Dee Dee Taylor Eustace rarely wears flats, doesn’t like to cook, and the only wine she drinks is Chardonnay – no apologies. The haute couture-loving architect and interior designer is as at home in her Toronto coach house wearing a black strapless gown as she is in track pants. “The setting is formal,” says Dee Dee of the über-elegant 3,500-square-foot home she shares with her teenagers, Jake and Rachael. “But we live in every room. I eat breakfast at my dining room table,” says Dee Dee. The best silverware is, as always, on the table, and the vibe is cosmopolitan and sophisticated.

The sentiment captures her approach to holiday decorating, too. Dee Dee’s place is done but not overdone. Fresh flowers and seasonal greenery herald the holidays, but “This isn’t Tinseltown. You don’t have to decorate every space. What’s the saying? Put on your jewellery for the day and then take one piece off. That’s what I try to do,” says Dee Dee.


Dee Dee Taylor Eustace's holiday style
The formal-traditional rooms, filled with architectural articulation like fanlights, arches and columns are adorned in seasonal finery – something different each year. Dee Dee chooses a colour palette and heads to her go-to florist, Jan Dattels Ortved at Emblem. Together, they devise a scheme that’s expressed to varying degrees throughout the home. “This year, it’s boxwood garlands and wreaths,” says Dee Dee. Crystal vases hold white amaryllis, roses and freesia, with silver-painted pine cones and sprigs of crystal berries. The look is timeless and glamorous, much like her everyday environment, which Dee Dee created by layering English and French antiques with standout modern pieces like the dining room’s ornate chandelier and contemporary art.
Dining room entryway
A lush garland of boxwood, crystal beads and silver pine cones frames the graceful arched doorway in homeowner Dee Dee Taylor Eustace’s dining room. Mahogany sideboard
Symmetry brings classic elegance to the marble-topped mahogany sideboard: A display of white twigs, crystal berries and painted pinecones in a porcelain vase is flanked by “really old and wobbly” candelabras.
Dining room
European antiques furnish the elegant dining room, with its impressive 11-foot-high ceilings and traditional architecture. Modern elements and a sense of daring – note the stunning chandelier and pink upholstery – are crucial in keeping the space from feeling like a period piece.

Dining room tabletop decor
“I’m not a cook, but I love to set the table,” admits Dee Dee. “I’m always collecting china and glassware.” She lives by the rule that the good silver and crystal should be used all the time.

A luxe effect
Decorating with grey silk panels and a lighter grey on the walls emphasizes the crisp white millwork and adds textural interest. The fireplace mantel’s boxwood garland puddles on the floor for a luxe effect. The living room
The living room’s pale palette lends itself to layers of pattern and texture, like the chinoiserie-inspired print of the sofa fabric paired with the fur and floral-patterned throw pillows.
The garland draped over the living room’s fireplace mantel is not only fresh and full of fun but it also matches the greenery in the dining room for a continuous look.

Dee Dee's five holiday must-haves:

1 Tradition
“It’s important to me to display things that I’ve had for years, like my collection of Christmas ornaments. It’s about remembering the past.”

2 Style
“I also want to bring something new to the holidays every year like a few new Christmas tree ornaments and a fresh take on greenery.”

3 Simplicity
“I like things to be simple, elegant and beautiful. I don’t like it over the top or too commercial.”

4 Love
“The holidays are about my children, my family and friends. I want to celebrate them – I want to see them happy.”

5 Celebration
“I think we need to celebrate."