Sunday Life's Melbourne homes editor Heather Nette King knows a thing or two about creating a festive space, and keeping it fresh and fun each year.
The home
Sunday Life's Melbourne homes editor, Heather Nette King, with her husband Jeremy and daughters Alexandra (on piano) and Annebelle preparing the Christmas table in their 1904 home.Credit:Armelle Habib
A 1904 three bedroom weatherboard in Melbourne's south-east. Many original features – such as high ceilings with decorative cornices, and five fireplaces – are intact.
Who lives here
Heather Nette King, with her husband, branding agency general manager Jeremy King, their daughters, Annebelle, 19, and Alexandra, 17, both students, plus Dougal the dog and Sugar the cat.
What we did
"Since moving here in 2000," says Heather, "we've painted many, many times, created more storage and added a pool." My favourite room "The lounge and dining room, which is also my office. It can get hectic if I'm on deadline and there's a piano lesson happening, but I've learnt to work through anything with the help of headphones."
The 'hood'
"We're close to the suburbs where I spend most of my life trawling through homewares stores, and as we are next to a railway line, I can honestly say we are close to transport."
Future plans
"I've been talking up a new bathroom and kitchen for years, but somehow the priority seems to be airfares and holiday accommodation instead. It'll happen one day."
Our Christmases
"Since the girls were little, we've had both big and small Christmas celebrations here. The best ones always involve a swim in the morning, champagne for breakfast, and setting a beautiful, linen-clad table with candles and silver for lunch."
Christmas décor
"Christmas actually starts here in August, when I begin working on festive shoots. A trick to avoiding Christmas fatigue is adding just a few new decorations each year and mixing up your colour palette."