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Designer Kimberly Jones refreshes a home in Victoria’s Uplands Neighbourhood with three trees and triple the Christmas cheer.
Every guilty-pleasure Christmas movie has a character who loves tradition. Sometimes it’s the small-town heartthrob who’s destined to take over the family tree farm, or the cheeky grandma who won every holiday pageant in her youth. In this Victoria-based renovation story, the champion of tradition is interior designer Kimberly Jones of Kimberly Jones Lifestyle.
The city’s Uplands neighbourhood makes for a festive setting, too. “It has a classical, old-world feel—meandering streets, lampposts, deer walking across the roads—that just so naturally lends itself to Christmas,” says the designer. The clients, a young family of five, turned to Jones to transform the new-to-them 1947 house… but not to update it, exactly. Instead of stripping away the storied architecture, Jones and builder Novus Properties layered the existing design with elements that emphasized the home’s history—and created a cozy backdrop for traditions old and new.
The den, for example, is a true nod to Christmas past: think dark walnut millwork, artful wainscoting, gold details and an aged stone fireplace. “It’s almost like what you’d see in old Christmas shows,” says Jones. When it came to styling for the holidays, the designer partnered with Vania Pecchia of Vania Pecchia Interiors and went for a playful woodland theme featuring pinecones, mushrooms and a tree filled with cute forest creatures (spot furry foxes and owls among the navy-blue baubles). “It’s not so tidy—it’s a lived-in, classical den for the family to get together in,” says the designer. The classic red-and-green palette (often absent from contemporary Christmas decor) is on full display here: ribbons, candlesticks, books and garlands all embrace those iconic colours.
The great room keeps the holiday hues a little more muted, but it still nods to a vintage vibe. A 19th-century William Morris pattern (present on the stockings) informed the pink and seafoam details, like pastel green pillows and peachy pinstriped throws. The designer describes this room as having been “totally sparse” pre-reno, but strategic mouldings accentuate the gambrel roof and blush tiles give the fireplace added visual interest. “The addition of all those background elements and the neutral, natural pieces brought the room together,” says Jones. The tree here—the second one in the home so far, if you’re counting—leans more formal, with glass and copper ornaments, gold ribbons and more delicate decorations. The light-and-bright walls and oversized sofa are modern, but inviting. This is the room the family spends the most time in during the holidays, and best represents Christmas present.
And, like with those corny-but-charming movies, you can probably see where the story goes next: to Christmas future, of course. And for that, a third tree is needed. Upstairs, in the boys’ room, a sweet little sapling sits between the matching twin beds. It subtly complements the year-round decor (vintage trunk-turned-nightstand, model sailboat, glowing lantern) while adding a touch of holiday magic. Striped wallpaper, plaid blankets and cream-coloured curtains bring warmth and texture—it’s the perfect spot to anticipate Santa’s arrival and dream of Christmases yet to come.
The home is so festive and welcoming, in fact, that Jones says the clients’ extended family flooded in to celebrate Christmas. “The classic, layered, traditional feel really draws everyone in,” says the designer. “It was a nice compliment, I think, to know that everyone felt like this was the most fitting house to go to.” Luckily, the sprawling kitchen that doubles as a dining space has plenty of room for guests. The shaker-style cabinetry and irregular backsplash tiles are elegant but unfussy, as are the corbels above the stove and the arched kitchen nook. “There are so many classical elements in this kitchen that it could seem outlandish,” says Jones, “but presented this way, they actually bring the whole thing together.”
Instead of getting caught up in current trends, this home keeps its halls fully decked in historic architecture, nostalgic materials and timeless patterns. In fact, embracing some of the more old-fashioned details is what makes each room so stylish. “Classic is classic,” says Jones. “It’ll always come around.”
This holiday home story was originally published in the November/December 2024 print issue of Western Living magazine.
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