A family Christmas in a converted barn in France

Winter starts early here, which is why we start getting our Christmas ornaments ready in mid November,’ says Charlotte Denis, explaining that as it gets dark by 4.30pm, they have the perfect excuse to put up fairy lights and candles. Two or three pine trees are also brought in around this time, as much for their scent as for tradition.

Having lived in this part of France while growing up, Charlotte, who moved away to train as an osteopath, has recently returned with her husband, Étienne, and their two young children, Jeanne and Ernest.

The opportunity to renovate a disused barn on her family’s farm seemed like the perfect chance to offer her children a childhood similar to her own: surrounded by fields and forests, with their grandparents and great- grandmother as neighbours.

The couple’s careful transformation of the 19th-century building into a family home ensured that all the original features that remained were retained and restored, from the ancient staircase to the lofty beams.

Originally divided into two large rooms on the ground floor, Charlotte and Étienne opened the space up to create a huge open-plan living space, which is cleverly zoned – having moved from a flat, the couple were reluctant to put in doors.

‘This large living space that the children can cycle around in is a huge bonus,’ says Charlotte. The upper floor, which used to be a hayloft, is now given over to bedrooms and bathrooms and, at the front, they left an outdoor area so as to have a covered terrace, allowing the family to be outdoors in all seasons.

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When it came to furnishing the house, the couple didn’t have to look very far. Over the years, while waiting for the house of her dreams, Charlotte had been scouring local flea markets and car boot sales for furniture and decorative items; purchases were stored in another barn on the farm where they now live.

‘Bargain-hunting is a family tradition. My mum has always loved decorating her home,’ she says. ‘I’m fortunate enough to have a husband who enjoys it as much as I do.’

During the summer months, they visit flea markets and antiques fairs every weekend. The region’s rural traditions mean that Charlotte has been able to find much quality, solid wood furniture and the Emmaüs, the flea markets created by Abbé Pierre in the 1950s, are a favourite hunting ground for simple and rustic furniture, perfect for upcycling.

Charlotte is also a keen collector of old toys and religious vintage paraphernalia, which she combines to create charming displays – especially attractive when juxtaposed with the floral wallpapers she has used throughout the house.

‘We used wallpaper to accentuate the family-home look and make it appear as if it had always been here.’ Favourite designs are from Sandberg, William Morris and Boråstapeter, which she loves for their print quality and their retro feel, ‘so reminiscent of our beloved grandmothers’ houses,’ she explains.

‘I have a passion for florals, whether on paper, fabric or porcelain. It’s my soft spot!’ This love of old-fashioned florals also feeds into her passion for traditional crafts such as knitting, sewing and flower-arranging; all hobbies she enjoys in her free time.

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‘Once the children are in bed, I spend an hour or two in my studio. It helps me to relax after my working day, far more than watching TV,’ she says.

Her delicate creations provide decorative touches throughout their home, all year round. A large wreath that hangs over the kitchen table is a permanent fixture, and Charlotte adapts it according to the seasons – adding dried flowers in spring, hydrangeas in summer, and candles in the winter.

When it comes to decorating the house for Christmas, Charlotte is twice as creative – in part because Jeanne and Ernest like to join in, too. Together, they make shortbread cookies or decorations out of modelling clay using star or tree-shaped cookie cutters.

‘We do a lot of making. I prefer to buy fewer but better-quality decorations that I will never tire of,’ she says. ‘And every year, the children choose a new ornament to put on the tree – it’s become our ritual.’

From those first dark days at the end of November, when the first fairy lights go up and perhaps some spruce branches are brought into the house, the rooms become more and more festive, gradually adorned with family creations the closer to Christmas it gets.

‘We are fortunate to live surrounded by nature,’ says Charlotte, explaining that in the run-up to Christmas they are able to collect pine cones and cut fir branches in their own garden.

But for someone who clearly loves Christmas as much as Charlotte does, it’s not surprising to learn that the planning starts quite a bit earlier than that. ‘At the end of the summer, we put the last of the flowers out to dry, so we have a good stock for the winter.’