Unlike some overstuffed holiday homes – mind the tangle of tinsel, heed the plastic Santas! – Lisa Besseling’s house is all about being mellow. In the entryway, pinned to the staircase by a cream-coloured ribbon, a solitary birch wreath signals the season. Similarly subdued are the Christmas gifts, simply wrapped in kraft paper and raffia string.


Homeowner Lisa Besseling
“I try to be mindful of every piece that comes into the house: Either I love it or it serves a purpose,” says the owner of Stony Lake Furniture Co., located in Lakefield, Ont., a quaint village 20 minutes outside Peterborough, where the decorator grew up. Lisa shares the 2,800-square-foot house with her boyfriend, Marlon Hazlewood, a photographer, and Owen, their Brussels Griffon, a small dog with a Marlon Brando under-bite and wispy goatee.

At one-and-a-half storeys, the home has a Scandinavian style. Awash in soothing grey and white paint, the interior’s fall-into-me furniture inspires lounging with a cup of hot tea and a book. A river runs through the backyard, and during December, when the snow settles on the tree branches, it’s like a cozy cabin retreat straight out of a travel brochure.

White winterberries
Subtly festive white winterberries make a simple statement on the fireplace mantel.
Scandinavian feel
Decorating with grey and white impart a Scandinavian style in the living room.
Sconces
Both functional and stylish, the spacesaving stunning sconces spotlight photos and knick-knacks on the shelves below.
Kraft paper wrapping
Holiday gifts wrapped in kraft paper and tied with string and cloth ribbon suit the home’s simplistic, minimal decor.
Welcoming entryway
The welcoming entryway sets the scene in homeowner Lisa Besseling’s Scandi-chic home. The panelling on the wall, which Lisa freshened up with fabulous white paint, is original to the house. She also refinished the stair treads and painted the risers white. Dining room
The dining room was a priority space for Lisa when she moved in: “I finished it first because I wanted to be able to entertain guests,” she says. A local craftsman custom-made the table.
White and light wood
A symphony of white and light wood hits all the right notes in the alluring sunroom.
Red dahlias
Red dahlias set against a warm white beadboard backdrop create a sweet, subtly festive display. Bedroom
Spare yet stylish, with its wainscotting, brass bed, plush bedding and dark grey accents, the bedroom reads like a country cottage. “Layering patterns and textures makes the space cozy,” says Lisa.