Katherine Pooley is a British fancy interior designer most notable for her works in restoring Forter Castle, a small castle in Glenisla, Scotland, previously purchased by her father. She is particularly attached to memories of celebrating Christmas with her family, which inspired her to furnish the castle with Christmas-themed furniture with an urban taste.

At the entrance of the castle, the heavy fortified oak and iron front door is beautifully adorned for the holiday season, featuring a wreath made from fresh seasonal foliage and a pair of candlelit hurricane lanterns on both sides of the doorway. The welcoming set up at the front door leads to the Great Hall, which features a hand-painted ceiling.

A large Christmas ornament tree with bronze and silver baubles, picked exclusively from Katharine Pooley's collection, stands conspicuously in the hall — a perfect backdrop for spending quality time with one's beloved family and eating a delicious Christmas meal.

The dinner table is set up beautifully, embellished with foliage, candelabra, silver elephant figurines by Patrick Mavros and Katharine's fine, silver-edged porcelain china. Echoing the inviting mood of the Great Hall, the fireplace is also evocative of the castle's romantic past, which Katharine Pooley has beautifully restored.

Garlands of foliage frame the iconic ceremonial swords above the impressive stone mantelpiece. Apart from the refined interior, the castle is also set amidst unparalleled views of the snowy Glenisla Hills and beyond, which can be captured from the views from the turret windows. The property is also the perfect location for a simple seasonal blessing or carol in the private family chapel, located in the basement.

The castle and its bedrooms reflect Katharine's and her family's personalities. Katherine Pooley's father's bedroom, for example, reflects solitude and elegance, featuring intricately woven fabrics and exquisitely-carved antiques.

Higher in the castle, the Lairds room, connected by the castle's main stone spiral staircase, is the epitome of grandeur. It features a classic combination of ruby-red bed drapes, tweed-clad walls, and an antler chandelier for a restful Christmas Eve. The luxuriously comfortable furnishings at the castle, roaring fires, decanters filled with fine malt whisky make Forter Castle a home away from home, ensuring a cozy Christmas.

Forter Castle offers a historical experience that enriches the countryside in which it sits. Even though the Duke of Argyll completely destroyed the castle in 1640, Katherine and her family managed to restore it in its entirety. Today, it adds stunningly to Glenisla's beautiful scenery.

Katharine has transformed the castle's interiors into elegant and comfortable spaces. Now, Forter Castle offers the most modern amenities on five floors with a stone spiral staircase.

"It's quintessentially British, and the beauty of its original features and heritage makes it eternally stylish. Undoubtedly, as period drama has returned to popular culture, with the success of Downton Abbey and The Paradise, there has been a revival of country manor style and the rejection of modern, high-gloss aesthetic," said Pooley about the castle's style.

"I like to mix up the traditional design with contemporary lines and finishes. The wonderful architecture of the castle speaks for itself, but I was careful to punctuate the interiors with strong colour and personality to keep things fresh. I wanted to use traditional pieces for key statement furniture like the four-poster beds and free-standing bath but added a contemporary feel with beautiful fabrics and textures to update the castle in a subtle and tasteful manner," she said.

It is clear that Katharine Pooley has excellent taste in creating energized interiors to influence her potential clients. No wonder why she became the in-demand interior designer in London and got commissions for landmark commercial and residential projects around the world.