My Happy Home: Katherine Jenkins Home Interview

Katherine, who was awarded an OBE in 2014 for her services to music and charity, has performed for audiences around the globe, including for The Pope, Presidents and the Royal Family. She has duetted with artists including Andrea Bocelli, José Carreras and Kylie Minogue.

In 2017, she made her West End debut in Carousel, then starred alongside Johnny Depp and Bill Nighy in her husband’s 2021 movie Minamata. She also appeared on the hit ITV show The Masked Singer, disguised as the Octopus. Katherine is currently preparing for her annual Christmas with Katherine Jenkins concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

Katherine and her husband, Andrew

Describe your home

KJ: Home is my sanctuary. I’m in London and we also have a place in New York, where my husband’s from. When I was decorating my house I never wanted it to feel like a hotel. I wanted it to feel warm, luxurious but also practical. I’ve got young children so I didn’t want to freak out if they get things messy or dirty. I like muted tones and cool, calm spaces. The idea of a white minimalist home stresses me out!

What makes you happiest at home?

KJ: Cooking. My husband and I really enjoy preparing and serving food and having people around for dinner. I also love a Friday family dance party. The kids choose a song each and we dance it out. My song is We Are Family by Sister Sledge – that’s a Jenkins family tradition.

Tell us about your childhood Christmases

KJ: My childhood Christmases were amazing. Growing up in Neath, South Wales, I was a chorister from the age of seven so a big part of Christmas excitement came from singing in all the services, carol concerts and midnight mass. My mum embraced all the Christmas traditions, so as a young adult, even when I was in places like Iraq for Christmas Eve, I’d rush home to attend Midnight Mass with her because it meant so much.

One year, I remember Mum allowed my dad and us kids to decorate our semi-detached house and we covered the ceiling in metallic lantern-style decorations, but my mum couldn’t stand it and said it was ‘too busy’. I’m the same with my Christmas decorations, I go for it but they have to be somewhat organised and colour-coordinated.

Katherine performing in December 2022

Describe your Christmas dinner table style

KJ: A white tablecloth with silver glitter in it. I add fresh holly and pine cones and a lovely little reindeer from Mrs. Alice. I love the cooking part so much, so the table is filled with food. I’m vegetarian, so Andrew takes responsibility for the meat while I make sure the veggies are plentiful.

When you get home what is the first thing you like to do?

KJ: Change out of my heels and dress and into more comfortable clothing, like sweats or jeans, and put my hair up into a ponytail. Then I’m back into home mode.

Katherine during Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Pageant on 5th June 2022

What is your favourite room in the house?

KJ: My dining room because it’s where we come together as a family for dinners and special events like Christmas. It’s also where I have my piano, so I spend a lot of time in there practising. The kids also have their piano lessons in there, which is always cute.

Describe your decorating style

KJ: Modern meets antique. My home is a Victorian house, so it’s a mixture of incorporating the period style of the home with more modern pieces. I like shopping in antique stores and on 1stDibs. When I met Andrew, it became a match of our tastes in furniture and art, which has been really fun because we’re both artists.

What’s the design trend you’re least likely to follow?

KJ: Minimalism. It just isn’t going to work for me in my house, with two children and 500 gowns!

What would we find on your bedside table?

KJ: A carafe of water, my Sisley lip balm and a lump of tourmaline crystal. I also have a book. Currently, I’m reading one about Handel because I’m executive producer of a film Andrew is directing about Handel, who is being played by Sir Anthony Hopkins. It should be out next Christmas.

What’s the best home bargain you’ve ever snapped up?

KJ: I like looking through bookstores where I’ve found bargain books about Maria Callas or Mozart, which I’ve then read and collected. They look nice on the bookshelf.

And what’s your biggest extravagance?

KJ: My antique Steinway piano. I bought it for myself when I signed my record deal with Warner Music in 2008, and it’s a beautiful instrument – it makes me want to practise!

Have you ever had a decorating disaster?

KJ: In my last house in London, I had a high vaulted ceiling in the dining room and I bought this really beautiful white fabric wallpaper, which went all the way to the top. It was a big job!

I had a Halloween party, and somebody came dressed as the genie from Aladdin, covered in blue paint. We were all around the piano singing, and when they left, there was a whole body print of the genie on my wallpaper. It wouldn’t come out so I had to have the entire thing re-wallpapered! It wasn’t the genie’s fault – drinks were flowing. But I decided to never do white fabric wallpaper again.

Do you collect anything?

KJ: I love to collect Eve Arnold photographs of Marilyn Monroe. I collect my gowns too. One day I’d like to do an exhibition and then maybe auction them all off for charity.

Marilyn Monroe photographed by journalist Eve Arnold

Describe the view outside your window

KJ: A little gated park. Even though I’ve lived in a city since I was 18, the Welsh girl in me always gravitates towards greenery. I just need to see trees. I’m a country girl at heart, so I find myself always in the greenest part of the city.

What would you buy as a housewarming gift?

KJ: A bottle of my Cygnet gin and personalised, scented Jo Loves candles. Jo Malone is a very good friend of mine so I always get a Jo Loves candle with the family name on it.

Log Fires

Where do you shop for the best homeware?

KJ: Marks & Spencer and Mrs. Alice Homewares for tablescaping. And I like GreenPan pans because they’re non-toxic.

What is your favourite object from your travels?

KJ: A Japanese toilet seat I got years ago. They heat themselves and play incidental music so that nobody ever hears you going. It’s all about politeness. In Japan, they’re everywhere. It’s a real talking point!

Describe your perfect Sunday…

KJ: Unfortunately, there’s no rhythm to my life, so I’m not always in the same place, but if I’m at home, I’m usually cooking a roast dinner and organising a movie afternoon for the kids.

If you could snoop around anyone’s house, whose would it be?

KJ: Marilyn Monroe’s house in LA, purely to see if the people who live there have modernised it or kept it in that 50s style.

More… My Happy Home

George Clarke

Lydia Millen

AJ Odudu

---

This or That with Katherine Jenkins…

Christmas stockings: yes or no? Definitely! I love having lots of little things to open.

Entertain or be entertained on Christmas Day? Entertain. Everybody’s welcome to come to ours.

Restrained Christmas decorations or all-out glitz and glamour? Restrained. There are lots of them, but they’re colour coordinated. We have two Christmas trees – silver lights on one, gold on the other.

Christmas Day dessert: pudding or cake? Neither. We eat so much Christmas dinner that there’s no room for pudding!

Christmas tree: real or artificial? Artificial. We don’t like the idea of chopping down a tree every year.

It’s A Wonderful Life or Home Alone? Home Alone, especially if we’re in New York!

Christmas workouts or sofa relaxation? Do people actually work out over Christmas?!

Elf on the Shelf: yes or no? Yes! I become slightly obsessed when we get to December 1st. I like to show what our elf has been doing on Instagram in case other elves are stuck!

Christmas with Katherine Jenkins will be a live performance on 11th December at the Royal Albert Hall, featuring special guests. For tickets, visit royalalberthall.com.

Follow House Beautiful on TikTok and Instagram.

---

The Christmas Decorations Edit

Real Noble Fir Wreath

Now 50% Off

Christmas Bow

Personalised Wooden Christmas Tree Topper

Velvet Alphabet Stocking

Idris Tree Candle

Embroidered Moon and Star Christmas Tree Decoration

Now 30% Off