Christmas Interior Design Tips with Stephen Ryan
- Dec 8, 2017
- 2 min read
It's that time of the year again... Everyone is out buying presents for friends and family as well as pre-ordering the food ready for Christmas Week…
I made a chestnut soup the other evening but someone (you might know) , ate it all before I got a chance.
In the curiosity of Christmas world foods to try to prepare I came across the following ; pumpkin and walnut pie from Albania, roast goat from Portugal ( which I’ve had in the hills there ), oyster stew from USA, German roast goose, or ptarmigan ( grouse family, also a delicacy in France) from Iceland.
Maybe , not surprisingly, the best and largest list would be U.K. and Ireland ! We are well catered for. Probably have Queen Victoria to thank for that.
But if you can’t be bothered, there are always Heston Blumental’s lovely Christmas puddings stuffed with all sorts indeed, at Waitrose.
After a spot of ice skating at Somerset House or the Natural History Museum , and before your Christmas blowout you could prepare the decorations.
I favour a tree with slightly hidden lights and singular coloured decorations, or clear glass decorations with fruit and cinnamon sticks. Never found a decent fairy
( in my life ! ) for the top, so don’t bother !
For wreaths I like singular mix of lemons or clementines , maybe with a few sticks of cinnamon or ‘bashed’ lemon grass sticks to infuse a seasonal scent.
I plan to create a moss wreath overstuffed with Ferrero Rocher chocolates and see how long it lasts intact.
And of course seasonal scented candles with cinnamon or cloves add a nice ambient.
I can’t get excited by poinsettias ( and they are red!) for Christmas. For your table have small white flowers, mistletoe and fresh rosemary bunched in a small glass for each place setting, alongside your guests drinking glasses.
On the decorations again, I also suggest that if you have a tired old lampshade ( and you’re getting a new one for Christmas hopefully ?) why not cover it with seasonal foliage, mistletoe, small balls (and anything else left off the heaving Christmas tree ) ?
If that is not bling enough, you could walk off your Christmas lunch , after the Queen’s message of course, with a march around the Christmas lights of London.
You have Oxford Street ( with a surgical mask) , Carnaby Street, Bond Street or Regent Street ( very La La land), Covent Garden, Seven Dials and Marylebone .
Of the many winter shopping festivals from the South Bank to Covent Garden, how about the Greenwich Wintertime Festival at the Old Royal Naval College?
However you celebrate your Christmas and New Year have a jolly good one , just don’t wear a ‘Christmas jumper’ !
Stephen Ryan, Interior Designer London
In an era of college football defined by the transfer portal's chaos and NIL deals that would make Fortune 500 executives blush, loyalty has become the rarest of commodities. Jeremiah Smith, the Ohio State wide receiver universally regarded as the best player in college football, recently turned down a transfer offer exceeding $10 million to remain a Buckeye . It was a decision that stunned the sport—and one that cemented his legacy before he ever plays another down. Jeremiah Smith Ohio State Jersey
In the annals of American sports, no family name carries more weight than Manning. From Archie's heroic days in a New Orleans Saints uniform to Peyton's five MVP awards and two Super Bowl rings, to Eli's two Super Bowl victories over Tom Brady, the Manning dynasty has defined quarterback excellence for three generations. Now, the torch has passed to Arch Manning—the 6-foot-4, 219-pound redshirt junior at the University of Texas who carries the weight of his family's legacy while determined to write his own chapter. Arch Manning Texas Jersey
From the heavy cotton jerseys of the 1980s to the high-tech, skin-tight uniforms of today, NCAA basketball and football apparel have always been about more than just covering the players. They are a canvas for tradition, a battleground for corporate innovation, and a multi-billion dollar statement of identity. The story of the NCAA jersey is a fascinating intersection of technology, marketing, culture, and strict—but evolving—regulation. Allen Iverson Georgetown Jersey
Iamaleava has played in 29 games and made 25 starts over three seasons at UCLA (2025) and Tennessee (2023-24) … has completed 449-of-702 pass attempts (64.0%) for 4,858 yards and 34 touchdowns with 12 interceptions in his career … has rushed 241 times for 934 yards and 10 touchdowns … totaled 2,930 passing yards and 21 touchdowns on 241-of-379 passing (64.0%) with five interceptions during his time at Tennessee … rushed for 435 yards on 129 attempts with six touchdowns as a Volunteer … career-long completion in 86 yards, occurring in Week 12 of 2024 at Vanderbilt … career-long rush is 52 yards, coming against Penn State in Week 5 of 2025 … career high in passing yards is 314…
In the pantheon of sporting greatness, there are legends, and then there is Lionel Messi. From a childhood marked by a rare medical condition that threatened his dreams, to a career that has redefined what is possible on a football pitch, Messi's journey is one of improbable triumph. Now at 38 years old, with eight Ballon d'Or trophies, a World Cup crown, and a legacy that transcends the sport, the Argentine maestro stands alone atop the mountain—universally hailed as the greatest footballer to ever grace the game . Messi Jersey