2012 and 2013 issues, and have been a contributing editor for the 2014 and 2015 issues. Ideal Home’s Complete Guide to Christmas 2015 is out now, and it’s absolutely packed with great ideas for Christmas. I commissioned the very talented stylist Sophie Martell to style the 18-page lifestyle story – we wanted an elegant rustic look with lots of layered neutrals, an abundance of foliage and beautiful homemade touches.

I found the most amazing location house for the shoot – Forest House in West Sussex – a beautiful black-clad house in the forest (complete with deer running through the trees). It’s now my ultimate dream house – all gorgeous panelled walls painted soft, muted shades. We shot the story back in April with brilliant photographer Joanna Henderson, who was an absolute joy to work with.

Two small people you may recognise are the stars of the lifestyle story. The twins came along for their first ever day’s modelling, and they did a marvellous job (I may be a little biased). If you can call drinking hot chocolate, throwing artificial snow around, and opening presents a job, really? They were absolutely thrilled to see themselves in print, and have both taken a copy of the magazine into school for Show & Tell.

I was also responsible for the craft story that features later in the magazine (p62-73), which includes 15 Christmas craft ideas I made for the shoot, from wreaths and garlands, to gift wrap ideas to table decorations. This was shot in south London with a photographer that I’ve wanted to work with for ages – Polly Eltes, and I’m so pleased with the set of pictures that we produced together.

Ideal Home’s Complete Guide to Christmas 2015 is out now, so make sure to pick up your copy for some Christmas inspiration.

[Photo credit for photographs in the magazine: Joanna Henderson]