We are excited to introduce our new Christmas interview series – in which we'll be asking the people we most admire all about how they do Christmas – the first of which, being with the floral designer and author extraordinaire Amy Merrick.
Amy creates narratives from nature and brings a sense of wonder to everything she touches. We are huge fans of her book, On Flowers: Lessons from an Accidental Florist, a one-of-a-kind journey into the mind of a true creative, in which she gathers film photographs, intimate essays, inspirations and fresh perspectives for living with and loving flowers. We adored hearing Amy's Christmas snippets and hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
Amy, what is your most treasured Christmas decoration?
My most treasured decoration is still on my parents tree! It's a small Victorian baby in a christening gown given to me on my first christmas by the GP that delivered me, he was a family friend and I was always really entranced by it as a child. I'm too sentimental to take it off my childhood tree quite yet, I think it means a lot to my mom to see it each year.
Amy in her mother's arms on her first Christmas Day
How will you be decorating your home this year?
This year I'm going to go big as my parents and sister are coming from the States and it's my daughter's first Christmas! I like to lean into our house's Georgian history and go full Dickens, but I did find a pile of old vintage gold tinsel so things may get a bit glitzier this year.
What is the best Christmas present you’ve ever been given?
My husband once gave a membership to the London Library which was quite good. And another year I got a first edition of Some Flowers by Vita Sackville West, although truthfully I picked that out myself. I'm a bit of an anomaly in that I'm not too fussed about the presents aspect of Christmas, I just love the traditions, decorating and celebrating with family.
What can you tell us about your Christmas installation at Dennis Severs' House this year?
It is amazing what £50 of ribbon can do to decorate a big old house! Lots of bulbs in mossy, antique bowls. Tablescapes of sugared fruits. Fruit is such a classic, undervalued motif for Christmas decorating.
Dennis Severs' House decorated by Creative Director Amy Merrick.
If you could choose just one thing from the JamJar Edit collection, what would it be and why?
It might have to be the Rose Globe. What a special way to showcase just one flower!
Rose Globe by JamJar Edit, £150
Dennis Severs' House
Photography: Louis Gaillard
We highly recommend a visit to the annual Christmas installation at Dennis Severs' House, decorated by Amy Merrick (Creative Director) and completely spellbinding. Booking required.
Dennis Severs came to Spitalfields in 1979 and bought a derelict house saved by the Spitalfields Trust. He reconfigured it to tell the story of an imaginary Huguenot family who had lived there since it was built in 1724. The house became his life’s work.