C A N A DA’ S
gifts
FOR
EVERYONE
ON
YOUR
LIST!
45
+
DESIGNER
DECADENT
CHOCOLATE
CAKES
STYLE
Celebrate
THE SEASON WITH
4
WOW
GUESTS
WITH
Scandi-chic
decorations
DIY
Use TWINKLE LIGHTS in your table setting!
Try it:
STYLEATHOME.COM NOVEMBER 2015 | 9796 | STYLEATHOME.COM NOVEMBER 2015
NATURAL & NICE
A mint green vase holding
white-painted branches
decorated with glass balls
and wooden snowflakes
serves as a festive centre-
piece in the craft room.
The handmade paper
star garland is destined
for the living room.
DESIGN, Kelly Deck Design,
kellydeck.com; ARCHITEC-
TURE, Sunshine Coast Home
Design; CONTRACTING, A.T.
Home Construction; GREEN-
ERY & PLANTS (throughout),
Art Knapp, The Flower Fac-
tory; mini ball and snowflake
ORNAMENTS, Roost.
OPPOSITE Designers
Nicole Mah and Kelly Deck
dressed the living room
mantel with candles, tiny
cypress trees and paper-
whites (a classic holiday
flower) set among loosely
placed branches.
Discus ARTWORK, Cissy Cook
Designs; CANDLESTICKS,
Crate and Barrel; mercury glass
VOTIVE HOLDERS, West Elm;
white glass VOTIVE HOLD-
ERS, Indigo; reindeer STOCK-
ING HOLDERS, Pottery Barn.
CHRISTMAS
TEXT LAURA MUIR | PHOTOGRAPHY BARRY CALHOUN
MAGIC
In a faraway place where the nights
are long and the stars shine bright,
two designers work around the clock
to fill a cottage with the spirit of
Christmas for a very special family.
98 | STYLEATHOME.COM NOVEMBER 2015
ABOVE The cottage’s clean, comfortable aes-
thetic and fresh, bright palette served as the
jumping-o point for the laid-back natural holi-
day theme. In the living room, the faux Christmas
tree is adorned with a simple felt ball garland
and a collection of ornaments in a predominantly
neutral colour scheme. “The tree trimmings range
from traditional to modern,” says Nicole. “We
wanted the tree to look collected with a lot of
dierent decorations. But keeping the colours
consistent makes them all work together.”
Oxford White CC-30 WALL PAINT (throughout), Benjamin
Moore; custom built-in CABINETRY (throughout), Pacific
Rim Cabinets; Rachel Ashwell SOFAS, Shabby Chic; cus-
tom ARMCHAIRS, Bari Designs; COFFEE TABLE, RUG,
Scrabble BOARD GAME, Restoration Hardware; custom
ROMAN SHADES (throughout), Hartmann&Forbes;
LANTERNS (on coee table), Crate and Barrel; faux
CHRISTMAS TREE, Canadian Tire; white feather
TREES, Roost; felt ball GARLAND, West Elm.
RIGHT, FROM TOP White-painted branches
adorned with ornaments have a Scandinavian
feel; a string of felt acorns hung on a reindeer
stocking holder acts as a playful accent in lieu of
a stocking; the Advent calendar in the craft room
was made by stamping kraft paper envelopes with
the day of the month and pinning them in the
shape of a Christmas tree onto a linen-upholstered
cork board; the place setting boasts an earthy
quality, thanks to a sprig of eucalyptus, but the
designers edged the leaves in gold glitter to give
the arrangement a touch of holiday sparkle.
Jt
QUIET HOLIDAY MOMENTS SPEAK JUST
AS LOUDLY AS BOLD, OVER-THE-TOP
ONES – THE KEY IS TO KEEP IT SIMPLE
AND STICK TO A COLOUR SCHEME.
FESTIVE
FACTOR
sounds like nothing short of a Christmas miracle: arriving home during
the busy holiday season to find that everything – from the tree to the
table – has been decked out for Santa. And, no, not merely put together
by elves but beautifully finished by real-life designers. That’s what hap-
pened to the owners of this bright and airy cottage located on British
Columbia’s majestic Sunshine Coast.
But in this case, the homeowners, Canadian expats who live in
Bermuda, admittedly knew what was coming. They enlisted Nicole Mah
and Kelly Deck of Vancouver’s Kelly Deck Design to decorate the house
for the holidays, but gave the designers carte blanche so the decor would
be a complete surprise when they arrived after a long flight. “The home-
owners said, ‘Surprise us,’” says Nicole, who was also the interior designer
on the project when the 4,500-square-foot cottage was being built. “I’ve
gotten to know the owners’ tastes over the past three years, so it was
really effortless for me to create a Christmas look that was true to their
aesthetic and consistent with the style of the space.”
