Jillian Harris’s family farmhouse is chockablock cheery with
all the markers of a nostalgic holiday.
Fir trees, wreaths, nutcrackers, twinkly lights and even Santa figurines dial up instant cheer and recall the childlike joy of holidays past. “Is it really Christmas if you don’t add
nutcrackers to every nook and cranny?” she says. “All joking aside, I layer in festive touches wherever I can.”
Jillian, who spends the holidays here with her husband, Justin Pasutto, and their children, Leo, 6, and four-year-old Annie, starts decorating their 700-square-foot 1950s farmhouse in mid-November. “I love injecting classic holiday vibes,” she says. So much so, she teamed up with Canadian Tire this year to create her own collection of traditional holiday decor. “Each part of our cottage exudes holiday charm and we’re making a lot of great memories in this cozy little space.”

Peace & Joy

Jillian Harris and Justin Pasutto’s living room is both relaxing and festive thanks to Jillian’s savvy mix of thrifted furniture (the chair is a Facebook Marketplace find!) and festive accessories. “I typically hang two wreaths for balance. I like to mix up different sizes of faux trees for interest,” she says. Rather than replace the original scuffed-up flooring, Jillian opted for a cost-effective solution and painted the floor in bold blue. She’s had the trunk, now repurposed as a coffee table, since she was a little girl. Says Jillian: “This room feels cute, cozy and perfect for hanging out.”

“My Christmas decor hasn’t changed much, but a few years ago I started adding more pops of red. My granny used lots of red over the holidays, so it’s my little homage to her.”

Custom Charm

 

Photography, Rachelle Beatty & Camielle Stewart

“In this little farmhouse, there is very limited storage, so I thought a built-in living room bench with storage underneath and a bookshelf off to the side would help alleviate that pain point,” says Jillian. Her signature two-wreath treatment and mix of festive cushions make it holiday-ready. The windows look out to the home’s idyllic 11-acre setting.

 

Photography, Rachelle Beatty & Camielle Stewart

Custom BENCH, Norelco Cabinets. DESIGN, Jillian Harris. FLOOR PAINT, Mozart Blue 1665, Benjamin Moore. Custom ARMOIRE, Primrose Lifestyle. Jute RUG, Rugs USA.

Artful Accents

 

Photography, Rachelle Beatty & Camielle Stewart

Jillian styled the shelves in the inset for the holidays. A new shelf (below left) corrals festive decor, and a vintage dresser (below) sits beneath another Jilly signature: holiday artwork. “One of my favourite, affordable ways to spruce up a space for the holidays is to swap out year-round framed prints with seasonal ones,” she says. The digital downloads of holiday art (available on her website) bring instant cheer.

 

Photography, Rachelle Beatty & Camielle Stewart

Jillian Harris + Canvas Christmas Collection SANTA MUG, pillow, throw, fawn, nutcracker, snow globes, mini house, Canadian Tire. art prints, Jillian Harris.

Celebrating Santa

 

Photography, Rachelle Beatty & Camielle Stewart

 

The family eats most of their meals in the sunroom, so Jillian made sure the space reflected her holiday-decor-everywhere brief. “One thing I can never have too many of is throw pillows,” she says. “I always change out the year-round pillows in our sunroom for the holidays, and I favour a mix of solid and patterned styles – including Santa! – so it doesn’t look too busy.” The green paint feels warm and references the kitchen ceiling for cohesion between the spaces. The textured lampshade and stools enhance the farmhouse’s
natural, rustic charm.

 

Photography, Rachelle Beatty & Camielle Stewart

’Tis the Season

Even an interior door – this one leads from the sunroom to the kitchen – is lavished with Jillian’s attention to holiday detail. “Why not hang a wreath here? This one is actually faux, and I think it looks just as gorgeous as real greenery,” she says. Embellishing it with ribbon, twine and shiny bells furthers the notion that it just might be the real thing.

 

Photography, Rachelle Beatty & Camielle Stewart

World Menagerie WINDOW SHADES, Wayfair. Custom DINING TABLE, Primrose Lifestyle. Custom BENCH SEAT CUSHIONS, Bright Living Designs.

Deck the Walls

“If you’ve ever seen our family home, you know I love using wallpaper,” says Jillian. “When I found this vintage-inspired delicate cherry wallpaper, I knew I had to have it for the farmhouse kitchen.” Its retro look makes it feel as though it could be an original 1950s feature, and the chandelier plays up that vibe. In-plain-sight baskets on top of the cupboards have a rustic charm and are a nod to the use of texture in the sunroom beyond.

