Surprise! We are dropping a special bonus episode today. If you haven't seen it yet, we recently shared a stunning holiday house tour on our YouTube channel with the queen of Christmas herself, designer Suzanne Kasler.

In this audio version of the official YouTube house tour, Caroline introduces a conversation between Suzanne and Ballard Designs President, Karen Mooney. They walk through Suzanne’s gorgeous Atlanta home, discussing why she is so obsessed with Christmas, her strategy for displaying massive collections without clutter, and how she manages to decorate three different trees (including one just for teddy bears!). Suzanne also shares her "3-Day Blitz" method for stress-free decorating and how she adapts her traditions as her family grows.

Quick Decorating Takeaways:

• Group Collections for Impact: Don't scatter small collectibles (like nutcrackers or crystal trees) all over the house. Group them together in one specific area to create a "sculptural" statement that feels intentional rather than cluttered.

• The 3-Day Decorating Blitz: Suzanne dedicates a focused 3-4 day block right after Thanksgiving to get everything done. This allows her to stop "working" on Christmas and simply enjoy the festive atmosphere for the entire month of December.

• Buy in Multiples: If you find a unique holiday item you love (like her Czech crystal trees), don't just buy one. Buy a dozen or a whole collection immediately to ensure you have enough for a cohesive display, as they might be gone next year.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

• 00:00 Caroline introduces the bonus episode

• 01:30 Suzanne’s lifelong obsession with Christmas

• 02:45 The "Yard Sale" Rule: Grouping collections for high impact

• 07:00 The Teddy Bear Tree tradition

• 09:00 The "3-4 Day" Decorating Strategy

• 12:00 Mixing Real vs. Faux: Why Suzanne uses both types of trees

• 14:00 Matching holiday decor to your home (Red vs. Neutral)

• 21:00 Adapting traditions for new grandchildren

• 27:00 Suzanne’s miniature Christmas rooms & gift show finds

• 30:00 The silver ornament tradition

Also Mentioned:

• Watch the Video Tour: Step Inside the Elegant Holiday Home of Designer Suzanne Kasler

• Shop Suzanne's Product Collection: Suzanne Kasler for Ballard Designs

Please send in your questions so we can answer them on our next episode! And of course, subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. You can always check back here to see new episodes, but if you subscribe, it’ll automatically download to your phone.

Happy Decorating!

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