Contrast plays a role in the decorating throughout, where there’s visual tension between refinement and rusticity. The original builders used their humble materials in elegant ways, like the graceful wood doors opening into the living room. The current owners’ choices play on the same tension, like the patterned wallpaper in the foyer that’s a foil to the rugged stone floor. Here and elsewhere, pattern and colour repeatedly introduce a pretty, almost feminine lightness.
“We wanted the house to feel warm,” explains the wife. “We chose the fabric for the living room drapes to pick up on the colours of a fire—blue around the edges, reds, yellows.” At night, they draw the drapes and snuggle in.
The husband and wife team have created a cosy getaway, but the most valuable thing their family has given the house is the comfort that comes from the happy times shared there.
“We do simple things together,” says the wife. “On the weekends, my husband might arrive first and have a fire going. The house is lit, there’s the smell of wood, it’s overwhelming.” Her husband adds, “We’ve recovered the simple quality of what life has to offer. The peace, the quality of calmness of life without TV and computers, and the ability to appreciate how fortunate we are.” That’s the best way to give new life to an old house.
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