Decorating & Design
November 18, 2019
Natural Greenery Spruces Up This West Coast Family Home
For homeowners Tara Morris and Jeff Arason, Christmas decorating isn’t about glitz and glitter — it’s greenery that has captured their holiday spirits. Keeping their festive look natural, simple and pared back is always the goal, and that’s true for their overall design style, too. Dressed for the holidays by designer Ami McKay of Pure Design Inc., the two-storey Craftsman-style home in New Westminster, 30 minutes southeast of Vancouver, is bursting with fresh greenery. Fashioning evergreen nosegays, garlands and wreaths comes naturally to Ami — she was a florist for eight years. “I love to introduce surprising festive touches,” she says.
Scroll down to step inside this light and bright holiday home.
A reupholstered antique settee and woven baskets service the spacious entry. The wooden ceiling fixture and textured rug add an unexpected, eclectic touch and greenery on the newel post delivers a dash of holiday cheer.
“I lean toward minimalism,” says Tara, pictured here with her husband, Jeff, and two children, Eli, 8, and Ada, 6. “I don’t like clutter — at Christmas, or any other time. I find that fewer decorations that are simple stand out more.”
An eye-catching starburst chandelier and walnut table and dining chairs play into the dining room’s mid-century modern feel. French doors leading to the backyard allow sunlight to flood the room.
Ami glued slim strips of red, green and glittery paper to red twine to create simple garlands that adorn the sideboard in the dining room.
Mounted above the living room mantel, pieces of driftwood with metallic accents bring in a bit of nature but with a decidedly modern outlook. Draped evergreen boughs decorated with holiday ornaments strike a festive note.
The holiday tree is decorated sparingly in a palette of teal blues and natural tones. Ami added simple loops of ribbon to wooden napkin rings to create handsome tree ornaments.
Baskets corral gifts tied with twine, holiday toys and wooden decorations under the tree.
A fresh wreath finds a unique home on top of the vent hood, with a potted evergreen adding another dose of natural, festive greenery. The kitchen’s original cherrywood upper cabinetry was repainted white, and an elegant, to-the-ceiling quartz backsplash elevates the space.
“The original grout on the river-rock fireplace was dark and heavy, but the stonework was so well done,” says Ami. “So instead of removing it, we redid the grout using a lighter shade and it completely changed the look.” Evergreen boughs tied with twine and hung from the cabinetry pulls makes for an elegant nosegay.
Janis Nicolay
House & Home December 2018
Ami McKay, Pure Design Inc.