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[Oznell]

Oh, who am I kidding?  It's a total MINIMAL English Christmas, relying solely on fresh greens, candles and lights, and seasonal fruits and nuts in the spare cottage interiors.

Just so you won't expect a riot of color, ornaments, streamers, or plum puddings and Christmas crackers, ha.

But in it's own way it's lovely, and suitable for this family.

What a setting. See how close it is to that rim of shimmering water between land and sky?

It's in rolling North Devon, just a stone's throw from the sea. Idyllic.  Even though my Dad's family was from *West* Devon, the unforgettable countryside here-- its soft green hills and 'secret' hedgerows-- couldn't be more similar, so I have a soft spot for this.

It's called a 'cottage', but you can see how rambling it is. (It reminds me of the American poet, Sylvia Plath's house at the end of her life, also in Devon)-- 

Maria Le Mesurier lives there with her husband and five children.  She has a penchant for simplicity.

What a sweet welcome!

The sitting room, with its cozy wood-burning stove--

Looking in the other direction.  When they moved in, the walls were bright white, so she had to tone them down. The huge sectional is not necessarily her ideal choice, but perfect for the family.  The soft linen slipcovers are frequently whipped off for laundering--

Homeworthy's video has her explaining her design philosophy.  The bottles and glasses are not part of the design, exactly-- they're there as part of easily-reached holiday libations for vistors!

The rich, vintage Italian olive pots are very much part of the design.  She says-- "they're my art",  and loves them unreasonably.  Notice how the repetition of simple elements-- the soulful old two-tone jars with greens, and the candlesticks-- is a strong design statement in itself.  

Even bigger jars hold the locally foraged branches that she loves.

The kitchen:

Mmmmm, a snack of tarts and nuts!

Their dining area is dominated by a table crafted by her company, "Wood Edit".  She debated benches versus chairs, but benches won, mainly because right now, with five kids ( and often their friends), they can fit more people comfortably around the table.

Even the smaller utility spaces, like laundry rooms, etc. have the "still life" quality of a painting. 

Since this little furred cutie likes jumping up on beds, she learned to go with "earthy" toned linens for now...  (Each of the children have their own bedroom, where they can be as cluttered and toy-filled as they like-- so all is not as "zen" as this one!)

Maria's tastes are all the more interesting, in that she grew up in England's famed "Uppark",  her mother's 17th century ancestral home in Sussex:

Also wondering if her desire for calm interiors stems from the years of child abuse from her father that she has publicly spoken of, in heart-breaking detail.  She has said that her childhood, despite the illustrious background and deluxe surroundings, was one of fear and constantly pumping adrenaline.  

Yet now, in her late forties, she seems to have finally come to a certain kind of peace with all of that, and seems happy with her family in her cottage refuge.  That is very nice to know.

[Kachina624]

Considering the austerity of the exterior and the rather bleak landscape, I was surprised by the contemporary decor of the interior.  I rather like it and it seems quite fitting.  Red and green streamers and sparkly stuff would be completely out of place.

I am a little concerned about the close proximity of the greenery to the candles on the back wall.  It's possible that they're further apart than they appear in the photo.

[Mz iMac]

@Oznell  Love it!!  Right up my alley.  

With a cat & a dog there is NO WAY I can have open flammed candles anywhere near them.  They would burn the place down.

[Desertdi]

I love those stone fireplace surrounds!

The idiot who built this house put MARBLE up.    Yeah...in a CASITA!

This house isn't worth remodeling...    And I shouldn't complain:   The price was right.

[Witchy Woman]

@Oznell 

Beautiful...love the simplicity of just the greens.  The location is sublime.  However, as I often do with such remote homes, I find myself wondering, "where do they shop for groceries."  Silly, I know, but they look a million miles from EVERYTHING but the water.

So heartbreaking to think of enduring years of childhood abuse by one's father.  Unspeakably sad and tragic.

[DREAMON]

I do really like this home. I think I see Berber carpet on the steps. I have a thing for Berber and it seems to be totally out of style but I still love it.

I do think some of the walls need something ...maybe a wreath on the wall behind the sofa.

[Oznell]

I know what you mean, @Desertdi -- when builders don't respect the architecture of the house, the overall style, it can end up looking like a bit of a hodge podge.  But, as you say, if the price was right, that makes up for a lot!  And as a homeowner, you at least have options:   

If it continues to bother you, you could always get estimates to see if someone could "build over" the marble, in a more appropriate style, without the expense of tearing it all out, etc.

@Witchy Woman ,  you have the clairvoyance of your online name!  I bet you've been told that before.   Do you know, that Maria mentioned that exact thing--  the remoteness of the cottage was a consideration when they went to buy, and she said that they are a half hour from the nearest grocery store.

Now, I'm about 8 minutes from mine, so a half hour would be too much for me-- I can't stand even being any sort of distance from the vet, the post office, pharmacy, etc.  But I imagine if the incentive was great enough, I could live with that!    

[Bookplate]

Beautiful setting and tasteful, simple interior.  My only negatives are 1)  that is a LOT of couch and 2) dining room benches? OK for the kiddos but I'm guessing they don't have many older guests. I would not find that comfortable.

[stevieb]

Sorry, holiday decor is the least of the problems here. This structure has so much potential, but I can't get past that awful, endless U shaped sofa nor the picnic table. This goes well beyond merely being low key or minimal. Just no.

[just bee]

I get sort of a Pier 1 vibe.

There's a lot to like simplicity-wise, but I wouldn't want to struggle with that picnic table.

And the candles make me nervous.