Our editors imagine a jewel-coloured Christmas in a Provençal chateau

In the atmospheric setting of a Provençal chateau, Gabby Deeming and Ruth Sleightholme create Christmas schemes in the colours of gemstones

By Gabby Deeming and Ruth Sleightholme

7 December 2020

Every month House & Garden's decoration editors curate a fictional, shoppable home, using a painstakingly researched selection of beautiful objects old and new. Welcome to The Scheme. This month Gabby Deeming and Ruth Sleightholme create Christmas schemes in the colours of gemstones.

Michael Sinclair
1/5
WALLS
• Antique mirror (left), £4,200, from Maison Artefact. Forties Venetian mirror, £4,950, from Lorfords.
FURNITURE
• Metal and leather ‘Sable Chairs’, £1,464 each, from Ochre.
ACCESSORIES
• Thirties painted steel chandelier, by Jean Royère, £30,000, from Howe. Tablecloth, ‘Marrakech’, silk, £610 a metre, from Robert Kime.
• Brass and pewter ‘Shelf Sconces’, by Malin Appelgren, £140 each, from The Shop Floor Project.
• Pillar candles, £44 each, from Cire Trudon. Gessoed card shapes, by Bridie Hall, £265 for 4, from Pentreath & Hall.
• Wood manger figures, from £29.50 each, from Manufactum.
• Glazed stoneware plates, from £65 each, from M Charpentier Antiques.
• ‘Pulcinella’ tumblers, £54 for 4; and wine glasses, £64 for 4; ‘Wood’ cutlery, £24 for 4; all from Oka.
•‘Selena Napkins (indigo), £10 each; ‘Embossed Metal Candles’, £37 for a set of 3; all from Caravane.
• Tissue paper (sweet wrapping), £3.75 for 30 sheets; wrapping paper, £1.20 a sheet; ribbon, £2 for 3 metres; all from Paperchase.
Michael Sinclair
2/5
FURNITURE
• ‘The Friar’s Chair’, £7,920 as seen, from Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler. Lucite trolley, £1,500, from Carlton Davidson.
ACCESSORIES
•Lampshades, £530 each, from Robert Kime. Hand-printed Japanese woodblock wrapping paper, £12.50 a sheet, from Liberty.
• Ribbon, as before.
• Silver-plated cake stand, £580, from Hilary Batstone.
• Tissue paper, as before. Twenties mouth-blown Egyptian glasses, £15 each, from Pentreath & Hall.
• ‘Isphahan’ porcelain serving bowl, £86, from Oka.
• Hammered iron ‘Nox Candleholders’, £45 for 3, from Caravane.
• ‘Madeleine’ dinner candles, £18 for 4, from Cire Trudon.
• Glazed stoneware bowl, from £120, from M Charpentier Antiques.
• Foliage arrangement, from £245, from Pulbrook & Gould.
Michael Sinclair
3/5
FURNITURE
• Eighteenth-century French painted pine demi-lune table, £14,000, from Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler.
• Steel and cotton velvet ‘Eternal Dreamer’ sofa, corner section, £5,160; curved sections, £4,716 each; from Ochre.
• Oak oval stool covered in suzani fabric, £4,995, from Robert Kime.
• Italian gilded metal side table, £1,260, from Carlton Davidson.
ACCESSORIES
•Thirties brass starburst lights, from £660 each, from Carlton Davidson.
• ‘Seven-arm Bronze Candelabra’, £378, from Manufactum.
• ‘Taper Candles’, £9.50 a pair, from The Conran Shop.
• Antique silk cushions, tasselled, £190; square, £220; from Robert Kime.
• Silver-plated metal flutes, £950 for 6, from Hilary Batstone.
• ‘Large Tray’ (warm grey/orange), by Pentreath & Hall, £750, from The Lacquer Company.
• Nordmann fir 10ft Christmas tree, £84, from Kingswood Christmas Trees.
On tree:
•Brass ‘Pendulum Candle Holders’, £11.50 each; ‘Red Beeswax Christmas Tree Candles’, £18.80 for 26; all from Manufactum.
• ‘Clear Antique Red Balls’, £4.20 each, from Gisela Graham.
• Tin heart decorations, from £2 each, from Milagros.
• Rainbow pom-pom crackers, £55 for 6, from Selfridges.
• Wrapping paper and ribbon, as previous.
Michael Sinclair
4/5
•Hand-printed Japanese woodblock wrapping paper, £12.50 a sheet, from Liberty.
•Ribbon, from £2 for 3 metres, from Paperchase.
Background:‘The Wave Longue’ beech daybed, £4,000 excluding fabric, from Beata Heuman; covered in ‘Mirakel’ linen (black), by Josef Frank, €200 a metre, from Svenskt Tenn.

Michael Sinclair
5/5
FURNITURE
• Hand-painted wood and metal coffee table, £2,900, from Hilary Batstone.
• ‘Hacienda’ hand-hammered tin headboard (silver), $2,750, from Casamidy.
• ‘Take’ steel side table, £293, from Caravane.
• ‘The Wave Longue’ beech daybed, as before.
ACCESSORIES
For similar mouth-blown glass carafe and glasses, try Summerill & Bishop.
• ‘Velours Lavé’ velvet cushion covers (from left: carbone, paprika, emeraude), small, £41 each, large, £50; ‘Nimbus’ cotton velvet quilt (paprika), £231; all from Caravane.
•‘Silk Ikat Cushion’, £265; ‘Indigo Flower’ silk cushion, £300; both from Irving & Morrison. White resin and slate ‘New York Table Lamps’, £1,260 each, from Margit Wittig.
•Lampshades in antique fabrics, £530 each, from Robert Kime.
•Nineteenth-century Italian chandelier, £5,580 for similar, from Carlton Davidson.
•Hand-printed Japanese woodblock wrapping paper, and ribbon, both as before.

Comments

After spending a year in France visiting 18th century chateaux, Gabby Deeming fell under the decoration spell and started her career at House & Garden shortly afterwards. She spent 18 years at House & Garden, filling the design pages with fresh and exciting ideas each month and now contributes to ... Read More

Ruth joined House & Garden in 2010, having graduated from Newcastle University - where she edited the student magazine and literary review - and after a summer internship at The Week. Rising through the ranks to Style Director, she has been producing and art directing House & Garden’s lead decoration ... Read More

Style Director

TopicsDecoration Christmas Christmas Decorating