Tara Dennis lives and breathes Christmas. In her Balmain homewares haven, she’s forever swapping jingling bells for evergreen wreaths, only to see them whisked away by inspired shoppers. “Even yesterday, I was chopping things down, thinking, ‘What goes here next?’ It’s an ever-evolving Christmas theme,” she laughs. Nothing stays the same for long.
On any given day, Tara might be scaling a ladder with a champagne bucket under one arm and linen napkins in the other, or tweaking festive windows late at night to spark tomorrow’s ideas. “My magic is making home feel like home – the best it can be,” she says. “Retail is just an extension of what I did on TV. I’m still helping people create beautiful spaces.”
Her genius approach to styling takes the stress out of decorating. Simple, heartfelt tips that work with what you already own, and won’t blow the budget.
Listen to Tara’s brilliant Christmas decorating ideas on The Edit – a new podcast by Home Beautiful
In her own home, Christmas begins in the most magical way – on Christmas Eve. After weeks of styling countless trees for her store, Tara finally turns her creative energy homeward. When the last happy customer leaves and the shop doors close, the family heads to their river house, ready to embrace the season.
A glass of champagne marks the end of the busiest stretch and the start of a well-earned celebration. With her husband and son – both as passionate about the season as she is – Tara transforms their river house into a festive sanctuary.
This year, Tara’s Christmas table celebrates the ultimate icon of summer – the pineapple. Inspired by its fresh, sun-kissed palette of soft yellows and vibrant greens, her setting begins with an elegant block-printed linen tablecloth. Down the centre runs a lush evergreen garland, accented with colour-matched baubles and ribbons for a look that feels effortless yet elevated.
Tara’s skill in reinventing what you already own to create a festive look is her secret weapon and something she’s honed over years of visual merchandising. It’s not difficult to achieve. “If customers don’t have a lot of money to spend, I’ll say OK, great, let’s get some ribbon. Let’s dolly up what you had last year and make it better,” says Tara. “Do you have some decorations from your tree left over from last year? Maybe you can add those to a new wreath and make it more personal and yours. It’s the little touches…”
Each year, Tara’s Christmas style draws on trends she spots during her travels. This season, it’s all about layering personality into the table. Dust off Grandma’s candlesticks (tapered candles are having a major moment) and line them down the centre for instant elegance. If pineapples aren’t your thing, swap in seasonal touches: split a market bunch of Christmas bush into petite posies or create a fresh herb row with supermarket pots for a simple, chic twist.
The star of Tara’s Christmas menu this year is a pavlova crowned with delicate dried pineapple flowers. “I bought a Sunbeam dehydrator last year, and I got it out again last night to make a whole bunch of pineapple blooms for my pavlova,” she says. Her decorations echo this sunny palette—soft yellows paired with warm brass candlesticks and cream-tinted tapers. By stripping back other colours, Tara lets these tones shine, carrying the theme through with tiny ribbons on glassware and a hint of sparkle in the baubles.
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