House Tours
This Home's Simple Holiday Decor Has Major Impact
PHOTOGRAPHY TRACEY AYTON
House Tours
This Home's Simple Holiday Decor Has Major Impact
Designer Stephanie Brown’s take on holiday decorating? Keep it simple and keep it local.
When the owners of this Vancouver residence asked designer Stephanie Brown to dress their home for the holidays, her immediate answer was yes! “I’d designed the home, so I was already familiar with their sensibilities, style, and the fact that their blended family has six adult kids who visit often!” says Stephanie. “I wanted to give the rooms a holiday look that would support the style of the home, which is fresh and pure.” For this, she relied on Neve Floral, who sourced holly, ferns, cedars and spruce from Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. “Classic greenery exudes winter and says Christmas without being literal about it. And since the holiday mood is everywhere this time of year, even simple additions are enough,” says Stephanie. “A mere branch here and a bobble there are all it takes to instantly set the look of your home apart and announce that this is truly the most joyous of the seasons.”
DESIGN, HOLIDAY DECOR, Stephanie Brown Inc. CHAIRS, Provide. FIREPIT, Home Depot. MIRROR, Gild & Co. WREATHS, ARRANGEMENTS, Neve Floral. OUTDOOR LANTERN, Visual Comfort.
Sheepskin-clad chairs and a firepit invite lingering. Indoors, designer Stephanie Brown bears gifts as she passes a vintage mirror adorned with a simple spruce bough. Twin wreaths on the front doors and casual holly branches are all it takes to declare that the holidays are here.
BENCH, CB2. BASKET, Provide. GARLAND, Neve Floral.
“Long before the house had been renovated, the homeowner started dreaming of a natural cedar garland sweeping its way down the front banister, so that was a must!” says Stephanie. “The big basket at the bottom of the stairs and the bench with its sheep- skin aren’t Christmasy, but we added them for warmth and coziness.”
GARLAND, ARRANGEMENT, Neve Floral. COFFEE TABLE, Lock and Mortice. VASE, Provide. CANDLE- STICKS, The Cross Decor & Design. GLASS ORNAMENT, Good Beast. Cole Morgan ARTWORK (over fire- place), Gallery Jones. PICTURE LIGHT, RH.
An asymmetrical garland, made with local spruce, spans the modern black granite mantel. “Since the homeowners love candles, we added that towering trio of hammered brass candlesticks,” says Stephanie. A bountiful display of cedar, spruce and grasses beautifies and scents the living room. The room’s grand-scale oak coffee table cozies up to a wine- coloured ottoman.
SOFA, King Living. THROW PILLOWS, Stephanie Brown Inc. RUG, Jan Kath.
“Nobody was going to sell trees this wispy and Charlie Brown! So, I begged my brother, who owns land, to spare a few spindly trees for us!”
“One big tree in the corner would have worked, but we thought, hey, with branches this light and airy, we can fit two!” says Stephanie. “Details like the burgundy velvet throw pillows add to the home’s wine-coloured holiday colour scheme and complement the burgundy, rose and teal tones in the year-round rug.”
“We prettied up the trees with sparsely placed ornaments in black, champagne and white. “We carried that same palette through to the gift wrapping, using natural and black kraft papers tied with velvet ribbons in both burgundy and champagne,” says Stephanie.
DINING TABLE, Lock and Mortice. Custom CEILING LIGHT, Roll & Hill. DINING CHAIRS, Inform. ARTWORK, Zoe Pawlak. GAR- LAND, Neve Floral.
“To bring a natural touch for the holidays, we ran a meandering spruce garland down the table’s full length, then added a row of one-of-a-kind candles.”
“The homeowners wanted a table that would seat all six of their grown children, along with their partners and friends. And they wanted super comfortable chairs so everyone could sit and talk for hours,” says Stephanie. The seatings’ deep wine-coloured leather relates to the bold look of the show-stopper chandelier.
GLASSWARE, FLATWARE, The Cross Decor & Design. NAPKINS, Provide. DISHWARE, Janaki Larsen. Grove CANDLESTICKS, Barter Design. Spruce GARLAND (on table), Neve Floral.
“The ridged glassware is dressy yet casual and we paired it with hand- made ceramic dishware so that the feeling at the table would be elevated but relaxed,” says the designer. “To bring a little holiday bling, we used gold flatware, which also echoes the gold accents throughout.”
WINDOW GARLAND, FLORAL ARRANGEMENT, ALL GREENERY, Neve Floral. PENDANT LIGHTS, Visual Comfort. SCONCES, Hudson Valley Lighting Group.
“Fresh holiday greenery looks lovely anywhere, but in a bright white kitchen like this, it really elevates the look,” says Stephanie. “And a big vase of greens can easily be moved aside for meal prep or when family and friends are gathered around.”
“Who doesn’t love a cranberry cocktail at Christmas?” says Stephanie, who laughs as she admits that the ruby red drinks and fresh sprigs of rosemary were intentionally selected to fit in with the greenery-and-burgundy holiday decor. Fancy glassware adds a little sparkle.
TUB, Victoria & Albert. STOOL, Barter Design. FLOOR TILE, Ann Sacks. WALL TILE, Centura. Curly willow and holly FLORAL ARRANGEMENT, Neve Floral.
“We wanted to bring some warmth into the all-white bathroom, so we went with oak for the extra-long vanity,” says Stephanie. She also opted for unlaquered brass for the vanity hardware and plumbing fixtures. “Over time, it will develop a rich patina,” says Stephanie.
BED, Lawson-Fenning. CHAIR, Once a Tree Furniture. LAMPS, Inform Interiors. NIGHT TABLES, Faithful Roots. Custom CUSHIONS, Stephanie Brown Inc.
“I love the layers of white, punctuated by the black and gold accents,” says Stephanie of the primary bedroom. A white rug, white grasscloth wallpaper and light-toned furniture keep the small room feeling spacious. “Styling bedrooms for the holidays can either be forgotten or overdone, so we take a subtle approach,” says Stephanie. Checked pillowcases, a cozy throw and greenery are all that’s needed.
Step inside this Scandi-Chic holiday home
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