All I want for Christmas . . . with Cassandra Karinsky

Cassie Karinsky, pictured above in her favourite village souk in Tnine, Morocco, is the owner of Kulchi, a source of beautiful Moroccan rugs, textiles and homewares with a presence in Sydney, Melbourne and Marrakesh. We featured her gorgeous Sydney apartment on the blog last year. Here she shares her Christmas plans and great gift ideas. 

My Christmas style is very relaxed. As I am travelling so often I never know if I will be celebrating with friends and family in Morocco, Australia or New York. Wherever I am, it is about quality time with the people I love and eating good food.

This year I'll be buying all my girlfriends Amassi Lalla bags and kaftans because they are perfect for the Australian summer. You can throw on a kaftan for the beach or lounge around in one at home. There will also be a few Hammam towels and Tanger cotton blankets bought for family & friends.

My failsafe Christmas styling tip is to always have a real Christmas tree – whether I am in Sydney or Marrakech. Nothing beats that fresh pine smell and the wonderful memories it brings back of my childhood, unwrapping gifts with my sister and brother.


Cassie will be giving hand-loomed cotton Tanger blankets as gifts.

On Christmas day I keep my sanity by spending as much time as possible with my niece and nephews.

All I want for Christmas is to be with family and good friends. Life can be crazy sometimes so it is nice to have this opportunity to take time out with those you love.

This Christmas I'll be serving  nothing! I am very lucky this year as Christmas will be hosted by my sister, Amber, who is a fabulous cook! I'm sure she will have a delicious ham on hand and a yummy Aperol spritz thrown in there somewhere – my favourite summer drink.

My biggest Christmas faux pas was when …. Well, it could have been a big faux pas. Whilst visiting my sister in Madrid in December 2008, I had a fabulous idea of packing half a pig in my suitcase for a Christmas lunch I was hosting for 20 good friends in Marrakech. It all seemed like the perfect plan until I was stopped by customs in Marrakech and had my bags searched. The officer fondled the cryovaced pig for what seemed like hours debating what he should do with it. Finally he handed me back my pig with a sly little smile and a "Merry Christmas"

For more Moroccan style, follow Cassie on Instagram @kulchi or visit Kulchi's Facebook page and Pinterest boards.