Some houses really come into their own at Christmas. This is one of them. Home for the past 19 years to Chris Sharples and Jon Moore, the handsome 1822 building in the village of Compton near Guildford, Surrey, has the double-fronted symmetry of a child’s drawing – and the rich colours of its furnishings are the perfect backdrop for holly and candlelight. (📸 Brent Darby) #ChristmasCheer

A gorgeous festive scene... and of course the beautiful cover shot from our December issue this year. It's images like these that make magazines so magical ✨ Link in bio to subscribe. (📸 Rachel Whiting|Styling: Alaina Binks and Ben Kendrick)

St John the Baptist Church in Knaresborough, Yorkshire. What a stunning winter scene ❄️ (📸 #Repost #Regram @yorkshire_brew) #ChristmasTime

Sea birds hovering over hungry people’s crab sandwiches and kids playing on the sand. Have you ever been to #Salcombe? #Devon #WinterStaycation

A frosted tree with red and white theme, surrounded by soft Christmas characters who are, no doubt, part of the extended family. We love the hedgehog. (📸 Nato Welton) #ChristmasTree #ChristmasDecorating

Dreaming of country life? This impressive rural Berkshire home, designed by award-winning architect Richard Cutler, has just entered the market — but you'll need £3.5 million to make it your own. Link in bio to take a look inside... #DreamHome #CountryHome (📸 Knight Frank)

There’s so much to love about this festive pic from @benfogle. The dogs, the tree, the colour coordinated book shelf, the nutcracker… Christmas goals. (📸 #Repost #Regram @benfogle) #ChristmasTree #Shelfie #DogsOfInstagram

It can feel a bit sad when leaves start to fall from the trees... but then we remember how beautiful their frosty bare branches can be. There's nothing quite like the crispness of winter. #Yorkshire #WinterWalks (📸 Andrew Bret Wallis)

What a gorgeous festive fireplace. More is definitely more, here, with fresh green and purple foliage and oversized paper pom-poms. Lovely. (📸 #Repost #Regram via @crack_the_shutters & @housebeautifuluk)

To talk all things Christmas, we visited Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen in his new studio in Cirencester, Gloucestershire. Here are his lessons on Christmas decorating, starting with a very important one: do what's right for you. You can read our full profile on @llewelynbowen in our January issue, on sale now! Link in bio to subscribe for yourself or as a gift for a loved one this Christmas. (📸 @aluncallenderphoto) #ChristmasDecorating #ChristmasTrees #Cotswolds #Cirencester

A modern larder comes into its own in the run up to Christmas - once a staple in every household, but forgotten in favour of extra large fridges and built-in cabinets, the larder is once again a covetable feature in a modern country kitchen. ➡️ Swipe for 5 design ideas to make the kitchen larder work for you, just in time for the Christmas shop ➡️ (📸 @adamjason1) Slide 1: Use statement finishes: Gone are the days of your grandmother's stone-walled storage areas, the design and craftsmanship in modern larders and pantries are features in themselves. Spotlight your larder with bold colour ways and eye-catching fixtures (📸 @neptunehomeofficial) Slide 2: Work with your kitchen layout: The joy of a larder is that it doesn't have to fit into your immediate kitchen layout. An unused recess can be adapted for a bespoke larder, or use a clever fitted unit in an otherwise forgotten corner, like in our very own Country Living Whitstable Kitchen. (📸 @homebase_uk ) Slide 3: Get creative with storage: The best larders are those that have a good amount of depth to accommodate clever storage features such as roll-out shelving, rows of door-mounted storage racks, and space for wooden apple crates or wicker baskets. (📸 @neptunehomeofficial) Slide 4: Invest in lighting: If you do remember larders of old, they were often dark and dingy spaces without much consideration for design or styling. These days, there is very much a reason to highlight the carefully organised foodstuffs and accessories inside, so consider adding LED strip lighting nestled underneath your shelving. (📸 @oliveandbarr) Slide 5: Organise, organise, organise: The larder is the one spot in your kitchen that should have Marie Kondo levels of organisation. Bring in your ceramic storage containers, your mason jars, and your labelled tins for a truly satisfying and totally practical display. (📸 @oliveandbarr)

Starting to think about your Christmas menu? We asked @gelfalderson, Executive Chef at @rivercottagehq, to share his tips on Brussels sprouts cookery, alternatives to turkey and the perfect gravy. Warning: May cause mouth to water 🥬. We feature a full festive menu from River Cottage in our December issue which is only on sale for a couple more days. Grab yours quick! #ChristmasMenu #RiverCottage #StressFreeChristmas