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.
This story is from the December 2019 edition of Your Home and Garden.
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This story is from the December 2019 edition of Your Home and Garden.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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