'It takes a week to decorate, but it's worth it!'

Styling her home around classic pieces of furniture and unique accessories sourced from all over the world gives Claire Boyle a foundation to go all out with Christmas decor

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Before settling in Carlisle, Claire Boyle and her husband, Kieran, travelled the world for work, but when Kieran's contract in Houston, Texas, ended, the couple decided to move back home.

'I'm originally from Newcastle, and Kieran is from Ireland. so we didn't know this area,' says Claire. 'However, Kieran's work brought us here and, because of the different education systems in the US and England, Callum was overdue starting school, so we had to find a place quickly.' This house, which had been standing empty for a year, was the only one for sale in the catchment area, and Claire admits to disliking it when she first walked in. 'I didn't get 'the feeling' that people talk about as it felt so cold and lacking in love,' she remembers. 'The house was also full of dirty red carpets and ugly floral wallpaper, but we had no other options, so we put in an offer 10 minutes after the viewing.

UPDATING AND REPLACING

The kitchen had to be replaced sooner rather than later because the cupboard doors were hanging off and the cabinets were mouldy. There were also lots of 'invisible jobs' that needed tackling, like installing a new boiler and rewiring.