At home with Francesca Rowan-Plowden at Christmas

Festive traditions, fashionable décor and all the family gathered together makes Christmas a special time for Francesca Rowan-Plowden – interior designer, TV presenter and breakout star of The Traitors earlier this year.

Home is a house in East Sussex, built around 25 years ago, although it looks older. It's where she lives with her husband, David, and her four sons, aged between 10 and 19.

'We moved here about two and a half years ago,' she says. 'The house was adapted from a smaller cottage by the previous owners, and the moment I walked up to it and saw the veranda and the kitchen, I knew it was the house for us.'

'The interiors were quite modern but I knew I could transform them with colour, pattern and texture to get more of a welcoming country-house feel.'

A palette inspired by history

Although the house has a contemporary vibe, Francesca's influences come from classic English country house decor.

'Growing up, I used to visit National Trust properties with my granny, and I was a tenant of the National Trust’s Lamb House in Rye for 10 years, so I'm drawn to that classic English look,' she says. 'I love fabrics from Lewis and Wood, then mixing them with modern styles and artwork for a bit of humour.'

Her palette features lots of pinks and greens, which look great in every season, but have a special atmosphere at Christmas.

'I look forward to decorating the house and working with the existing colour palette,' Francesca says. 'There are lots of pinks and greens which really come into their own at Christmastime; the warm tones are wonderful in candlelight.'

Bring out the bows

Francesca's take on the bow trend is to go big – but also to remember that we respond to looks not just because they are fashionable but because they feel meaningful to us.

'Bows are popular right now, which I love as it reminds me of tying ribbons on our family Christmas tree as a little girl,' she says.

'Now I display these beautiful big bows made by a lady called Sasha, who has a company called Amongst, and I tend to keep some up all year round, too.'

How to dress the table your way

The layout, with the kitchen connected to the dining room via sliding barn-style doors, was one of the reasons Francesca chose this house. She knew it would work well for her four boys, as well as hosting friends and family.

A warm peachy-terracotta tone immediately makes the space feel more welcoming, while wishbone chairs around the table are complemented by cosy tub chairs that invite people to hang out in the space.

This rooms gets a festive upgrade at Christmas. 'When it comes to decorating the table, I like to always add an element of fun to make it extra personal. Even though the children are getting older, they still like little touches such as name tags at each place setting and extra little bits on the table,' Francesca says.

'This year, I will fill the little cabbage bowls with chocolates, and perhaps a chocolate Father Christmas on a place setting. I use foliage, such as branches of fig leaves brought in from the garden.'

Kitchen

The kitchen was already in place when Francesca and Dave bought the property. Classic in style, it offers plenty of space to cook, entertain and eat.

'Christmas lunch is always around 3pm, and either my mother or husband does the cooking because it is not my strongest point! My mother always makes the Christmas pudding and it's very traditional with charms added, so everyone is conscious about not breaking a tooth on a penny or whatever,' laughs Francesca.

'My contribution is the canapes, which I am very good at – I’m known in the area for my quails’ eggs in little pastry cases. Sometimes I do mini jacket potatoes, where I get roast new potatoes, cut them up and fill them with cream cheese and chives.'

'Basically, I’m a little like Cher in the film Mermaids where she cooks her children party food – I can’t cook a roast for 15 people, but I do party food really well indeed!'

Living room

The room is decorated in warm golden tones, soft pink and raspberry hues. Embroidered throws, cushions and a tapestry style rug all echo Francesca’s love of classic and traditional fabric designs.

A large tree always takes pride of place in the living room window. Decorations and baubles in shades of gold, pink, red, silver and green create a magnificent display and the colours perfectly complement the room scheme.

'I have two trees, one for the drawing room and one for the kitchen,' Francesa says. 'I bring out decorations and baubles I’ve collected over the years, then add a few extras.'

'Currently, I am loving the Nkuku mirrored antique baubles and glass stars, which I have dotted around. Also, Cox & Cox are great for garlands, wreaths and tree decorations.'

A sheer linen curtain provides a degree of privacy at the window while still letting the daylight shine through. A large forest green painted corner cupboard adds valuable storage in the living room.

Francesca loves to decorate with bows at Christmas, and often leaves some up all year round.

Fireplace

'When it comes to making a space come alive for an event such as Christmas, it is often candles that really transform a space,' Francesca says.

'A plain mantel, for example, can be made to look extra special with some beautiful candelabras and candles. And of course, now you can get some wonderfully aromatic and uplifting scented candles to add to the festive atmosphere.'

Entrance hall

A classic black-and-white tile chequerboard floor was already in situ when Francesca purchased the house. It brings a lovely sense of traditional grandeur to the space. A large gingham bow and garland are the perfect festive touches

An eye-catching wood console with marble top in the hallway offers the perfect area for a curated collection of art and decorative objects.

At Christmas Francesca fills pretty rustic ceramic bowls with a selection of oversized baubles in golds and silvers that catch the light from the adjacent table lamps.

Bedroom

Panelled walls painted in a rich green-black introduce a touch of grandeur to the principal bedroom and are perfectly complemented by an elaborate shaped upholstered headboard and antique furniture pieces.

A lovely mix of period pieces adds elegant charm to the bedroom – an antique bow dressing table is teamed with an Art Deco upholstered chair with bentwood arms and a mid-century desk lamp. Curtains in a slim monochromatic stripe add an air of formality.

Ensuite bathroom

The ensuite bathroom leads through to the dressing room. Both are decorated in tranquil shades of blue and green.

Guest bedroom

A pretty guest room is decorated in warm earthy tones and features a charming bed canopy and vintage floral cushions. A green velvet stocking full of gifts add the finishing festive touch.

Exterior

A covered verandah adds charm to the exterior. Along with the large lawn for her boys to play football on, it was one of the details that sold the house to Francesca.