The kitchen, part of a sun-filled addition that Mark and Jane had built two years ago, is often centre stage for celebrations. “We have a party for friends a week before Christmas, and it now tends to happen around the island,” says Jane. Red accessories, from mixer to teapot, jug to dog dishes, inject the jolt of jolly red Jane loves, and that look is especially appropriate at Christmas. Pre-party she adds a tree to the sideboard. This year, it's propped in a galvanized pail and trimmed in pale greens, blues and silver to complement the room's stainless-steel appliances and hardware. Enlivening the scheme are shots of bright green at the table and in Christmas stockings. “Everyone gets a stocking,” says Jane. “The horses, dogs and rabbits, too.”
In the living room, the main tree, which the family always decorates together, is tied into the palette of the room-red, silver and gold. The only other official holiday trimmings are a sparkle of silver and red ornaments at the mantel and gifts wrapped in lively, whimsical patterns that bring in the green accent. “I like to create a big impact with a few key displays,” says Jane. “Nothing glitzy or overdone.”
The dining room's existing red accessories get a boost from holiday accents like a Dupioni silk runner on the 1850s table, St. Nick sculptures and a chandelier bedecked with glass ornaments. The cozy room showcases Jane's love of lighthearted surprises, like the French advertising poster and ‘boudoir' style lamps on the piano. “I like to put a smile in every room,” explains Jane. And she means that literally and figuratively. What an excellent approach to decorating, and to life itself-and the real reason why Jane's place is the Christmas house.
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