Christmas is the highlight of the year for Claire Rayment at her shop, Hummingbird House in Cockermouth.

Each year she holds a festive launch event when hundreds of customers descend on the Main Street shop to find out which trends are in and choose decorations and gifts from the huge selection.

Claire has had the shop for five years, opening the business when she was just 21. She had graduated with a degree in law but wasn’t certain she wanted to carry on with her training.

A long-term interest in interiors led her to decide to open Hummingbird House.

“That’s when I had the idea to start my own business,” says Claire. “When I look back now, I think I really was a bit fearless and thought why not? If you don’t try, you won’t know.”

She says she loves what she does: “I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else; I love the business of going to trade shows and showrooms and planning in my head how everything’s going to look and all the displays.”

She has encountered a number of setbacks, including Storm Desmond in December 2015 when her original shop flooded. However, one good thing to come out of that time was an opportunity to move to bigger premises on Main Street.

Claire focuses on interiors and specialises in seasonal decorations for Easter, Halloween and Christmas. She prides herself on choosing all her stock herself and picking out things customers won’t see everywhere else.

Claire says there are two main Christmas trends for this year: white and frosted decorations with wooden animals and ornaments and an emphasis on getting back to nature with owls and toadstools; and a highly decorative style which she is calling Venetian masquerade, featuring musical instruments and Harlequins.

“With things being so uncertain at the moment and with everything going on in the world, people either want to celebrate or want to get back to nature and go for something calm.”

At home, Claire has three Christmas trees and after seeing the tree she decorated for this photoshoot, she says she’s tempted to change one to a similar Venetian masquerade style.

“Just seeing that tree and that design makes me want to go for

that.”

n This feature first appeared in the November edition of Cumbria Life