Merry & bright

Christmas is a colourful affair in this 1920s Auckland bungalow where little family traditions make the season extra special

- Tina Stephen

A snowy white Christmas is something most Kiwis find difficult to envisage; after all, we’re busy enjoying backyard barbecues, camping trips and walks on the beach come December 25. So when New Zealander Mary-Ellen Hinton stayed in Germany as an exchange student, she was enchanted to experience a storybook snow-clad Christmas come to life, and it made a lasting impression.

“Germans have the most amazing Christmas traditions – the trees, the decor, the markets,” says Mary-Ellen. “One of my good friends always had a 10-foot tree with decorations that were family heirlooms, passed down through the generations.”

Mary-Ellen now aims to give her children a similar experience by choosing a tree and purchasing hand-picked decorations to build a sense of tradition they’ll cherish. She draws inspiration from many sources, including her extensive travels, as well as her interiors business, Hello Saturday.

“We are lucky enough to have a Christmas tree farm just down the road,” she says. “So every year we go on a family outing to choose the tree and take photos of the kids amongst the Christmas trees.”

The traditional theme of a real tree and white decorations fits in well at the family’s 1920s home where a monochromatic palette is the backdrop to bright bursts of colour, ensuring that Christmas is a fun and cheerful mix-don’t-match affair.

THE RENOVATION

The Hintons’ traditional bungalow in central Auckland reflects Mary-Ellen’s love of colour and art, but it was a different story when she and husband Matthew purchased it in 2013. Back then, it was a tired old home with very dated decor.