What Is Siobhan Murphy's Magical Christmas Event At Harewood House With Upcycled Decorations?

While summer might feel like it just ended, the festive season is already kicking off in a big way over at Harewood House. An incredible team is hard at work creating what sounds like the most enchanting Christmas experience yet. Led by the renowned interior designer Siobhan Murphy, a group of dedicated volunteers are crafting a spectacular winter wonderland, and it’s all happening with a clever, eco-friendly twist. This isn’t just any Christmas event; it’s a full-blown celebration of colour, creativity, and community spirit, all getting ready for a grand ball.

A christmas makeover with a twist

This year, Harewood's Christmas event, titled 'A Glittering Invitation: Harewood's Grand Christmas Ball', is all about sustainability and sparkle. Imagine a Christmas where old things are given a new, glamorous life. That’s exactly what’s happening. A huge focus is on creating beautiful, handmade decorations from pre-loved items. Think about it, over 2,000 bits and bobs have been rescued from car boot sales and second-hand shops to be transformed into festive treasures. Even 300 vintage leather-bound books from St Gemma’s Hospice in Leeds are being given a new purpose in the design.

This upcycled approach means that the entire celebration will have a unique, heartfelt feel. It’s not just about buying new things; it’s about reimagining old ones. The creative team is proving that you can create a truly luxurious and magical experience while still being kind to the planet. This bold and joyful design will fill the historic house with a special kind of magic this Christmas.

Meet the creative director: Siobhan Murphy

The mastermind behind this colourful Christmas vision is Siobhan Murphy. Anyone who has seen her work knows she’s all about being bold and joyful. As a celebrated interior designer, she’s known for her maximalist style, which basically means 'more is more'. It’s a design philosophy that embraces vibrant colours, rich textures, and lots of patterns to create interiors that are full of personality. And what's more maximalist than Christmas?

Siobhan has been appointed the Creative Director of Christmas at Harewood for 2025, and she is bringing her signature flair to the event. She has a talent for turning ordinary spaces into something extraordinary and enchanting. Speaking about the project, she explained her love for the season’s natural abundance.

“At its heart, Christmas is already maximalist, glittering lights, velvet ribbons, flickering candlelight, ornaments that sparkle like heirlooms, rooms scented with cinnamon and spices. It’s a season of abundance – and that’s exactly why I love it. Christmas allows us to lean into beauty for beauty’s sake. It’s a celebration of layers, textures, patterns, and nostalgia – all coexisting in perfect harmony.”

“Harewood is renowned for helping to create magical memories every Christmas, so it’s a true career milestone to be this year’s Creative Director of Christmas. ‘Reimagining the Regency Era’ is all about creating a living, breathing experience that balances everything I love about maximalism and abundance, with carefully curated pieces that our talented volunteers have upcycled by hand. It’s plentiful but everything serves a purpose, whether it’s a perfectly placed jewel or a just-right fabric drape, bringing to life everything that a Regency-inspired grand ball would exude.”

Thousands of handmade decorations

So, what does it take to create a maximalist Christmas ball? A lot of creativity and many, many hands. An amazing team of around 50 volunteers have already poured over 500 hours into making thousands of intricate decorations. It’s a massive community effort. Some volunteers even take materials home to craft things like delicate paper flowers from vintage papers. It's this personal, handmade touch that will make the experience so special.

By the time the installation is finished, it’s expected that a staggering 10,000 handmade decorations will adorn Harewood House. Here are just a few facts to give you an idea of the scale:

• Over 100 metres of paper chains have been created so far.
• 500 pre-loved tutus have been collected from places like Vinted and charity shops.
• Many decorations are being cleverly repurposed from previous years' events.

The sheer number of upcycled items shows the commitment to a sustainable yet spectacular event. This grand celebration is being built with love, community spirit, and a whole lot of glitter.

More than just decorations: a magical experience

The event promises to be an immersive experience that transports visitors to a dazzling Regency-era ball. Think of the elegance and grandeur you might see in a show like *Bridgerton*, but with Siobhan's signature colourful and maximalist twist. The historic backdrop of Harewood House, with its stunning landscape, is the perfect setting for such an enchanting celebration.

And there’s an extra layer of magic for younger visitors. Siobhan is working with nine specialist miniaturist artists to create a tiny version of the Christmas event. These artists include Michael Robbins from Channel 4’s Great Big Tiny Design Challenge and the incredibly talented thirteen-year-old Arabella Duffy. The tiny, detailed pieces will be hidden throughout the House, creating a free trail for children to follow. It’s a wonderful way to encourage families to slow down and appreciate the small details that make the whole experience so special.

The creative team doesn't stop there. Other big names are involved, including Helena Garcia from The Great British Bake Off 2019, who will be making cakes, and paper flower artist Monica Escobar, who is crafting a stunning corridor installation. Every corner of the house will be part of the story.

A big celebration for everyone

Harewood is committed to making sure everyone can enjoy the festive magic. Zoë Hughes, Head of Public Programme at Harewood, is thrilled about the collaboration.

"We are incredibly excited to be working with Siobhan for Christmas this year; her colourful approach and maximalist know-how are perfectly placed to create an immersive experience celebrating the luxury and opulence of the Regency era."

To make the event more accessible, Harewood has invested in EnChroma glasses. These special glasses help people with red-green colour blindness to see the vibrant colours of the decorations. It’s a thoughtful touch that means more people can fully experience the visual splendour of Siobhan's design.

Zoë added:

“It’s important to us that everyone feels welcome at Harewood - always, but especially at Christmas when there’s so much expectation to experience events with family and friends. Touches like the EnChroma glasses and our quiet hours for those who are neurodivergent, can hopefully go a way towards helping more people feel comfortable throughout the festive season this year.”

How to get involved and visit

Feeling inspired by all this creativity? Harewood is looking for more volunteers to help bring this magical Christmas to life. There are upcoming workshops on 16 September and 23 September. Anyone interested in helping craft decorations can get in touch by emailing volunteer@harewood.org.

Tickets for 'A Glittering Invitation: Harewood's Grand Christmas Ball' are already on sale. The event runs from Saturday 8 November 2025 to Sunday 4 January 2026. It promises to be a truly unforgettable, joyful, and utterly enchanting Christmas celebration for the whole family.