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Using the cottage’s subdued colour scheme – inspired by sea glass from
the beaches of Bermuda – and its contemporary, comfortable vibe as the
starting point, Nicole and Kelly focused on a natural theme to keep things
simple and fresh and in line with the coastal setting. “We wanted to create
a playful, modern interpretation of the classic Christmas look so it would
reflect the style of the rest of the house,” says Nicole.
Whether store-bought or DIY, the decorations offer a handmade feel that’s
both whimsical and cozy. Organic elements and greenery like the white-
painted branches, eucalyptus sprigs and potted paperwhites enhance the
modern, fresh approach. A bit of essential Christmas sparkle and shine was
incorporated via ornaments and accessories, which adhere to the colour
scheme of white, gold, silver and soft blues and greens.
While the designers ensured the holiday decor suited the cottage’s casual
style, they also wanted it to be practical, so they picked a few artificial pieces
like the Christmas tree in the living room and the staircase garland to make
it a bit easier for these offshore homeowners. “We chose items they could
easily store and then bring out and reuse every year,” says Nicole.
Giving the family their privacy, Nicole and Kelly were away for the big
reveal, but with the presents under the tree, the table set for dinner and even
a game of Scrabble displayed on the coffee table – “They love to play board
games together,” says Nicole – it’s safe to say these homeowners experi-
enced the magic of Christmas as soon as they walked in the front door.
TOP The craft room takes the
place of a home oce and
provides a spot for the family
to indulge their love of DIYs.
Schumacher WALLPAPER,
AnneStarr; DESK, DESK CHAIRS,
Pottery Barn; SEAT CUSHION
FABRIC, Caitlin Wilson Textiles.
ABOVE “We didn’t want any-
thing to take away from the
beautiful turquoise door,” says
Nicole. So the designers strung
a simple wood-disc garland
that says “Merry Christmas”
along the transom window.
Blue Ground 210 FRONT DOOR
PAINT, Farrow & Ball.
RIGHT In the grand entryway,
the banisters are decorated
with faux evergreen garland
embellished with pretty bows
and delicate acorn and snow-
flake ornaments.
CONSOLE, Stanley Furniture;
GARLAND, IKEA; acorn and
snowflake ORNAMENTS, Roost.
holiday decorating style
NATURAL ELEMENTS PAIRED WITH SUPER-
CHIC SILVER AND GOLD AND HINTS
OF SOFT BLUE AND GREEN.
tree trimming tidbit
GET EVERYONE INVOLVED, AND HAVE
FUN WITH IT – PLAY FESTIVE MUSIC
AND SERVE YUMMY SNACKS.
unexpected decor touch
THE DIY ADVENT CALENDAR MADE OUT
OF KRAFT PAPER BAGS (FILLED WITH
CHOCOLATES) ARRANGED IN THE
SHAPE OF A CHRISTMAS TREE.
most cherished
christmas memento
THE FAMILY’S COLLECTION OF CHRISTMAS
CARDS FROM FRIENDS AND RELATIVES.
outdoor lighting strategy
SOFT WHITE LIGHTS LINING THE ROOF,
WINDOWS AND TREES.
it’s not the holiday
season until...
THE CHRISTMAS TREE IS ERECTED. “WE PRE-
FER A REAL TREE, BUT AN ARTIFICAL ONE IS
MUCH MORE PRACTICAL FOR A COTTAGE,”
SAYS ONE OF THE HOMEOWNERS.
Xmas Fes
The
The kitchen’s large eat-in area boasts comfortable slipcovered
chairs, a generous banquette and breathtaking views. A palette
of white, pale aqua and earthy beige tones gives the holiday table
setting a modern look and ties in with the rest of the home.
Custom DINING TABLE, DINING CHAIRS, Once a Tree Furniture; PENDANT
LIGHT, Circa Lighting; aqua DINNER PLATES, gold fig VASES, The Cross
Decor & Design; white SALAD PLATES, The Seasoned Kitchen; NAPKINS,
Smith Handmade; white cut-out POTS, Crate and Barrel.
FOR SOURCES, SEE OUR WORKBOOK
100 | STYLEATHOME.COM NOVEMBER 2015
