Jechonias Thayer House Christmas Tour, Part 3

Yesterday I thought I'd be able to show you the bedrooms on the tour today, but unfortunately I just don't have enough time this morning.  So, instead I will share some lovely photos of the foyer, dining room and living room taken by the Gardener's Guild of Braintree just before the house tour began.  Approximately 700 people visited the home making it one of the most popular Christmas tours in the clubs' history. 

The beautiful smile on this club member greeted visitors entering the main foyer 

The lovely foyer all decked out in its Christmas finery

The Madonna pays homage to the home's time as a convent.

Here's the light-filled living room 

That fabulous harpsichord/piano(?) must be 9 feet long at least! 

 Check out those hand carved legs-- simply to die for! 

Last, but certainly not least, is this fabulous dining room with hand painted wallpaper.  Below is a close up of the wallpaper I took with my I-phone.

More of this lovely Christmas tour tomorrow!  Here's your 

Daily Dose of Miss Nola!

eating bananas rolled in Cheerio dust so she can pick them up- 

 Her mommy, Aimee is so clever!

Have a fantastic day!!

xoxo,

Millie

photo source

Jechonias Thayer House Christmas Tour, Part 1

Every year the Gardener's Guild of Braintree decorates a home for the Christmas tour.  It's probably their biggest fund raiser of the year and all the members are involved in the process.  This year was spectacular!  A local landmark, the Jechonias Thayer House was built around 1815 as a summer home for his wife Abby.  At the time it overlooked Morrison's Pond which is now Elm Street.  (I don't know where the pond went!)  The land itself was granted to his great, great, great grandfather, Thomas Thayer by King Charles I in 1640.  Thayer, a wealthy shipping merchant was a direct descendent of John Alden and Pricilla Mullins of the Mayflower, and related to General Sylvanus Thayer for whom Thayer Academy is named.  

Recently purchased and renovated by a local family.  To say I was eager to check it out would be an understatment!  So a group of us, including my bff, (haopy birthday Carol-ann!) stood in line in the freezing cold knee deep in snow drifts for hours.. Actually, we went late in the day and didn't have to wait in line at all and the temps were in the balmy 50s and Saturday's snowfall was long gone!  Here's a sample of the home -- I'll post more of the photos later.  Kudos to the Gardener's Guild for a beautiful job, and to the homeowners for allowing 700 women to roam through their beautiful home! Enjoy!

This photo is looking up at the gilding that graces the columns and underside of the porch roof

This little bench is where we sat to put on our little booties to protect the gorgeous oak floors with walnut pegs dating back to a renovation in the 19th century.

 The formal living room is surrounded by windows on three sides that used to overlook a pond across the street.  It was so crowded with people that I couldn't get any photos of this room, or the entry foyer.  But I did get a close up of the tree (above adorned with fresh baby's breath, silk hydrangeas, pinecones, glass ornaments and festooned with gold wired ribbon.  It was drop dead gorgeous! Wish I could have gotten a photo with the entire tree in it for you!

 This floral arrangement with white roses, tulips, hydrangeas and gilded magnolia leaves graced an antique handcarved, enormous harpischord that was a focal point in the room.

 Yes, those are gilded artichokes!

Hand-painted linen wallpaper adorns the formal dining room.

The cabinets in the Butler's Pantry have been fully restored including the hardware.  Note the hammered copper tile backsplash -- more on that is coming in another post!

The Study

 All of the windows in the home are deep set with built-in shutters on the side that close.  Every window ledge was adorned with a box of greens and electric candles...perfection!  That's not a ghost in the window just my reflection - but there are tales of a spirit in the cloak room next to this room!

The Foyer Tree

Gotta run, more tomorrow, I promise!

xoxo,

Millie

New England Style Christmas Decor: Front Doors

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Happy Friday at last!  I just love a simple New England Christmas decor.  For the past few years, I've returned to this style when decorating at Christmas.  I really like how this style highlights the use of simple, natural materials. It's kind of a throwback to the frugal Yankee reuse of using whatever is around.  So you will see New England homes accessorized with objects like an old wooden sled, fishing basket, skates, or other items that add a bit of flair or wow to their front door. Lighting?  A single white candle with a clear bulb in each window is the only choice -- it's a must.  A spotlight or two on the front door highlights the wreath perfectly at night and guides those carolers to your front door for hot cocoa -- yeah, right!  Okay, so maybe it's just the dog walker!  These designs are often asymmetrical-- you know,  informal.

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countryliving.com

Natural and organic materials are a must for this look. Holly leaves and berries, Balsam,  white pine, boxwood, grapevine, pheasant feathers, pine cones, bittersweet, oyster shells, starfish, or in other words, whatever is available outside your door!  Combine it with wired ribbon or rustic  materials like burlap and jute twine or skip that all together.  The entire look is super casual and understated a la Puritan. I think this style is so beautiful in its simplicity -- what do you think? 

newenglandwreath.com

velvetbrown.co.uk

How do you decorate your front door?

Have a terrific weekend!

xoxo,

Millie