Sneaking onto someone’s farm and sawing down a Christmas tree is an unusual Saunders family tradition for the holidays. With Grandma in tow, three generations of the family trek deep into the bush to spot the perfect pine before taking it down, dragging it into their sport-utility vehicle and putting the pedal to the metal for a high-speed getaway. We call it Christmas-tree hunting, recalls Bridget, laughing. We’re not like normal families that bake pies and sing carols – we go on a family heist!
Despite Bridget and her husband moving to Hong Kong five years ago and her parents and sister now residing in London, Christmas has always been spent at their charming beach home in a coastal town near Johannesburg. This year will be their first Christmas away from South Africa, but Bridget is making the most of it by planning a party. Hosting friends in their spacious flat should be a breeze, especially with a roomy kitchen to roll out a decadent feast and an ample rooftop terrace with pretty views.
Given her background as a stylist, it’s only natural that Bridget’s home be outfitted in a well-edited array of furnishings and accessories. The couple moved to Hong Kong with little more than a couple of suitcases after having lived in the UK for three years and Australia for three years. Once they settled into the city, however, Bridget began amassing a collection of home furnishings set in neutral tones – especially in their latest move from Kennedy Town to a larger, light-filled space in Happy Valley. I like when a house feels like you haven’t decorated it all in one go, when it feels like it comes together over time and things are collected rather than installed, says the stylist. You can remember little things from your life or your marriage.
Meaningful gifts from family and friends adorn their warm and inviting flat, including a sculpture commissioned by Bridget’s mother for the couple’s wedding, and other crafty mementos such as the frames in which Bridget showcases champagne corks from special moments as well as white coral picked up while vacationing at Amanpulo in the Philippines.
An inclination for creative projects seems to run in the family, too, and another Saunders household tradition is hand-making centrepieces with her younger sister, Kassie. In the past, they’ve done up their table in an elaborate Enchanted Christmas theme by taking tree bark overgrown with moss and pinning fresh flowers to create a magical centrepiece. Bridget’s evoking the same spirit this year with her own rendition of a South African beachside Christmas motif, topped with glamorous ornaments and accents courtesy of Bowerbird Home.
Celebrating Christmas in Hong Kong will definitely be a change of pace, but the gracious hostess is well-equipped with the space and style to throw a lavish, champagne-fuelled celebration. If I’m not going to be home for Christmas, I have to at least make it feel Christmassy and super-festive, she says. It’s the first of many fun-filled parties to take place at Bridget’s recently decked-out party pad, which will certainly usher in a whole new set of traditions and milestones to be remembered.
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