Oh Christmas is nearly here! I’m writing this post en route to Cork for the break and I can’t wait to get home to spend time with all my family. But just as a parting post for the festive season, I wanted to share this shoot I styled for Brown Thomas’s Christmas Magazine. Brown Thomas has been a by word for luxury in Ireland since opening it’s first department store in Dublin in the 1850′s. Similar to Selfridges in London and Galerie Lafayettes in Paris, the four floors of its flagship store are filled with designer clothing, decadent accessories, an out of this world beauty department and a beautiful living floor. So you can imagine my excitement when I heard I was to be let loose to choose and style such a treasure trove of items.
The shoot appeared in their Christmas Magazine as an insert in the Sunday Independent a few weeks back in order to showcase their full range of Christmas decor and lifestyle products. I wanted to capture the essence of the traditional luxury associated with the store, while also giving it a contemporary twist. There’s nothing like gold to bring a hint of decadence, so I decided to opt for a palette of metallics, mixing the expected green and red tones of the festive season with a pop of jewel tones to keep it fresh.
Textures also played a big role in conveying the mood of the shoot. The cut crystal tumblers from the Waterford Mad Men range made the perfect bespoke cocktail corner and I wanted to take home the cashmere throws and cowhide rug that featured in the living room shot. Regardless of how simple or opulent you’d like your Christmas decor to be this year, nothing beats the power of candle light and fairy lights to bring a whole new level of cosiness to a space. Layering different types of candles at contrasting heights can brighten up a little corner with very little effort. I also loved the indoor tree with fairy lights available in their living range, I’d be tempted to use it all year round!
I worked with Mark Scott on this shoot, having had the pleasure of seeing his ninja photography skills in action at Doreen Kilfeather’s home shoot a few weeks before (which I will be sharing soon I promise!) His eye for interiors and lifestyle photography is amazing, and I couldn’t have asked for more gorgeous arrangements by Appassionata flowers. They brought just the right pop of colour to the images that I was hoping for and really brought the look and feel of the shoot together. It was a bit of a whirlwind getting it all together of the day and I had so many extra pairs of hands helping to make this one happen, which was very much appreciated!
You’ll find all the products in Brown Thomas stores at the moment, though I hope at this point you have most of your shopping list done and dusted. Whatever you have planned for this Christmas season have a wonderful break and I hope you get to enjoy every minute with your favourite people. Merry Christmas everyone!
Image Credits: Photography: Mark Scott | Styling: Ciara O’Halloran | Flowers: Appassionata |Production: Image Publications |
