With expansive rooms, charming original features and a mellow palette, it's the kind of house that makes you want to linger in front of the fire, enjoying a mug of hot chocolate. And homeowner and interior designer Heidi Smith wouldn't have it any other way. “This house has year-round warmth,” she says. “But over the holidays it's especially inviting and makes everyone feel good. Even the grinchiest of guests leave feeling festive.”
Built in 1898 in Montreal's Westmount neighbourhood, this two-storey, semi-detached, 3,000-square-foot structure has been home to Heidi, her husband Joe Barazin, their five-year-old son, Luke, and Joe's grown children Matthew, Christina and Sabrina, for the past six years. “We have a busy household with lots of kids, so we encourage family time, and have dinners in our dining room every night,” says Heidi.
The home's family feel was something that immediately appealed to Heidi and Joe. “Basically we loved everything except the original kitchen,” states Heidi. “It was small and had a tiny adjoining maid's room. We renovated it to open up the space and make one great room.” According to Heidi, her overall goal was to keep the original Victorian features but infuse some casual flair into the space with the furnishings. She loved the original floors, mouldings, doors and wainscotting, but says she didn't want the wood to “look fussy.” With that in mind Heidi painted the front entry hall in a coral shade. “It adds unexpected brightness,” she says, “and makes the colours in the front doors' stained glass windows pop.”
As for winter colours, Heidi knows exactly what she wants: “I like subtle holiday decor at home,” she states. “No bright red and green.” Though Heidi and her family spend Christmas Day at home in Montreal, they also have a cottage located in the Laurentians that they visit over the holidays (see our story on Heidi's country cottage, “Tinted Love,” February/March 2006 issue). It's there that red and green make a bold colour statement. “The cottage is so colourful and casual that the red and green palette works there, but our house in the city has a totally different feeling.
It commands a little more grace than just tinsel and popcorn garlands,” she says.
Despite the pared-down approach, Heidi is insistent that every corner of the house feels festive, whether it's with an artful arrangement of beautifully wrapped gifts or a few evergreen boughs in a vase. “Fresh pine branches are a great way to save money because they're less expensive than fresh flowers,” explains Heidi. “They also make the house smell great and get everyone in a festive mood-and they last through the whole season.” The dining room table is duly decorated with Heidi's wedding china, some heirloom serving dishes handed down from her grandmother and silver cutlery from her mother. “She bought it for herself from Birks before she even got married!” says Heidi with a laugh. “She passed away 15 years ago, so using something that belonged to her adds
her presence to our family gatherings.” Branches, fresh flowers and colourful berries complete the simple setting.
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