Meet | Emma of Hamptons in Highfields

Our home account obsession continues with @hamptonsinhighfields. Emma of @hamptonsinhighfields is known for her timeless Hamptons styling with beautiful white and blue accents. We recently had a chat with Emma on transforming her coastal inspired home for Christmas and uncovered her tips and tricks on creating the ultimate festive interior!

How did your love for homewares and interior styling eventuate?

Hamptons in Highfields started in 2016 when I was pregnant with our youngest, I used Instagram as a Pinterest board. Instagram is full of beautiful styled rooms that I took inspiration from to create our own styled nursery. Quickly his room circulated around Instagram and a following began and my love for interiors only strengthened. As the boys grew up my Instagram had to adapt, and I went from a humble little account showcasing his nursery to where I am today sharing our knowledge of DIY and styling of our home.  

How would you describe your interior style? 

I am best known on Instagram for my signature style of white + blue in our coastal Hamptons home.

Our home has an inviting coastal feel a place where you can come home and shut the world away, we have added character to our home with wall accents such as shiplap, wainscoting and fretwork.

We have quiet little corners with window seats to sit and watch the world go by and a beautiful old fashioned swing chair on our front porch.

We have a traditional white shaker style kitchen, in keeping with the Hamptons homes you would see in Long Island, New York. One design feature that was a must have in our home was a mudroom, it’s located in our entrance hallways and certainly commands attention when you enter our home. We feel we have created a light and bright sunny home, with the feeling of summer days all year round, a calm home haven that’s made for living in. A home deigned to grow with our three young boys. 

What role does fragrance play in your home? 

It plays a huge part in our home … scent is one of the most heightened senses and is linked to emotion, it has the ability to positively affect our mood. I love stepping into a home that’s filled with a beautiful scent and I want our home to invoke an emotion to have guests feeling welcomed and relaxed when they come to visit. 

How do you celebrate the festive season?

I was born in England and so we celebrate Christmas Day with a traditional hot English Christmas lunch of Turkey and Yorkshire pudding with all the trimmings Every Christmas celebration features a few standards though and one that stands out is crackers filled with silly gifts, and the fruit cake soaked in alcohol, the cake is set alight and then topped with brandy butter and topped with cream. Yum! 

What are your top 3 styling tips when it comes decorating your home for Christmas? 

My top tips for decorating for Christmas are to use a cohesive colour palette throughout the home and don’t feel the need to decorate every room. 

A beautiful wreath on the door and ornaments or garland for your mantle can be enough for the perfect amount of Christmas cheer.

This year I added a little Christmas magic to our master bedroom by adding a tree, but I kept it simple by only adding twinkle lights, it’s added the perfect amount.

What is your go-to gift?  

Well that’s easy… a beautiful scented Peppermint Grove candle of course, Not only do they evoke all the senses but they come in beautiful packaging.

Do you have any favourite Christmas recipes you can share with us? 

Oh absolutely, last year I made a Christmas ginger bread wreath for my boys, they love ginger bread and making it into a Christmas wreath made it extra special. 

150 g (2/3 cup) butter
100 g (1/2 cup) brown sugar firmly packed
150 g (1/2 cup) golden syrup
1 egg yolk
375 g (2 and 1/2 cups) plain flour
1 tbs ground ginger
1 tsp bi-carbonate of soda
Pinch of salt

Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Line two baking trays with baking paper and set aside.

2. Use an electric beater to cream the butter and brown sugar until pale and creamy.

3. Add the golden syrup and egg yolk and beat until combined.

4. Stir through the plain flour,  ground ginger, bi-carbonate soda and a pinch of salt.

5. Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead into a ball. Wrap in cling wrap and place into the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour.

6. Place the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll out until about 3-4mm thick. Cut out ginger men shapes and place them in a circle ensuring that the hands are touching and lightly press the hands together.

7. Place onto the prepared trays and bake for 8-10 minutes or until just lightly golden (do not overcook).

8. Allow to cool on the trays for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely

9. Add your choice of ribbon and rosemary for the completed look. 

​Happy baking!