Now is the time to deck those halls. And to provide some interiors inspiration, or simply ignite the spirit of the season, The National's festive homes series takes you into some of the most fabulously decorated residences in the UAE.
This week, we take a peek into the Gregory home.
Sparkling reindeer stand guard at the front entrance, making for a warm and whimsical scene that perfectly sets the tone for what to expect within. The living area of the three-bedroom villa in Dubai's Jumeirah Park is dominated by a 2.7-metre tall Christmas tree covered in cheerful red bows. Vying for attention in the same space is a faux fireplace, twinkling white lights and a shelf for Nutcracker figurines.
“As you can see, Christmas is a big deal here,” says Lucy Gregory who lives with her husband, Ian, their three sons, Theo, 8, Rufus, 6, and Baxter, 4, and her mother, Lynda Rutherford. “Growing up, my mum made a big deal about the magic of Christmas. Decorating our tree was the highlight of my year.”
She admits she’s a little Christmas-obsessed. “I spend all year looking for and collecting items, not just in November and December. Christmas is never far from my mind.”
Traditionalist at heart
When it comes to festive decorations, Lucy knows exactly what she wants. “I like the traditional Victorian type of Christmas set-up, especially for the living room, but I try to keep lollipop or Grinch themes in other areas for the children. We usually do different colour schemes in each room, and switch up themes every year.”
This year, the living room is decorated in traditional shades of red and green, stockings are tacked on to the fireplace and a bright red shelf has been built to hold the family’s 20-plus Nutcracker figurines.
"Nutcracker dolls are the epitome of Christmas for me. I try not to go overboard, but if I see a special one I usually try and get it," says Lucy. She says she ordered a few from the UK this year.
Meanwhile, the kitchen is decked out in shades of red and white, while the dining room features silver and white hues – complete with a winter wonderland-themed tablescape. A majestic stag figurine, from Marina Home, takes pride of place on the dining table.
Candy cane land
While the interior is elegance personified, an unexpected theme awaits in the back garden, which is filled with giant candy canes. There are red and white lollipops, and inflatables including Santa Claus, a sleigh with reindeer and polar bears. "It's what I could only describe as a child's dream," says Lucy.
While the family's annual party was cancelled owing to Covid-19 regulations, there's one tradition they still intend on following. "We have our own snow-maker," says Lucy, "so for Christmas, we usually pop it into the garden and let the children run around in it for a bit."
A tree for every child
The back garden is also home to the family's largest tree yet - a 3.6-metre giant, lit with multicoloured lights – taking the number of firs in this villa to seven. Each child in the Gregory household has their very own Christmas tree to decorate – other than those at the entrance and in the living room.
“I obviously like everything to be gorgeous, but when it comes to the children’s trees, I take a step back,” says Lucy. “I give them access to all the decorations and watch as they go wild.”
The joy on their faces is what it is all about, she adds. “Everything I do, I do for family. The idea that they might carry on these traditions, pass it on to their own families someday, is special to me.”
A focus on what’s handmade
Gregory has lived in the UAE for 16 years, while her husband has been here for 20, so most of their decorations have been collected over time, with pieces added every year. New to the house this Christmas is a giant arch in the living room that the family bought second-hand and decorated themselves. There is a focus on handmade goods, a tradition started by Lucy's mother.
“Growing up, my mum had a floristry business, and so she started making wreaths and centrepieces, and we got more experimental from there,” says Lucy.
This year, the duo decided to combine their love for Christmas and handmade decor by launching Dalucy Design, which sells custom-made home displays and wreaths. “We want them to be heirlooms that can be passed through the generations,” says Lucy. “We posted about it on the social media and got more than 100 orders in a few days.”
With an eye for spotting bargains and a knack for creating her own Christmas decorations, Lucy says the cost of doing up their home isn’t exactly exorbitant. “This year, we wouldn’t have spent more than Dh1,000 on it all."
Creating handmade decor is a tradition she's now is trying to pass on to her children. “Every year, we make cookies, Christmas cards, tags for all the presents … it’s not just about creating things, but making memories as a family.”
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
US PGA Championship in numbers
1 Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.
2 To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.
3 Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.
4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.
5 In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.
6 For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.
7 Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.
8 Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.
9 Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.
10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.
11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.
12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.
13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.
14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.
15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.
16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.
17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.
18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
360Vuz PROFILE
Date started: January 2017
Founder: Khaled Zaatarah
Based: Dubai and Los Angeles
Sector: Technology
Size: 21 employees
Funding: $7 million
Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin
Record breaker
- The most total field goals made in NBA history, as well as the most consecutive games scoring 10 or more points
- The only player in NBA history to reach 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists
- Four-time regular season MVP and four-time NBA Finals MVP
- Six-time NBA All-Defensive selection. Rookie of the Year in 2004
- The most All-NBA selections with 21 in a row, including a record 13 first team selections
- The most consecutive All-Star selections with 21
- The only player to play alongside his son; Bronny James was chosen by the Lakers in the 2024 NBA draft
KINGDOM%20OF%20THE%20PLANET%20OF%20THE%20APES
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wes%20Ball%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Owen%20Teague%2C%20Freya%20Allen%2C%20Kevin%20Durand%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.
The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers.
The biog
From: Upper Egypt
Age: 78
Family: a daughter in Egypt; a son in Dubai and his wife, Nabila
Favourite Abu Dhabi activity: walking near to Emirates Palace
Favourite building in Abu Dhabi: Emirates Palace
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SPECS
GMC Sierra Denali 1500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Price: Dh232,500
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New Zealand T20 squad
New Zealand T20 squad: Tim Southee (captain), Finn Allen, Todd Astle, Hamish Bennett, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway (wicketkeeper), Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Ish Sodhi, Will Young
