Australian House & Garden

At this time of year, let’s take a leaf out of the late country crooner Glen Campbell’s songbook and try a little kindness! Putting our gorgeous Christmas issue together and showcasing couples and families in their beautiful homes makes me acutely aw

Raucous kookaburras and noisy rainbow lorikeets herald the arrival of Christmas at this holiday house on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. As the birds greet the dawn, three little girls – Astrid, seven, Elsa, five, and one-year-old Clara – will likely be c

WHERE WILL YOU BE SPENDING CHRISTMAS? Silvia: This year, it’s a beach gathering on the NSW North Coast. The whole extended family has rented three houses on the same street! KEY DECORATING TIP FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON? Stick to one style: if you’re in

WHERE WILL YOU BE SPENDING THIS CHRISTMAS? Adam: Down the coast at Congo. Not the African nation, a little seaside town on the NSW South Coast. KEY DECORATING TIP FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON? You can never have too much tinsel or too many twinkling light

WHERE WILL YOU SPEND CHRISTMAS DAY? Kate: I’ll be in Sydney with my family [husband Tim and children Henry and Agnes]. The extended family – my four siblings, their partners and 11 nieces and nephews – will congregate at Mum and Dad’s. DECORATING TI

WHAT TRADITIONS DO YOU FOLLOW AT CHRISTMAS? Neale: It’s hard to hold on to traditions when you move from the other side of the world – and hemispheres – as I did 20 years ago when I arrived in Sydney [from the UK]. Cold-weather festivities are in my

WHERE WILL YOU BE SPENDING CHRISTMAS? Paul: We’ll be at Stonefields [the couple’s country property, famed for its spectacular garden, in central Victoria]. It’s a great place for all our family to gather. YOUR APPROACH TO FESTIVE DECORATING? We coll

WHERE WILL YOU BE SPENDING THIS CHRISTMAS? Ali: At home with the family, then a road trip to Byron Bay, Mullumbimby and Uki to visit some of my artists. KEY DECORATING TIP FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON? We collect pods, leaves and seeds from parks and beac

Instantly order groceries online directly from Woolworths via the Family Hub at any time using the Woolworths shopping app. See at a glance exactly what you’re running out of via any compatible device thanks to three handy built-in cameras. Set up pr

More usable storage space, so you can reach for larger items without having to open both doors at the same time. Adjustable door bins, shelves and different sized compartments make it easy to configure the storage to suit your needs. Get connected to

Two quick knocks on the Door-In-Door glass lets you see what’s inside without opening the fridge, so no cool air escapes. A smart combination of Linear Cooling, Door Cooling and Pure N Fresh filtration minimises odours and keeps food fresher, longer.

ActiveSmart Foodcare technology adapts to your usage habits, while the Variable Temperature Zone lets you set optimal cooling conditions. Conveniently large compartments and adjustable internal storage and shelving are designed to meet your every nee

Our family has a tradition of collecting Christmas baubles. Wherever we roam, we gather mementos to trim our tree, buying what we love without thoughts of palette or theme. The result is a nostalgic reflection of memories. They’re crafted from many b

As a French tourist shuffled uncomfortably on his chair in the stifling Acapulco heat, he began pondering ways to keep his cool. Having enjoyed the breezy comfort of open-string hammocks at the Mexican resort, he thought why not create a chair on sim

Whether your entertaining style is formal or casual, no festive table is complete without beautiful glassware. “Glasses add personality to any gathering and can be a real talking point around the table,” says Claire Driscoll, creative director at Stu

Christmas Day this year will be a quiet country affair for television personality Neale Whitaker and his partner David Novak-Piper. “The day will almost certainly start with a good walk along the beach or, if we’re feeling energetic, a hike,” says Ne

It’s little wonder the owner of this house in Sydney’s inner west loves her loggia, an L-shaped indoor-outdoor space with arched colonnades and terracotta-tiled floors. “It creates a Mediterranean feel in the heart of suburbia,” she says. With two si

Sometimes, people think they’ve settled into a home for the long haul, only to have an unmissable opportunity to change everything in an instant. For David and Karly Zacharia, spotting the perfect site in the perfect street in the perfect suburb was

Old houses often have colourful histories. This 1905 home in south-east Melbourne – now the home of a family of seven – is a case in point. “It was built on a much larger block, but the lot was subdivided in 1964,” says homeowner Nicole. “Conversely,

Outdoor dining is a wonderful way to make the most of the long days and mild evenings. With a huge range of materials and designs available, outdoor furniture can be an extension of your indoor style – or a chance to experiment and make a completely

The grassy slopes of this property, known as Murdoch Hill, are patchworked with different tones of green, their verdant peaks dotted with contented cows contemplating the hike to the distant dam. Owners Phoebe and Simon Brown were captivated by this

With upstretched branches that look like a flamboyant candelabra, Euphorbia ammak is an eye-catching plant. Sitting in an oversized terracotta pot in the corner of this balcony garden, it is the perfect hero piece, says designer and stylist Adam Robi

Surfer and keen sailor Jim Woods is happiest when he’s near the ocean. “It’s wild. It’s raw. When the big south-westerlies blow in, the power of the waves is unbelievable,” he says. Jim and his wife Samantha had been regular visitors to Portsea, on V

Prep: 30 mins + refrigeration. Cooking: 10 mins. Makes about 24. 2 cups (300g) plain flour1/3 cup (50g) self-raising flour1 level tsp sea salt flakes½ tsp chilli flakes100g grated parmesan100g grated cheddar250g softened butter210ml lemon juice100

Many people select their Champagne based on price. It’s definitely an important consideration, especially at Christmas, but it is also good to consider style, so that you end up with a Champagne that you like, and one that suits the occasion. Non-vin

There are two remarkable things about the scallops in front of me. One is their size, each one bigger than my hand. The other is the fact that they seem to be spitting at me. I shouldn’t take this personally, according to Guy Grieve. Grieve, who runs

As we dive into the season of giving stuff, it’s worth stopping to think about the value of giving your time: longer life, better mental health and better function in older age are all linked to volunteering. “Doctors should prescribe it as a prevent

The shift to warmer weather heralds long days and free time – so seize the opportunity to tackle those niggling jobs around the house that you’ve been putting off. And where better to start than the front of your home, with a thorough tidy-up and som

Outside it’s a scorcher – but if the thought of your next power bill is causing you as much stress as finding a way to sleep through another warm night, don’t despair. With a few minor changes to your home and daily habits, it is possible to keep the

OFTEN HIDDEN and rarely discussed, financial abuse is a situation that can creep up over many years in households and relationships. Whether it’s limited access to cash, lack of voice in financial decisions or constant scrutiny of spending, a financi

I was encouraged to be creative from a young age. Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my grandmother who was a school teacher. She made a lot of my clothes and was skilled at craft. I was always amazed by her ingenuity. I began my professional l