From beloved pieces we’re taking out and dusting off, to seasonal decorative pieces we’re adding to our collections, here are some Irish-made Christmas pieces the IMAGE staffers are shopping for…
Joanne Kennedy, Senior Events Executive
I love LNH Edit’s quilted Christmas Tree Skirt. The base of the Christmas tree is almost always forgotten about. Classic in colour, I know I will use this skirt for many years! The countdown to Christmas is always so much fun! An advent candle is a lovely tradition to create at home with your family for the month of December.
Megan Burns, Editor, IMAGE Interiors; Deputy Editor, IMAGE Magazine
Every year I look forward to taking out my felt Robin from Flock and finding a new place for him to perch. Made by Jamie Lewis in his Dublin 7 studio from natural wool, it’s festive and cute in equal measure. There are plenty of Irish decorations I’d like to add to my collection, such as these Gingerbread houses by Joan O’Halloran, paper baubles by Achara, and a linen tree decoration by Katie Larmour – I love this Mussenden Temple one, one of my favourite North Coast landmarks.
Sarah Finnan, Deputy Editor, IMAGE.ie
My family Christmas tree is usually a glorious mess of colour and chaos. We tend to pull out the same beloved ornaments year in, year out – many of them made by my siblings and me over the years and not necessarily fit for public consumption (but we appreciate the support, mam!). I’ve also picked up a few pieces at various markets around the world (including the most beautiful straw angel) but this year, I have my eye on the selection at Industry & Co – these embroidered elves are adorable!
Holly O’Neill, Editor, IMAGE.ie; Beauty Editor, IMAGE Magazine
Every year, Storeen – the Kildare interiors store, meaning ‘small treasures’ – has the best Christmas decoration collection of kitsch keepsakes that I look forward to checking out every year. I think I’ll add Britney to the collection this year to sit alongside Harry Styles, or I might try to position her as the angel at the top of the tree.
Sophie Power, Chief Operations Officer
We have a family tradition of hand-making beautiful needlepoint stockings that my grandfather started back in the ’80s, and now everyone in our family is lucky to have one to call their own. My grandfather stitched one bespoke stocking for me and each of my siblings, our parents, my grandmother, uncles, aunts and cousins, and this tradition is something my generation has continued to do in his honour (and one that he still adds finishing stitches to each time!).
I made my husband’s and each of my three kids’ stockings, one sister has also made for her family of four, and my brother and second sister have each started their partners’ ones. It is a labour of love, taking at least 300 hours to complete each one and is a significant investment when you add in the canvases, threads and finishings — but one that pays dividends each year. It is so rewarding to see the joy it brings to our family as we add a new design to the pile and competitively rank our favourites in the days leading up to Christmas. These truly are pride of place on display in our homes during Christmas and are our hands-down our most prized possessions.
Lizzie Gore-Grimes, Editor-in-Chief
This year I will be dressing my door with an Irish foliage Christmas wreath from Anna May Floristry in Rathgar Village and setting the Christmas table with the help of seasoned event planner Annie Dunne and her gorgeous new festive pop-up shop Acquerello on Dawson Street. I love her Vintage Skier bowl collection, they just cheer you up!
No Christmas Day gathering is complete without a bit of fizz to celebrate, served up in these fabulous coupe glasses from the Ecru Studios pop-up in the Westbury Mall, and my favourite way to finish out the day with a best-in-Ireland, Sceal Bakery plum pudding.
Sarah Gill, Features Editor, IMAGE.ie
When I eventually have a home all my own (God willing), I picture a big tall Christmas tree tickling the ceiling, clad in those old school coloured lights with big bulbs that make your eyes feel funny and fill you with a cosy nostalgia that warms the bones. There is nothing I despise more than a tree with a theme, so I hope for my baubles to be a dizzying jumble of mismatched fun and memories. So, I must make haste and get collecting, and these hand-thrown porcelain starry night ones are just crying out for me to buy them, treasure them, hang them up, and inevitably smash them.
I come from a long line of women who love trinkets and ornamental clutter, so naturally I gravitate to things I don’t need but cannot quite deprive myself of, such as this Genesis Bronze Waiting for Santa piece from Skellig. What function does it serve? What a foolish question, absolutely none of course, other than that it charms me beyond belief and I think it would do a fine job of taking up space in my living room.
Though it is not strictly decorative, I feel this is the perfect opportunity to once again sing the praises of the new Fir Baby! candle from La Bougie. It is olfactory perfection, but if you’re looking for something similar with a lower price tag, the €4 Deep Forest candle from Dunnes is incredible. I wonder if Dunnes thinks about me half as much as I think about it?
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