Decorating for Christmas at the McGrath house is simple and understated: bows, boughs, and sparkle are added, reflecting Dave and Carolyn’s love of the sea and the outdoors, while favourite knick-knacks are dressed up.
blue
CHRISTMAS
Dartmouth, Carolyn’s first time away from Newfoundland where she was born and raised. Living in Dartmouth but working in downtown Halifax allowed Carolyn to satisfy her lifelong need to be on the water. “I rode the ferry to work every day. I was in heaven doing that.” Moving into a brand new home allowed Carolyn to create a living space that reflects her love of the sea. Her palette consists of creamy whites and dreamy blues, particularly turquoise, with gold accents thrown in to reflect the sun, as well as the siding of the house, an unexpected, and delightful, find called “Newfie Gold.” At Christmas time, Carolyn decorates the open-concept main floor simply by adding more turquoise accents, sparkling
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ah! Winter 2018
Blue bird of happiness: The bird cage that sits in the sunroom receives an unusual “nest” for Christmas, with added sparkle from white lights and ornaments in the pine boughs.
white lights, and outdoor greenery. She also moves around the carefully curated knick knacks in her home, many of them souvenirs of her post-retirement travels with Dave, to repurpose them for the holiday season. On her living room table, she places an olive wood plate and the olive wood carving of Mary and Jesus brought home from their trip to Israel, while a photo of her then-eighty-year-old mother standing next to Santa Claus moves up from the guest room in the basement to the “Newfoundland Corner” in the kitchen. Tiny clusters of pine needles and cones are tucked into bowls, onto tables, in display cabinets, and around candles throughout the house, while larger bows grace the table and the mirror in the front foyer.
The North Shore
