Celeb wife, mum and author says don’t judge a book by its cover

Candice Warner is known for her warrior spirit and elite athlete grit – but at heart there’s a simple family love story in her home with husband David and their children.

With international cricketer husband David away “300 days of the year” and three busy girls to chase, former professional ironwoman, sports commentator and now writer Candice Warner says home time is very precious.

“The minute we drive out the garage in the morning, we are basically go, go, go,” says Warner, whose memoir, Running Strong, hit bookshelves this week.

“The girls are so active with their sports and David’s away a lot. So when we come home, it’s like I don’t ever want to leave.”

With the help of interior designer Alexandra Kidd, Warner has styled her home along minimalist lines. Neutral tones dominate, with timber accents, plant life and carefully curated art in supporting roles.

“With the ocean as our backdrop, I wanted that to be (the hero) – I didn’t want hundreds of little trinkets around,” she says.

“We’ve made sure our home is a really calm, relaxing environment. It is a really minimalistic home. Very practical and very functional.”

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Warner is pictured at home with the family’s much-loved dog Cookie. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Warner’s real estate passion is thanks to a previous career in property management. The key to a welcoming family home, she says, is durable, robust furnishings that can withstand children’s play and budget friendly items that can be easily replaced.

“(The girls) always have friends over and we entertain a lot, so (we) have things that look great but don’t cost an absolute fortune, because there will be Vegemite on the lounge or texta somewhere,” she says.

Who Candice Warner.

Where Overlooking Sydney’s beautiful Lurline Bay. David and I both grew up in this area and we wanted to be close to our families. There’s me, David and our three girls – Ivy Mae, 8, Indi Rae, 7, and Isla Rose, 3.

Favourite space The kitchen, living area (and pool). It’s all about being together as a family as much as possible.

Home is where we all feel secure and safe, that’s full of love and happiness.

CANDICE WARNER’S FAVOURITE THINGS

POPCORN

Popcorn and movie nights rate highly with the Warners. Picture: Jonathan Ng

We love to sit down at home and make popcorn with the girls with this little popcorn machine. It’s something we started during Covid and it’s something that brings us together. The girls get to pick which movie we watch, which will often be something like Matilda and all those Disney movies.

CANDLES

Candice Warner is big on candles. Picture: Jonathan Ng

I’m big on candles. They look beautiful and they make the house smell lovely. (The scents I choose) could be anything, although I don’t like anything too sweet.

I just love them.

RUNNING STRONG

With the release of her memoir Running Strong, Warner has added author to her CV. Picture: Jonathan Ng

I’m really excited about my book. I’ve put my heart and soul into it. I find the whole (writing) process therapeutic and something I needed more than I thought I did. Once people start reading it, I think they will understand why I’m so protective of my family and why growing up where I did turned me into the person I am. Good or bad, I think people will get a better understanding of me.

GOGGLES

Warner’s three girls love the water just as much as their mum, so the goggles get a daily workout. Picture: Jonathan Ng

In our home, we are either always in the pool or at the beach. There’s not a day that goes by that someone isn’t wearing a pair of googles. We love our swimming. The girls are like little mermaids.

MIRROR

NSW. Picture: Jonathan Ng

This just has the most beautiful green around it. It’s a really beautiful piece that we have just off of our loungeroom, where it reflects the ocean and our swimming pool.

BULL SCULPTURE

David Warner’s nickname is Bull; these bull sculptures are by Fliss Dodd. Picture: Jonathan Ng

These are by Fliss Dodd. We have a black one and a white one. They’re in our bedroom. David’s nickname is Bull so I just love these. In a minimalistic home, I think they just look beautiful.

CHAMPAGNE AND GLASSES

A glass of bubbles is a favourite way to celebrate the wins at the end of a busy week. Picture: Jonathan Ng

As a mum, I’m all about balance, so on a Friday afternoon or if someone has done something really good, we do love to share a glass of champagne and sit back as a family and go, ‘We’ve got through the week’. Having that balance is really important.

FAMILY PORTRAIT

This family photo was taken just after David Warner’s historic 200 runs in his 100th test match. Picture: Jonathan Ng

We don’t have a lot of photos (displayed at home) but this is a beautiful recent photo that was taken just after David secured his 200 (runs) in his 100th test match. We don’t get many pictures where everyone is smiling and looking at the camera at the same time, so we thought we had to put this one up.