Look: Miniature village, hot cocoa bar; UAE residents go all out decorating for Christmas
Some decide to decorate their homes for Christmas with a lit-up tree and a few wreaths and mistletoes around the house. Others use their creative spark to create something grander, and more unique. This time around, the festive season was an outlet for those individuals to completely deck out their homes in bold, majestic, winter-wonderland themes that look straight out of a movie.Tony Williams, a retired helicopter pilot, began collecting a few pieces here and there of miniature trains and small “buildings”. Over the years the collection grew, and instead of having the parts scattered around the house, Williams decided to arrange them altogether to make a miniature Christmas village. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.Tony WilliamsFor over five years, it has been a tradition of his to set up a miniature town in the middle of his living room, complete with moving trains and light switches — some of which he had to fix himself. He said he started this hobby post his retirement, after working for over 50 years. “When people retire, there's always that thought that (they) need something else to do,” he said. “When I was a little boy, I used to build things. And I thought, I know what I'll do. I'll build a little town this year.”Snowball effectKanessa Muluneh usually spends the holidays where snow falls in abundance so that her children can enjoy the festive season in true Christmas fashion. This time around, however, Muluneh dedicated much of her time to transforming her house into that of a “winter wonderland”. Instead of going to the snow, Muluneh brought the snow to her house.Kanessa Muluneh and her family. Photos and video: Kanessa Muluneh“We lived in Europe and it was quite cold. So, we wanted to have that feel (here). And this year we chose to go all out in terms of decoration and still have that Christmas spirit,” she said.Muluneh, who is an entrepreneur and mentors fashion businesses, decided to create a “snowball” effect in her a courtyard, an outdoor space enclose by a building. From the outside looking in, it looks like the inside of a snowball, with fake snow jutting out from a machine on the second floor.When her children saw their house transformed into a winter wonderland, they were unsurprised, much to their mother’s dismay. “I was kind of disappointed that it didn't have that wow factor. But then again, they're kids in Dubai and I think they've seen a lot of over-the-top stuff that they kind of numb to it. I'm more excited than they are,” she joked.Hot cocoa barDespite not celebrating the religious aspect of Christmas, Berna Ramey still wanted to do something special for the holiday season. Instead of the usual Christmas tree decorations, wreaths, and mistletoes, she opted for something unique: a hot cocoa bar. Laid out on tiered stands and shelves, the display resembles a small hot chocolate shop, complete with different cocoa blends, toppings such as marshmallows, peppermint bark and gingerbread, and festive ornaments. The display changes with the seasons — pumpkins and fall leaves for the autumn, crescent moons and stars for Ramadan, and so on.Berna Ramey's hot cocoa barRamey said the idea is meant to expose her children to different cultures and celebrations. “Living here, they see many holidays, and they get excited about all of them,” she said. Busy with decorProfessional decorator Alessandra Göttert Vianna's house is still devoid of Christmas decorations. Since the beginning of December, Vianna has been so occupied with decorating other people’s houses that she didn’t even have the time to start on her own. At some point, she said, she would have to put up the Christmas tree and a few lights, but for now, the mission is to finish her client’s houses.This December alone, she completed four large homes, some requiring one to two full days of work, while the longest took three days — from morning to night.Look: Dubai families celebrate Christmas with makeshift cinemas, new traditionsUp to 9 months prep: What it takes to light up Dubai’s biggest Christmas treesHoliday blues in UAE: Why Christmas can be loneliest time of year for expats
Some decide to decorate their homes for Christmas with a lit-up tree and a few wreaths and mistletoes around the house. Others use their creative spark to create something grander, and more unique.
This time around, the festive season was an outlet for those individuals to completely deck out their homes in bold, majestic, winter-wonderland themes that look straight out of a movie.
Tony Williams, a retired helicopter pilot, began collecting a few pieces here and there of miniature trains and small “buildings”. Over the years the collection grew, and instead of having the parts scattered around the house, Williams decided to arrange them altogether to make a miniature Christmas village.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. Tony Williams
For over five years, it has been a tradition of his to set up a miniature town in the middle of his living room, complete with moving trains and light switches — some of which he had to fix himself. 
He said he started this hobby post his retirement, after working for over 50 years. “When people retire, there's always that thought that (they) need something else to do,” he said. “When I was a little boy, I used to build things. And I thought, I know what I'll do. I'll build a little town this year.”
Snowball effect
Kanessa Muluneh usually spends the holidays where snow falls in abundance so that her children can enjoy the festive season in true Christmas fashion. This time around, however, Muluneh dedicated much of her time to transforming her house into that of a “winter wonderland”. Instead of going to the snow, Muluneh brought the snow to her house. Kanessa Muluneh and her family. Photos and video: Kanessa Muluneh
“We lived in Europe and it was quite cold. So, we wanted to have that feel (here). And this year we chose to go all out in terms of decoration and still have that Christmas spirit,” she said.
Muluneh, who is an entrepreneur and mentors fashion businesses, decided to create a “snowball” effect in her a courtyard, an outdoor space enclose by a building. From the outside looking in, it looks like the inside of a snowball, with fake snow jutting out from a machine on the second floor.
When her children saw their house transformed into a winter wonderland, they were unsurprised, much to their mother’s dismay. “I was kind of disappointed that it didn't have that wow factor. But then again, they're kids in Dubai and I think they've seen a lot of over-the-top stuff that they kind of numb to it. I'm more excited than they are,” she joked.
Hot cocoa bar
Despite not celebrating the religious aspect of Christmas, Berna Ramey still wanted to do something special for the holiday season. Instead of the usual Christmas tree decorations, wreaths, and mistletoes, she opted for something unique: a hot cocoa bar.
Laid out on tiered stands and shelves, the display resembles a small hot chocolate shop, complete with different cocoa blends, toppings such as marshmallows, peppermint bark and gingerbread, and festive ornaments. The display changes with the seasons — pumpkins and fall leaves for the autumn, crescent moons and stars for Ramadan, and so on. Berna Ramey's hot cocoa bar
Ramey said the idea is meant to expose her children to different cultures and celebrations. “Living here, they see many holidays, and they get excited about all of them,” she said.
Busy with decor
Professional decorator Alessandra Göttert Vianna's house is still devoid of Christmas decorations. Since the beginning of December, Vianna has been so occupied with decorating other people’s houses that she didn’t even have the time to start on her own. At some point, she said, she would have to put up the Christmas tree and a few lights, but for now, the mission is to finish her client’s houses.
This December alone, she completed four large homes, some requiring one to two full days of work, while the longest took three days — from morning to night.
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