House Tours
House tour: Rustic Nordic holiday style
Image: Robin Stubbert
House Tours
House tour: Rustic Nordic holiday style
A property in Ontario's Georgian Bay area adopts a holiday look that would feel right at home in the Nordic countryside.
During the holidays, Style at Home contributing design editor Christine Hanlon thinks nothing of skipping the traditional turkey dinner. For her, Christmas is a time to gather with loved ones, escape and relax. Really relax. This informal approach works especially well at her second property, in Thornbury, Ont. The holidays spent with family (her husband, Andrew Brady; their two children, Sophie, 10, and Henry, 7; and a couple of close relatives) at this 150-year-old house (featured in Style at Home’s January 2014 issue) resemble an idyllic rural scene straight from a Christmas card.
When the couple purchased the house three years ago, the solid 3,200-square-foot structure only required a cosmetic update. For the first year, whenever she could get away to the property, Christine worked on creating an inviting look with a mix of traditional and vintage elements and a few modern hits. A focus on natural materials like wood, sisal, cotton and linen suits the home’s surroundings.
Christine adheres to both this cozy aesthetic and her unstuffy take on Christmas when she dresses the house for the holidays. Inspired by the Nordic way of decorating (which usually involves homespun touches, the use of fresh greenery, a low-key palette and a spotlight on nature), she eschews “fancy-pants sparkle” for something more casual and simple.
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