“I believe my home should be decorated according to the style and era of its bones,” says homeowner Peggy Essaris when describing the Westmount, Que., abode she shares with her husband, Michael Dickey, and their children, Matthew, 17, Evelina, 10, and Angelina, 6. Peggy wanted the small 1920s space to feel a little old-world but not dated and ultimately inviting and informal – a house the family would really use from top to bottom.

She called designer Beth Gold of Marc Gold Interiors, who had designed their last home to magazine-worthy results and understood how to layer period antiques with her husband’s collection of contemporary artwork, as well as incorporate their previous home’s pieces into the new home’s smaller, awkward sized rooms. Beth’s secret to success? “Not everything has to be calculated and mapped out. If you see something you love, just buy it. It’ll work. You’ll find a spot for it,” she says. “Decorating is ultimately about loving the things that are in your home.” But for those of us who are a little less trusting of our gut, here are 10 of Beth’s design lessons to follow.


1 Don’t forget the kitchen table
Designer Beth Gold had the huge kitchen island removed, opting instead for a table. “I just think it’s more comfortable to have a family sitting around a table than perched on stools,” she says.
2 Repeat shapes
The sumptuous swirls on the rug are echoed in the stunning chandelier hanging above. Together, they temper the rigid, straight-lined fretwork on the sideboard and dining chairs.

3 Avoid tabletop clutter
This can be done by keeping bar service to the side. This way, you can offer more drink options and fit more food on the table to indulge in.
4 Get creative
Antique French terracotta railing balusters were repurposed into a pair of table lamps with a dose of spray paint and new lampshades.

5 Balance the classic with the casual
The traditional late-Georgian English console is a striking focal point in the room, but to add texture and keep it from seeming too stately, Beth brought in a wicker basket of firewood to store underneath.
6 Use mirrors to reflect what you love
This tall mirror bounces light from the windows and brings in a glimpse of nature from outside.

7 Include extra seating
Long and narrow, the dimensions of the living room were a bit awkward and too petite to incorporate two seating areas. Beth was able to accommodate extra seating with two small sidechairs that lend decorative symmetry to the room and offer spots for guests to sit.

8 Go with what works
“Sometimes it’s about finding a wall where something fits,” says Beth of the wall in the living room that features a massive, almost floor-to-ceiling, piece of contemporary artwork. “The homeowners moved from a larger home with higher ceilings, and this was the only wall in the new place that could accommodate this piece,” says Beth, “so it became the starting point for the rest of the room.”
9 Pop of colour
“A small pop of colour in an otherwise neutral space just simply works,” says Beth. As with the painting in the living room, the can’t-live-without artwork above the bed (a nude sketch done by the homeowner) inspired the room’s palette, from the pinks in the duvet cover to the pop of red on the lampshade.

10 Bed linens and blankets
Layer bed linens and blankets to add cozy texture to a muted palette.