Christmas deVOL-style
20th December 2017
Well, I think we can safely say winter has arrived! The weather may have turned a little chilly but that does mean that Cotes Mill has transformed into a magical winter wonderland. There’s something so exciting about seeing our family of fallow deer playing in a snowy field, the big kid in you can’t help but think you’ve arrived at the North Pole and if the grounds are Lapland the Mill is most definitely Santa’s grotto. For the festive season we have even more wonderfully unique vintage pieces and little gifts from all over the world, perfect for anyone looking for something a little bit special for a last minute stocking filler.
Of course, we decided to decorate too but we’ve chosen to do Christmas deVOL-style. I think there’s a temptation at Christmas to go a little OTT, it’s so easy to get caught up in the festive spirit and cover every surface with something sparkly or go the other way and fall into the trap of meticulously matching and colour coordinating everything and it all ends up feeling a little forced. For me, simple style is always best. At Cotes Mill we wanted to create a lovely cosy place for our customers to while away a few hours exploring our kitchens and picking out gifts.
I find decorating organically always looks good, styling your home with practical pieces that you will actually use; big copper pans hanging from a rail or plates stacked on shelves, it creates a lovely natural feel to the space. The logs piled up in the open cupboard in our Cotes Mill utility is one of my favourite decorating tricks, you can’t help but think of snuggling up in front of a warm fire. It’s such a simple idea but it instantly creates a wintery look.
I also love the tree sprigs hanging from the shelf in this Pantry Blue utility room, adding a little foliage is a great option if you don’t have room for a Christmas tree or you’re looking to make another room feel more festive. It works particularly well in our Sebastian Cox Kitchen, I don’t think this space has ever looked so warm and inviting! In the past we’ve often seen this range styled in a way that is quite spartan in its simplicity but I’ve completely fallen in love with the cosy cabin-esk kitchen our Creative Director, Helen, has created. Soft lighting, warm metals, candles and a touch of mistletoe, so subtle yet it’s created a totally different atmosphere.
If you wander up to our Loft Kitchen on the top floor you’ll see a beautiful antique wooden table, the perfect spot for a big family Christmas dinner. I think it’s always best to keep it simple with table settings, the star of the show is the food anyway! One trend I’ve seen a lot this year that I really love is ornate glassware, goblets of cut glass with ruby red liquid (preferably mulled wine). Paired with a rustic old wooden table and a candle or two, it just oozes sophistication and timeless style.
It’s not just Cotes Mill, we’ve been getting festive down here in London too. The tree is up and it looks so lovely with just a few white lights, especially when they reflect off our fabulous collection of copper pans. Our ESSE wood burner has been keeping the showroom nice and toasty and Helen even drew some cute snowflake stars on our windows with a glass pen (such a great stocking filler if you can find them), oh and we’ve been perfecting our mulled wine recipe. A special thanks to everyone who sent us their favourite recipes, the winner was a delicious mix of whole spices and fresh bay leaves from our roof garden!
All three of our showrooms are open until Saturday 23rd so do pop in and see us this weekend, you’re guaranteed to leave with something even if it’s just a little inspiration.
You can see the Christmas and New Year opening times for all of our showrooms here.
