Soulful Celebration

For Karen Burgess, Christmas is the perfect excuse to bring together vintage and antique treasures and decorations - each piece adding to the joyful, colourful atmosphere in her Devonshire home Karen added a large dual-level studio space to her home.

- FEATURE ALICE ROBERTON

Brought up in her beloved grandmother's house and enjoying close relationships with two great-aunts, artist, gardener and vintage seller Karen Burgess learned early to treasure the beauty of the past. These women's cabinets, filled with delicate floral china, vases, plates and pots, were more than ornaments they were keepers of family stories. 'I was amazed by how they knew everything about each piece, from the maker to the journey it had taken to become theirs,' she says.

Karen began gathering her own collections at around 14 years old: her first choice being a Victorian covered soap dish decorated with pink roses. The appeal of collecting wasn't about value but beauty, and the way each piece connects me to the threads of other people's lives,' she says.

Today, her passion spans everything from Art Deco Burleigh jugs and glass beads to Libertyprint blouses and vintage Christmas decorations.