Michael and Carlene’s Christmas

How will you be spending Christmas this year?

We host Christmas every year at our house because we have the perfect space for it with a large outdoor deck and pool. Everyone brings two dishes, so apart from preparing the house, we have no more work than anyone else!

Do you have any Christmas traditions?

We decorate the tree as a family; we attend one of the local Carols by Candlelight events and we always play ‘Stealing Santa’ on Christmas day with the whole extended clan. It’s so so fun, and always ends in hysterics - I recommend it.

What’s on your Christmas wish list?

OMG, how much room do I have? My list is huge! I need a couple of beautiful and durable rugs for our indoor living areas; we desperately need window furnishings; I need a new TV unit; I’d love a new lounge suite and some outdoor furniture for our deck (but I’d settle for an outdoor rug - they are usually affordable and help soften the surface outdoors). Michael wants more camera equipment because he’s a tech-head and can’t get enough.

Have you got any favourite suppliers, or go-to retailers that you always visit?

Zara Home is pretty awesome for Christmas homewares and decorations. But I also love Bed Bath N Table for their whimsical musical timber decorations. West Elm also have the cutest handmade animal tree decorations, which I stocked up on a couple of years ago. They’re the sort of ornament that you keep forever and pass down generations.

What will be on your Christmas lunch table?

In addition to a huge homemade feast of ham, roast meats, vegies, salads, lasagna etc, I always set the table with a printed table cloth, linen napkins and small arrangements of wild flowers or greenery from the garden. I think the heat of an Aussie Christmas calls for casual dining, so we always eat outdoors and keep it relaxed.

Are you one of those people who like to 'deck the halls'?

We do get pretty festive at Christmas. About five years ago, I had Michael hang a HUGE branch over our dining table, and from it I hung decorations. I really liked the branch even once the decorations came down, so it stayed - and every year it gets decorated along with the rest of the house!

What are your hopes for 2018? Do you have any New Year’s resolutions?

We’re planning on giving ourselves more breaks - because 2017 was huge, amazing and exhausting. We need to start rewarding ourselves with longer holidays, allowing us time to reflect and regroup, before getting sucked back into the vortex of life.

What's on your holiday 'jobs' list - any reno projects in the works?

We’ve just had a huge year of renovating, so we’re hoping to take it easy. But we have got our eye on another caravan to renovate these holidays. It’s considerably larger than our last two van renovations. We’d also like to put some finishing touches to the house, but hopefully at a slower pace than we’ve worked this past year!

What will next year hold for you?  

We’re in the process of filming another show for 9Life called ‘Open Homes’, which will go to air early next year. We’ll also be filming Season Two of ‘Ready Set Reno’ at some point in 2018. We’ll be pushing on with Cedar + Suede Property Styling projects on the Gold Coast, and hopefully we’ll be bringing you more home/renovation content via our brand partnerships to inspire audiences to improve their homes with confidence.

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