CalmMoment.com 15home & décor
Words: Caroline Rowland / Photography: Artemis RussellCelebrating the magic of winter and the resilience of nature are
two of the ways that jewellery designer Artemis Russell marks the
festive season. She reveals the joy of a simpler Christmas...
Enjoy what
money can’t buy
D
ecorating your home for the holiday
season need not be expensive or
stressful. As with most things in life,
less is most definitely more. There’s
no need to completely transform your
home (unless you really want to, of course) – you can
simply add touches here and there that will bring
festivity to your space in an effortlessly stylish way.
And you can make decorating an enjoyable part of
the process in the run-up to Christmas by involving
children in making things both for displaying and for
gifting. Given the commercial pressures we all feel at
this time of year, with advertising at every turn asking
us to buy expensive presents and decorations, going
handmade can also be a way to avoid a high street
scrum, save money and ensure your home looks
exactly how you want.
Being resourceful at Christmas comes naturally to
jewellery designer Artemis Russell (rustjewellery.com).As a child, her large family had little money, yet her
mother’s creativity managed to produce a magical
Christmas for everyone. “One year she brought
a whole deciduous tree into the house and wedged
it between the floor and the ceiling,” she recalls.
“She painted it white and used vintage baubles
passed down from her mum to decorate it. It was
so amazing!”
As an adult, Artemis has inherited her mum’s
creative approach and during her years living in a tiny
flat in London she made miniature paper bunting and
angels from the pages of old, ruined books to mix with
fairy lights, keeping decorations minimal in the small
space. Now living on the Isle of Wight with her
husband and two children, Artemis says, “I really
enjoy the ‘making’ part of Christmas and it’s become
a sort of tradition for our little family. There’s joy to
be found in making a jolly old mess with gold paper
and sprigs of evergreens while eating mince pies!”