Editor’s Miscellany: Just a Bit More of the Holidays

By Kyle Hoepner

My colleague Paula Bodah posted here two weeks ago about the Danvers Historical Society’s Holiday Show House at Glen Magna Farms. I was lucky enough to get a quick tour of the house myself, courtesy of DHS president Wayne Eisenhauer, on a snowy Saturday shortly before Christmas. So, assuming you follow the traditional “twelve days of…” formula, it’s still not too late for me to follow up Paula’s post with a few more of the spaces and details that were on view.

The Bride’s Room, by Linda Hentschel of i-Design. Many of the show house rooms included a few discreet holiday-related items, carefully keyed to the overall decor.

The Contemplation Room: a pocket-size sitting room kitted out by Weston Design’s Candy Weston. (The designer discovered, while work on the room was underway, that she is related to Stephen B. Weston, the gentleman shown in the portrait.) The beautifully detailed painted floor was contributed by Nantucket’s Karen Ward.

A detail of the boutique and sales office, decorated by Jennifer Dunn Coen of Well Dunn Home Designs.

A formerly dim, cluttered space tucked in behind the oval foyer was transformed by William Ralph to serve as a library-office. Much of the furniture used in the room belongs to the house, but Ralph didn’t hesitate to borrow as well from his own inventory at William Ralph Fine Antiques & Interiors.

Samuel McIntire’s architecture is undoubtedly the star presence in the foyer, but designer Michael Carter concocted a fitting accompaniment via striking items of furniture and some hefty ginger jars. (Beautifully appropriate carpets here and throughout the house were provided by Landry & Arcari.)

Finally, Caitlin Flynn and Elyse Parkhurst of North Fork Design Co. did up several spaces in the house. I think my favorite was the Groom’s Room, outfitted in a selection of suitably masculine plaids from Romo fabrics.