House Tours

A festive Toronto home boasting a cottage-in-the-city vibe

A festive Toronto home boasting a cottage-in-the-city vibe

Photography: Angus Fergusson | Design: Stacy Begg

House Tours

A festive Toronto home boasting a cottage-in-the-city vibe

A traditional home gets cozied up for Christmas with tons of greenery and plaid adornments.

"A Christmas-ready setting doesn’t need to be red and green,” says designer Stacy Begg, who was tasked with creating a subdued holiday scheme in the living and dining rooms of her clients’ Toronto home. The space boasts a classic envelope with traditional mouldings, dark hardwood flooring and a wood-burning fireplace. The furnishings, such as the mid-century-style dining table and sleek yet comfy seating in the living room, offer a casual contemporary vibe. Stacy wanted the holiday decorations to provide a similar balance of modern and traditional, plus a touch of Canadiana, so she used a stylish mix of plaid patterns and seasonal greenery. Here’s how she pulled together the polished festive look.

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In the dining room, a marble­ topped Tulip­style table and sim­ple white chairs are a sleek pair­ing, while the laid­back plaids layer in coziness and festivity. Blue­checked scarves hang over the chair backs, softening the crisp white backdrop, and gold star sculptures add sparkle.

Thoughtful place settings are important features for a holiday host. Stacy chose plates with touches of blue to complement the navy and white plaid patterns found throughout this table­ scape. Party favours sit pretty alongside sprigs of greenery on top of the salad plates. The simple kraft paper wrapping lets the ribbon take centre stage.

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The living room boasts a cottage-in-the-city vibe, and that’s the aesthetic Stacy was going for. “I wanted the space to look rustic so the homeowners feel like they’re spending Christmas at an escape outside of the city,” says the designer. She achieved this with more plaid in a mix of large- and small-scale patterns.

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“Toss cushions are an easy way to lend a certain mood to a space, as they can easily be switched out seasonally,” says Stacy, who selected plaid-patterned toss cushions for the pair of contemporary armchairs in the living room. The idea was to play off the blues in the artwork (curated by Katie Dobbie of Lady Galt Vintage) for a seamless look.

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Placed in front of the wood-burning fireplace, an upholstered bench is the perfect perch for warming toes. Stacy spread evergreen boughs across the mantel and dotted them with blue ornaments. “And, of course, there’s nothing like clementines to signal the season,” says Stacy, referring to the coffee table arrangement of sweet citrus fruit.

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Plaid gift wrap keeps the rustic theme going under the Christmas tree. And kraft paper-clad parcels are blank canvases for patterned ribbons to shine. The large satin bows are consistent with the space’s other pops of blue.

In a chic glass vase, eryngium flowers nod to the thistles of Scotland, a country that’s well-known for its beautiful tartans.

 

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House Tours

A festive Toronto home boasting a cottage-in-the-city vibe