Renowned Swedish interior designer Beata Heuman has mastered the art of vibrant and playful interiors, an approach that extends to her Christmas décor. Here, we step inside Heuman’s studio in Hammersmith, where she shares her top tips for dressing the crown jewel of holiday decorations – the Christmas tree – and how to harness fruit to bring festive cheer to your home, the Scandinavian way
Christmas has arrived at Beata Heuman’s studio! The acclaimed Swedish interior designer has decorated her creative hub in Hammersmith for the holidays, leaning into her Nordic heritage and distinctive style that blends playful elegance with a dash of whimsy.
Here, in an exclusive video with the British online masterclass platform BBC Maestro, Heuman styles the pièce de résistance of festive decorations: the Christmas tree. “It’s a fairly ridiculous tradition, bringing this grown tree into the house – which is why I love it,” she smiles. In many households, dressing the Christmas tree is a cherished ritual, and the same goes for Heuman’s studio, where every two years, the interior designer and her team choose a theme for their spruce.
Sugared fruit brings wintery, a nostalgic touch to Christmas decorations. Photo: BBC Maestro
Renowned Swedish interior designer Beata Heuman. Photo: BBC Maestro
This year, surprisingly realistic fake fruit – namely apples and pears – dangle from the branches of Heuman’s tree, complete with a faux mistletoe garland sprayed with gold and silver shimmer and battery-operated candles snaking around the spruce. “Fruits are interesting, [they have] organic shapes and beautiful colours,” she muses. Make sure your fruit is light enough, she reminds us, and slip in a delicate twine – Heuman used a gold-toned one – to hang them on the tree.
But fruits pack even more festive potential. Consider the ever-nostalgic sugared fruit, which creates the effect of glimmering frost enveloping the surface. “It’s very easy – you just cook them in egg white and roll them in sugar, and you can put them in a bowl,” Heuman advises. Then there’s the fruit-forward decoration closest to her heart, harking back to her childhood: the clove-spiked oranges, wrapped with a scarlet bow and instantly swathing your home in a divine Christmas scent…
Watch the full video below: