Visualista December Digest: Insights from Britain’s Top Interior Design Magazines
- Alla Yaskovets
- 6 days ago
- 12 min read
Our Visualista December Design Digest brings together the very best from Britain’s leading design media, offering a curated overview of trends, projects, and editorial opportunities for interior designers, brands, and makers. This month, we cover five influential publications — The World of Interiors, Homes & Gardens, Elle Decoration, Livingetc, and House & Garden — each delivering a unique perspective on design, lifestyle, and festive inspiration.
The digest highlights this season’s main topics, from Christmas decorating and seasonal styling to emerging material trends, lighting, and collectible objects. It also provides a practical guide for designers and PR practitioners: understanding the editorial focus, identifying key contributors, learning about the latest names and collections, and discovering opportunities for product placement, project features, or broader publicity.
Whether you’re seeking inspiration, looking to align your brand with high-profile publications, or simply keeping abreast of the UK design scene, the Visualista Design Digest offers a clear view of what each magazine values this December and how to engage effectively with their editorial teams.
The World of Interiors
This Month’s Focus: Life in Miniature
Rather than leaning into Christmas trends, the December issue delves into miniature worlds — from dollhouses and small-scale models to interiors that play with optical trickery.
Editor’s Letter
Editor Emily Tobin opens the December issue with a meditation on scale. While most magazines embrace the festive season with decorating tips, gift guides, and holiday stories, The World of Interiors once again takes its own path. Tobin invites readers to consider “size” instead — how shrinking the world around us can spark new ways of looking at design. To accompany this exploration, the team has released a collectible miniature edition of the magazine, a witty extension of this month’s theme.
New Openings
The issue includes an advertisement announcing a forthcoming showroom opening in the heart of London’s Pimlico Road design district. This commercial placement is supported by an in-depth editorial feature on Jonathan Anderson’s new jewellery collection, spotlighting his intimate, small-scale works shaped by craft and material poetry.
Editorial Shoot
This month’s visual stories embrace the theme of size with humour and imagination.
Stylist Rose Eaglesfield and photographer Ollie Tomlinson present surreal spaces in which proportions are skewed — floor lamps meet the ceiling, furniture appears oversized, and the scene channels an Alice in Wonderland sensibility.
In another story, stylist David Lipton and photographer Edie Telles Nakata reimagine new fabric collections as charming pin cushions, proving once again that WOI remains a favourite showcase for textile designers.
Editorial Insights for Brands & Product Designers
While other December issues focus on Christmas collections, The World of Interiors stays resolutely off-season. There is no festive gift guide — yet product designers are still well represented.
Clare Holley’s international merchandise edit highlights standout launches and design objects from around the world, a valuable placement opportunity for brands with strong storytelling and distinctive craftsmanship.
The Address Book at the back of the issue lists all suppliers featured this month, including pieces that would make beautiful gifts despite the magazine’s non-festive stance.
Editorial Insights for Interior Designers
The Visitors’ Book section features seven highly individual projects — and notably, none include Christmas décor. This editorial independence reinforces the magazine’s ethos: to explore interiors as expressions of creativity, not seasonal obligation.
Highlights include:
Decorator Jessie Fortune’s Paris apartment, one of the few traditionally recognisable interiors in this issue.
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A feature on the heritage of Italian futurist Joe Colombo, focusing on his pioneering ideas around modular living and small-space innovation.
A vivid visual story on the decorated lorries of Pakistani drivers, expanding the definition of interior storytelling.
The Soho studio of Richard Torry, artist and music editor, demonstrating creativity in compact living.
The West Hampstead mini apartment of RIBA Gold Medalist Peter Cook, a study in architectural clarity at a reduced scale.
The Kamiichi Pavilion in Japan by architect Peter Slater, a contemplative micro-structure that mirrors the issue’s theme.
Homes & Gardens
This Month’s Focus: Festive Style
December is dedicated to Christmas décor and seasonal recipes, with inspiring festive rooms, tablescapes, and entertaining ideas throughout. The issue is complemented by The List, the magazine’s annual printed directory of interior designers, decorators, landscape specialists, and suppliers — an invaluable guide for anyone planning a renovation in the new year.
Editor’s Letter
In his December letter, the new editor Talib Choudhry reflects on the magazine’s retro-themed Christmas shoot — styled and photographed during this summer’s London heatwave. Inspired by the 1970s and the magazine’s own archives, the shoot anchors an issue in which the food team and the decorations editors truly shine.
Design Trend: colour-rich wool accents
After years of dominance from oatmeal throws and cream bouclé, the editors forecast a move toward bright mohair, patterned shearling, and richly pigmented wool textures, bringing warmth and personality into winter rooms.
Editorial Shoot
The main shoot — produced during a London heatwave — showcases the magazine’s meticulous long-lead planning. Styled by Ruth Sleightholme and Remy Mishon and photographed by Jasper Fry, the story blends a warm retro palette, handcrafted details, and a distinctly 70s aesthetic. Food stylist Lucy Rose Turnbull completes the scene with richly atmospheric seasonal dishes, bringing nostalgic charm and Christmas cheer to this thoughtfully crafted feature.
Editorial Opportunities for Brands & Product Designers
The December issue of Homes & Gardens demonstrates that luxury and accessibility can coexist seamlessly. This month, attention falls on IKEA’s new collaboration with Stockholm designer Gustaf Westman, whose bright, curved pieces bring playful Scandinavian energy to everyday living.
Alongside this, Arena Talent highlights emerging makers, including San Francisco–based woodworker Jesse Schlesinger, whose sculptural, minimalist approach to timber reflects the magazine’s keen eye for innovation and craftsmanship.
Meanwhile, editor Laura Normanton focus to sleep and wellbeing, presenting luxurious bedlinen, supportive pillows, and other tactile, comfort-led products that harmonise with the season’s themes of warmth and home.
For brands, the December issue is a prime moment to pitch giftable objects, small decorative pieces, textiles, scent, tableware, and limited editions, all of which align naturally with festive storytelling.
Editorial Opportunities for Interior Designers
This month, the Homes section features just four carefully selected projects, three of which are styled for Christmas, offering readers a masterclass in festive interior design. Highlights include the home of Lucy Clayton, creator of House of Dolls, brought to life by interior designer Ben Pentreath, and a cosy yet elegant chalet in the French Alps designed by Nicole Salvesen of Salvesen & Graham. The London apartment of British actor Joely Richardson serves as this month’s cover story.
Decorating a project for Christmas ahead of time is always tricky and carries inherent risk: the strong seasonal focus can limit opportunities for featuring the same project in other issues throughout the year. Yet for designers willing to embrace the challenge, the December issue offers a unique chance for highly visible editorial coverage, as the magazine values bold, seasonal content and rewards creative risk-taking with thoughtful, well-curated publication.
ELLE Decoration
Editor’s Letter
Editor Ben Spring, fresh from celebrating a milestone birthday, reflects on the importance of marking moments and surrounding ourselves with the people we love. As the year draws to a close, this sentiment shapes an issue filled with ideas for celebrating and gathering. December is unusually rich in content — instead of the usual five homes, the magazine presents thirteen projects, accompanied by a special seasonal supplement, ELLE Decoration Country.
This Month’s Focus: Consumerism & the Joy of Shopping
December leans into the pleasures of collecting, gifting and discovering. The editorial team explores the world’s most compelling retail experiences, with a particular focus on two of LVMH’s newest architectural “temples”: DIOR in New York City and Fendi in Milan.
Exhibitions: Design Miami
ELLE Decoration maintains its global perspective with coverage from Design Miami. The editors highlight the names to watch.
Design Trend: Sculptural Drapery
A rising aesthetic draws from the language of antiquity: draped forms cast in plaster, stone, travertine, and resin, echoing Ancient Greek sculptors. The trend celebrates fluidity frozen in time — soft silhouettes expressed through solid materials.
Editorial Shoots
Throughout the year, ELLE Decoration has repeatedly turned its eye to the expressive potential of metal — from sculptural lighting to etched and cast surfaces — signalling a clear, ongoing material trend. This month’s still-life story continues that exploration, spotlighting a new selection of contemporary metal objects styled by Olivia Gregory and photographed by Mark Anthony Fox.
Editorial Insights for Brands & Product Designers
The NOW section expands in the December issue, introducing new names and standout launches. Of particular note is the latest limited-edition collection by Vesper Design, created in collaboration with Colombian designer Natalia Criedo — refined, sculptural objects with strong aesthetic identity.
Gift-focused content is abundant: a beautifully assembled host’s gift guide, centred around glassware and tabletop pieces and curated selections across various budgets, catering to both design lovers and festive shoppers.
Lighting remains a perennial ELLE Decoration favourite and December includes a substantial feature on the latest lighting collections. As in The World of Interiors, the magazine also celebrates re-editions of iconic design pieces, with a spotlight on Joe Colombo’s KD28 lamp for Kartell.
Editorial Insights for Interior Designers
The Treasures section features designers reflecting on meaningful objects. In the December issue, the founder of Elision discusses a sculptural pendant that tell a story of resilience, love and survival.
The Industry Index profiles Hannes Peer, the Milan-based multidisciplinary designer known for his architecturally driven approach to luxurious materials and expressive form.
This issue also includes insight from the hospitality world: architect Joseph Durand discusses the opening of London’s most anticipated new hotel, The Chancery Rosewood, offering a rare glimpse into its design philosophy.
In At Home With, actor Isla Fisher invites readers inside her London townhouse, transformed into a serene sanctuary by the Soho Home design team.
The Spaces section spans global projects without overt Christmas styling; instead, the unifying thread is generous, open-plan living rooms designed for gatherings, parties, and the social rhythms of the season.
The Expert Advice section always offers designers a chance to share insight and authority. At this time of year, it turns its attention to the art of festive lighting — exploring how to create atmosphere, warmth and a sense of celebration through layered illumination. It’s an ideal moment for designers to showcase their talent for crafting mood.
Livingetc
Editor’s Letter
Editor Pip Rich opens the December issue with a characteristically playful reflection on the season. In past years, he writes, he has described Christmas as “cashmere”—soft, comforting, familiar. This year, it feels more “caipirinha”—spirited, colourful and full of personality. The joy of simple gathering rather than spectacle: no grand “Insta-llations,” just warmth, humour and the pleasure of being together.
This Month’s Focus: Christmas
The issue embraces Christmas in all its exuberance — celebration, colour, gifting, tablescaping and spirited design moments.
Design Trend: Full Gloss
Livingetc champions high-shine finishes this month. From lacquered cabinetry to reflective accessories, the trend captures the magazine’s appetite for bold, expressive surfaces that amplify festive light.
Editorial Opportunities for Brands & Product Designers
The magazine opens with a curated selection of festive décor, setting a bright, celebratory tone for the issue, followed by an expansive Christmas gift guide. The guide is thoughtfully curated with affordability in mind, making it an ideal space for brands offering cheerful, colourful, or small-scale festive products.
The Names to Know section spotlights London woodworker Sophie Sells, founder of Studio Grain & Knot, whose sustainable objects — crafted from storm-fallen timber — embody the natural, handmade sensibility
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A major interview feature focuses on Anya Hindmarch, celebrated for her witty bags and charms, whose playful, thoughtful approach to objects resonates perfectly with the spirit of Livingetc. For inspiration, check out our recent gift guide featuring Anya Hindmarch’s charms as perfect presents for design lovers.
Contributing editor Amy Moore Wong continues her monthly colour column, this time exploring silvery green—a soft, wintry shade paired with product selections and colour-mixing ideas.
Editorial Opportunities for Interior Designers
The Decorations section is packed with inspiration: show-stopping table schemes from designers and tastemakers, clever decorating ideas, maximalist festive looks and practical, personality-driven tips. This is where designers can shine by offering original seasonal styling approaches and party-ready vignettes.
In the Q&A, designer Ananth Ramaswamy responds to reader dilemmas—discussing cosy corners, upholstery choices and why a hit of red can enliven any winter room. This section is a consistent opportunity for designers to share accessible expertise.
The Homes section includes six projects—only one based in London, and just one styled explicitly for Christmas. The remaining homes nod to the season through winter tones, atmospheric lighting or subtle celebration cues.
