Christmas at this stylish family home is about a fresh, clean, natural look – and plenty of little traditions to keep Santa happy
Who lives here?
Mel Holt (co-founder and floral stylist at Bloom Social and social media manager for Freedom), Darryl Holt (business sales manager at OI Glass and jack-of-all-trades at Bloom Social) and Sienna.
What were your Christmas traditions growing up?
Darryl: Bacon and sweetcorn fitters for breakfast and a stocking at the end of the bed. Mel: A huge pillowcase stocking filled with all sorts of yummy food – all the treats my parents couldn’t normally afford.
Do you have one for Sienna?
On Christmas Eve we give her a new pair of PJs and a new Christmas storybook to read before bed.
Style tips
- Mel suggests making wardrobe doors do double-duty. “I painted the wardrobe wall in chalkboard paint. Wardrobes are perfect for this because they’re a space you don’t normally do anything with and you can’t put furniture in front of them. It has added depth to Sienna’s room, plus it allows me to get a bit more black into the house!”
- The Holts made the pegboard above Sienna’s desk themselves. When they hung it, they fixed a nut between the wall and the pegboard to give the pegs enough room to be pushed through. It’s the perfect display area for all Sienna’s crafty creations.
Words by: Debbie Harrison
Photography by: Helen Bankers
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Christmas decorating starts at the end of November for the Holt family.
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Wall-hung shelves hold potted greenery.
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Bloom Social Launched this April, Bloom Social is a unique flower subscription service in Auckland (bloomsocial.nz).
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A black tablecloth anchors this dramatic setting.
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Sienna and her little cousins each get a bunch at their own table on Christmas Day along with white sisal trees from Dots n Spots.
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The scene is set for festive fun.
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Presents are placed under the outdoor Christmas tree, lunch is al fresco.
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The gorgeous playhouse complete with a window for Sienna to take orders from when she’s playing shop. Lucky girl!
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Christmas at Mel and Darryl’s makes the most of their awesome outdoor space.
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The surfing images came from Freedom and evoke the family’s annual holiday in Hawaii.
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The dining room wall is painted in Resene ‘Bunker’.
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Mel loves the look and smell of her pine-needle garland.
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Christmas decorations fit seamlessly with the home’s minimalist and contemporary scheme.
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Sienna’s room is pastel perfection.
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Mel loves Karen Walker’s paint shades for Resene, so she made a beeline for her range for this room, choosing ‘Blanched Pink’ and ‘Half Beryl Green’.
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Images on the metal grid get changed around regularly.
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Mel and Darryl run Bloom Social from their home office.
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