Inspiration

Create Christmas magic with photographer Gina Fabish

Article by Your Home and Garden

Gina Fabish is always on the lookout to create Christmas magic for her family. The scene in their 100-year-old villa living room is a festive one, from the robin’s egg blue wrapped presents under the tree to the warm glow of the candles adorning the character-feature fireplace and the green garland that drapes over the mantelpiece. See how you can recreate this luxurious scene in your own home.

Meet & Greet

Gina Fabish (photographer), Rick Fabish (builder), and daughters Isabelle, 16, Isla, 13, Ruby, 11, and Opal, eight.

Q&A with Gina

The photographer and interior designer has a natural eye for the perfect Yuletide tableau

How do you like to celebrate Christmas with your loved ones?

Very simply, we are a busy family of six so we all really enjoy the bliss of not having to be anywhere and spending time together. Good food and time spent with family, simple joys.

What colours and decorations are you loving this festive season?

I always love a monochromatic colour scheme to build from and have a solid base of silver/chrome decorations, which are always my go-to. This year it was fun to mix in the blue and amber inspired by a vintage Mary statue. I love how it feels fresh, fun and vibrant.

What’s your top tip for styling a mantelpiece?

Nothing says Christmas like a beautiful garland. Simple, classic and beautiful, and I always love greenery en masse.

What Christmas traditions do your girls love the most?

We have a few that we all love, from picking the tree to our Christmas Eve visit to New Plymouth’s Festival of Lights in Pukekura Park. Another favourite is a trip to the Christmas Village where we choose a special decoration in memory of my nana, the girls’ Supernana. The girls always make special mention of her when putting those decorations on the tree, which I love.

What are you hoping for under your tree this year?

Honestly, I never wish for anything, I’m always so happy to make it to the end of the year and to have created a little bit of Christmas magic for the girls. But if anyone was to insist, I can never go past Elie Saab Le Parfum.