The Projects section extends this theme, offering advice on gathering-friendly spaces: island-centred kitchens, conversation-driven seating and solutions for hosting. For designers, it’s a strong angle to pitch expertise during the holiday period.
Homes & Gardens
Editor’s Letter
Editor Jo Bailey reflects on the chaotic side of Christmas decorating — from trees that never quite fit to last-minute adjustments that spark both laughter and panic. It’s these imperfect, unpredictable moments, she writes, that make the season truly personal. The spirit of the issue, therefore, is one of embracing the mess, the warmth and the joy of creating a home that feels festive, lived-in and full of heart.
This Month’s Focus: Christmas
The December issue is devoted to celebrating every corner of the festive home: smart decorating ideas, ornament edits, seasonal styling tricks, and the best shops and makers to visit for meaningful touches. It’s a comprehensive guide to curating a beautiful, heartfelt Christmas.
Editorial Shoot
A richly atmospheric Christmas story, styled by Sally Denning and photographed by Polly Wreford, features florals by Juliet Graves Flowers. The shoot sets a tone of understated sophistication: natural textures, soft candlelight, and artful festive arrangements.
Editorial Opportunities for Brands & Product Designers
December offers a particularly strong commercial landscape across Homes & Gardens:
Object of Desire highlights the most beautifully crafted Christmas ornaments and decorative pieces — a key space for brands offering stylish tree decorations, tableware, candles or sculptural festive objects.
The Edit features notable new products, store openings and design destinations. It includes the launch of Collier Webb’s new Seven Sisters lighting collection, showcasing British craftsmanship at its finest.
In Movers & Shakers, the spotlight turns to maker Shinta Nakajima, whose hand-hammered silver pieces celebrate organic form and the quiet poetry of nature.
As expected for a consumer-oriented Christmas issue, there is an expansive gift guide, thoughtfully curated across price points. The magazine also includes a list of independent shops across the UK — opening doors for small brands and artisans who rarely appear in larger interior edits.
Editorial Opportunities for Interior Designers
The colour of the month is ivory white — a serene, luminous shade used throughout the decorating stories, offering designers an opportunity to contribute and offer commentary on using pale neutrals during winter.
Design Rules, the magazine’s longstanding expert-advice column, spotlights the founders of Sibyl Colefax in this issue. They share their guidance on hosting and creating elegant seasonal soirées.
The Design Ideas section — a regular source of seasonal inspiration in the magazine — explores festive fireplaces this month, from garlands to mantel dressing, creating a timely opportunity for designers to share their take on atmospheric, holiday-ready styling.
The Homes Section — which traditionally highlights British projects — features five properties this month. Three are styled for the season: Cozy London Townhouse by designer Brandon Schubert, 17th-century cottage by Sophie Garland and Chic London apartment by designer Olra Read.
For readers seeking inspiration for their own homes — and for designers planning how to style projects ahead of a winter photoshoot — this month’s homes provide valuable cues on what resonates with the editorial team and seasonal trends.
Kitchens have long been a focus of Homes & Gardens, particularly during the festive season when they form the heart of holiday gatherings. This issue highlights new layout ideas and styling approaches, providing designers with a prime opportunity to showcase their expertise in creating warm, inviting culinary spaces. Designers Martin Hilbert and Alicia Meireles share insights into making kitchens both functional and celebratory.
The Lifestyle section offers designers a platform to share personal perspective and seasonal inspiration. In December, it features a blend of culinary, decorative, and cultural content: designer, cook, and author Skye McAlpine presents Christmas recipes alongside festive decorating ideas from her newly released crêpe book.
Decorative artist Bridie Hall reflects on the design and spirit of Dublin; and in the “My Life in 10” feature, writer and Cassette co-founder Laura Jackson reveals the objects, places, and rituals that bring her joy. This section allows designers to demonstrate their taste, creativity, and influence in shaping how readers experience seasonal living.
Getting Featured in Top UK Interior Design Magazines
For designers, brands, and makers, Visualista offers tailored PR guidance and strategy. Whether you want to position your products, secure editorial coverage, or build meaningful relationships with top UK design publications, our team can help you navigate the media landscape.
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