House Tours
House tour: Simple and chic holiday cottage
Soft neutrals and natural accents cozy up this holiday cottage
House Tours
House tour: Simple and chic holiday cottage
Nestled in the woods of Langley, B.C., this family home conjures up party-ready Christmas cheer with soft neutrals, natural accents and twinkling lights.
Ice cream cake in December? You bet – especially if you’re at the Carlaw residence. As anyone born in December knows, birthdays can be overshadowed by Christmas, but not here. Designer Sydney Carlaw, her husband, Vance, and older daughter, Jessica-Rae, 11, pull out all the stops to ensure that the youngest family member, Jolene, who turns nine on December 11, celebrates both occasions with gusto. “We have a special tradition, thanks to Jolene,” says Sydney. “We invite friends over for a birthday-Christmas celebration, complete with her favourite ice cream cake.” The venue, the family’s 1,660-square-foot 1970s-built house in Langley, B.C., is less than half the size of their previous home, but they were happy to trade interior square footage for five secluded acres. “When we moved in last year, we wondered how we’d fit everyone in at our annual bash,” says Sydney. “But the intimacy makes the party even more fun.”
The intimacy and that welcoming, cozy vibe weren’t something this house always offered. Its dark cedar walls, laminate floors, stucco ceilings and cramped kitchen didn’t fulfill Sydney’s desire for a relaxed space with a clean-lined country feel. So the designer embarked on a two-year renovation, which netted a fresh kitchen, as well as a backdrop of smooth ceilings, light-coloured cedar walls and wide-plank oak floors that make the small space feel expansive.
Comments