 

Photography, Rachelle Beatty & Camielle Stewart

Laneer Cherry Trail WALLPAPER, One Allium Way CHANDELIER, Wayfair.

Holiday Treats

 

Photography, Rachelle Beatty & Camielle Stewart

 

Jillian likes to light candles in the kitchen before preparing some cups of cheer for the family: vegan eggnog for Leo and Annie, and mulled wine for the parents. Brand-new countertops, a subway-tiled backsplash and a new faucet (paired with the original 1940s sink!) keep the kitchen functional, without detracting from its vintage ambience. The rattan blind complements the woven baskets and layers in more natural texture.

 

Photography, Rachelle Beatty & Camielle Stewart

Star Performance

“One of the biggest challenges with this little farmhouse is that, quite literally, there’s no storage, so I had to find some creative solutions,” says Jillian. She repurposed an old dresser, which belonged to her mom and dad, to store pots, pans and cutlery, then layered it with holiday flair, from a gingerbread house and bottlebrush fir trees to sparkly lights and a garland of stars. The addition of floating shelves amps up the storage even more. Says Jillian: “I love when design meets function, and this little vignette does just that.”

 

Photography, Rachelle Beatty & Camielle Stewart

 

STOVE, Elmira Stove Works.

All the Trimmings

“Faux greenery and twinkle lights along the kitchen countertop are so easy to layer in and they make a practical space feel special and festive,” says Jillian. She chose the canary-yellow paint partly so that the farmhouse kitchen would feel decidedly different from their all-neutral family home. And it’s more than just a zingy hue. “I wanted the farmhouse to be as sustainable and eco-friendly as possible,” she says. “Simple coats of paint allowed me to keep the existing cabinets just by updating the look.”

 

Photography, Rachelle Beatty & Camielle Stewart

“I went well outside my comfort zone and painted the existing kitchen cabinets bright yellow! I wanted this space to feel like sunshine and make guests feel happy and light.”

 

Sweet Retreat

 

Photography, Rachelle Beatty & Camielle Stewart

The charming guest room is used even when it’s just the family at the farmhouse. “I call this the ‘pink room’ and, typically, Annie and I end up sleeping in here.” The sweet wallpaper recalls the cherry-print one in the kitchen and its nostalgic pattern is in keeping with the vintage brass bed, an online find.

Layered Effect

 

Photography, Rachelle Beatty & Camielle Stewart

The guest room radiates country charm, thanks, in part, to the original 1960s wallpaper. Jillian’s furniture placement cranks up its cozy appeal. She didn’t hesitate to cover part of the window with a headboard, or even to hang art behind it, and using a chair as a side table defies the rules but works beautifully. Throughout the small space, festive signifiers abound and reinforce Jillian’s belief that it can’t be Christmas without nutcrackers in every nook and cranny.

MATTRESS, Haven Sleep Co. QUILT, Urban Outfitters. THROW PILLOWS, Alchemy Living. LAMPSHADE, Wayfair. wreath, Monika Hibbs Home.

Small Wonder

“This is the one and only bathroom in our quaint farmhouse,” says Jillian. “Normally, sconces are placed a few inches on either side of the mirror, but in this small space, I had to get a little creative. I found sconces that would still look good placed over the top of the mirror, and I really love how it turned out.”

 

Photography, Rachelle Beatty & Camielle Stewart

SCONCES, TOWEL RACK, Wayfair.

When All Through the House...

 

Photography, Rachelle Beatty & Camielle Stewart

“We have a wood-burning fireplace in the farmhouse, and I love how the piled-up chopped wood makes the front porch a little extra cozy and Christmasy.”

“When I say don’t be afraid to decorate every room in the house, I mean it! While we don’t have the biggest entryway at the farmhouse, we still have just enough space to adorn it with nostalgic nutcrackers, a few faux Christmas trees and a wreath.” The happy yellow door opens to a secondhand bench adorned with a faux garland and holiday cushions. “This is a favourite place where I can enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning or a mug of mulled wine in the evening.”

 

Photography, Rachelle Beatty & Camielle Stewart

DOOR PAINT, Dorset Gold HC-8, Benjamin Moore. RUG, Ruggable.