elfWorks4u

Historic Salem’s annual Christmas in Salem Walk was a huge success this year. The weather was an incredible gift and the mild temperatures made for a fantastic day while record guests walked around Salem or hopped on board the Salem Trolley to view 13 magnificent homes on the tour in the MacIntyre District, kicking off with a few “preview’ homes Friday evening, December 2 and all day Saturday, December 3 through Sunday, December 4.
If you did not have the opportunity to make the tour, we are pleased to open the doors via our blog to view one of the 13 amazing homes that were on the tour.

The John Stone House, 36-38 Summer Street was built between 1762 and 1820. Historians believe the home was built and may have been moved here by distiller, John Stone in 1762. This date is carved into one of the foundation stone. Although there are many features that are 18th century, the first mention of this house in the public records is in 1820. Gambrel and pitched roofs suggest two sections joined together; it appears to have been a double house from the beginning with the north and south entrances. Throughout the home, you will spy many Brimfield acquisition mixed in with the clients existing old and new décor. The fun is working with the family and understanding their live, work and play space needs.

elfWorks added twinkle power and panache to MacIntyre District this weekend! On the exterior, nature inspired the window boxes, fencing and entrances. Inside the entry, you are welcomed with gorgeous bureau and mirror, trimmed with light greens around the mirror and a very important Italian brass sculpture, offset by an antique sleigh filled with nature’s best, balsam and cedar boughs, unique mushroom/moss, bruinia, skimmia, rose hips. As you enter the parlor you want to mantle is adorned with the owner’s collection of Nutcracker’s standing at attention. To the right hails the regal Douglas Fir Christmas tree, trimmed in traditional Christmas colors and adorned with red & green satin ribbon. The main parlor and music room boasts musical instruments, art and one of the newest Brimfield finds, a Chinese red lacquer painted side chair. Into the dining room, the ‘take your breath away’ peach peonies from Holland in the powder room were the talk of the first floor, then leading into the dining room; the peonies were in full bloom on the mantle and the side board. The elegantly set dining room features heirloom Lenox china and the walls were covered in period reproduction wall coverings to compliment the baroque style furnishings. Complimenting the family’s German heritage, we used German boxwood to grace both the rare Italian marble fireplace and the china cabinet. The cabinet we added color with miniature peaches n’ cream poinsettias.

Circle through the newly renovated kitchen filled with the family’s love of exotic and ethnic cook books, collections, you transcend to the second floor, master suite filled with heirloom Baroque style furnishings, four-poster bed dressed with in a beautiful tester using cornflower blue, yellow and white plaid, tassel trim and contrasting back drop in a soft pale yellow stripe silk taffeta. A contrasting round, tufted ottoman with contrast tassel trim and piping offset the beautiful fireplace, the third in this side of the home. A peek into the man of the home’s master bath and home office featured a built in wardrobe wall unit, collections of signed sports & collegiate memorabilia (Tom Brady football) and beautiful antique black leather wing chair.

Now it is up to an amazing third floor, recently renovated with the help of architect and interior designers John Kelsey and Sally Wilson of Wilson Kelsey Design. The third floor was completely renovated and is now the most popular room in the house for the family. Original exposed brick and timbers in an open plan make the cathedral ceilings feel cozy. Leather theatre seating, a game table ready to ‘check mate’ and bar at one end, the middle ground abounds with leather seating for home movies on a large flat screen mounted in a beautiful Mahogany built in bookshelf and flat screen shelf. Behind this seating are is a third seating place lead you an elegant leather inlay library desk for writing notes, study or surfing the net. Glass and iron votives hung with tea lights off the vine lit rafters, complimented with a vertical vine wall plaque, we found more twinkle power to carry the eye and add soft light over the mantle dressed with birch and twig snow capped trees and mixed greenery of Douglas fir and cedar gently covered the timber mantle piece and candles. You will just want to grab one of the beautiful plaid wool blankets displayed on a Brimfield ladder find and never leave!

Accents of beautifully crafted ribbons add a festive and soft touch through-out the home.