DECK the HALLS

Dashes of festive colour, an abundance of foliage and a cocktail room for drinks have brought this welcoming home to life - with a little help from designer Sophie Pringle

- WORDS EMMA J PAGE | PHOTOGRAPHY JON DAY STYLING CLAUDIA BRYANT | STYLIST'S ASSISTANT KASIA BEVAN

Step across the threshold of Charles and Alice Holt's west London home over the festive period and you know you're in for a good time. Keen entertainers, the couple love nothing more than hosting an evening of champagne, cocktails and carols, complete with resident piano player, in a tradition passed down from Alice's mother. 'It brings together every generation and lots of friends,' says the literary agent.

The couple moved here in 2020 with their three children - Freddie, now 15, Isabella, 13 and Olivia, nine - and realised that in order to strike the right balance between form and function, a reconfiguration was required. So they turned to longtime collaborator Sophie Pringle, who had also worked with them on their previous home. 'From the first viewing, we could sense the bones were right,' says the interior designer. 'It was a home that the family could grow into and had plenty of space for guests, which was especially important since Charles' relatives regularly visit from South Africa.