A Natural, Nostalgic and Nautical Christmas Cottage

This Christmas cottage is decorated in vintage Christmas style—with some sweet surprises.

Homeowner Lori Guyer likes to keep her cottage farmhouse’s Christmas
décor simple and natural, but it’s far from being plain and boring. In fact, to make sure her 1850-built home had an authentic “vintage natural” ambiance—along with unexpected elements—Lori hired stylist Heather Bullard to dress her Christmas cottage.

Lori lives in the historic seaside village of Greenport, Long Island, New York.

fresh greenery on mantel and vintage lifesaver with Christmasbow — Just Add Water. Nautical décor is a surprising sight in the living room. The fireplace andirons are vintage anchors. The wreath above the mantel is a vintage lifesaver ring styled with grain sack ribbon and vintage ornaments. The gas fireplace is two-sided: One side is in the kitchen, and this side is in the living room.

“The styles of the homes in this village are a mix of saltbox, cottage, farmhouse, Victorian and grand sea captains’ homes,” Lori says.

She lives in the four-bedroom cottage farmhouse with her husband, Stephen, son, Colin, and two mini schnauzers, Greta and Otto. The family moved into the 172-year-old home in 2015.

Heather had seen photos of Lori’s home, which was a vision in white (“It was a white canvas,” Lori notes), and she asked Lori if she was interested in decorating with soft, muted reds for Christmas.

exterior of historic nautical Christmas cottage — Warm Welcome. There might be snow on the ground, but the home’s exterior exudes a warm, vintage-natural ambiance as soon as you approach the porch. The weathered, unpainted front door, original to the 1850 home, sets the tone for what you’ll find inside. When the homeowners renovated the home’s exterior, they discovered clapboard under the cedar shake siding, which Lori’s husband wanted to bring back. As a result, the original clapboard was painted white. Otto invites you to come inside to warm up.

entryway with pine branches in woven basket and mini schnauzer — Pit Stop. Lori turned this small entryway into a mudroom. Mini schnauzer Otto supervises to make sure everyone hangs their coats in the vintage lockers to the left and removes their boots to dry. An old ammunition basket is repurposed to display greenery.

That concept was in line with Lori’s vision of a red-and-white Christmas featuring simple, subdued colors—and, most importantly, a vintage-natural ambiance—so they worked together to take the old home to a new level for a charming Christmas cottage.

“By ‘vintage natural’ décor, I mean no plastic decorations—only vintage or natural,” Lori explains. “And, I don’t buy fake greenery. I prefer clippings and fallen branches from the yard. We also have a natural-shaped Christmas tree that we cut down ourselves at a tree farm.”

white ceramic light up tree in breakfast nook of Christmas cottage — Home Plates. The little rack on the kitchen wall is an antique English pine plate rack that displays antique plates and fresh greens. Heather decorated it with a garland of stars. On the table is a vintage white ceramic light-up Christmas tree from Lori’s collection.

Shopping Her Store for Décor

Lori is the owner of the shop, White Flower Farmhouse (whiteflowerfarmhouse.net), in Southold, on eastern Long Island. Her charming shop is a treasure trove of vintage decorative pieces. Heather was able to handpick what she wanted from the store, as well as from Lori’s extensive personal collections, which include vintage ornaments, red and silver Santas and old, weathered blankets.

Lori is drawn to the “cottage farmhouse” look for her own décor.

vintage Santa and snow man figurine in Christmas cottage kitchen — Heart of the Home. The kitchen is truly the heart of Lori’s home, and it’s where the family gathers most often. “It’s especially cozy in the winter months when the fireplace is on,” she says. The centerpiece is an island from Brimfield Flea Market that was originally a vintage German baker’s table. The original floor was under two layers of other flooring (carpet on top and oak floors below, and finally, these old pine floors). The ceiling beams are original and were under plaster and drywall. The lighting fixtures are vintage factory lights purchased on eBay. Other kitchen items include vintage cutting boards, a vintage Santa and antique stoneware bowls filled with red pears and pomegranates. Lori’s white ironstone collection is highlighted on the shelves; fresh greenery frames the windows. The little tree on the counter is from Lori’s store, White Flower Farmhouse, and the greenery in the crock is from her yard.

kitchen with natural greenery garland and red vintage accents

“Cottage and farmhouse styles make for a natural pairing,” Lori says. “’Farmhouse,’ to me, is a simple, unadorned vintage style. ‘Cottage’ furnishings can be more ornate, painted and colorful. Both styles are warm and inviting. I wanted a relaxed, serene space—white and creamy, with lots of natural textures and warm woods. I keep things very simple and pared down,” Lori points out.

The interior design of Lori’s home was also informed by the neighborhood’s nautical architecture and a marina at the end of street (where Lori’s husband docks his sailboat). As you walk through the rooms, you’ll spot such seafaring elements as decorative anchors, lifesaver rings and sailboats strategically placed on the walls, mantels and wood cabinets.

vintage farmhouse table and red and white vintage accents — Farm to Table. The dining room’s farm table is an antique. It’s paired with schoolhouse chairs. The white hutch behind the table was an old, brown apothecary cabinet that Lori found in a barn and repainted.

guest room with exposed wood beam and small Christmas tree — Vintage-Natural Vibe. The primary bedroom blends antique and contemporary furnishings with a focus on letting the natural color of the wood shine through. The bed is an antique rope bed converted into a traditional queen-sized bed. A beautiful, antique English pine cupboard is topped with a sailboat made by a local wood carver. The floors are original natural pine.

Nostalgic Noel at the Christmas Cottage

The transition from everyday décor to holiday décor is a walk down memory lane for Lori: Among her collections are white ironstone dishes that are pretty, as well as practical, and vintage ornaments galore—from Christmas tree ornaments to Santa candy containers.

Lori began her love of all things vintage at an early age, via accompanying her mother to estate and tag sales. She bought her first vintage ornament with her mom and built onto it.

guest room in historic nautical Christmas cottage — Guest Rest. This guest bedroom features an antique bed with an antique, faded blanket and actual grain sack pillows propped up against the headboard. The dresser and mirror are vintage, as is the white reindeer on the dresser. The Swedish candle holder, cabinet and stocking are also vintage. Heather wrapped boxes to look like Christmas presents for decorations.

“I have a sentimental connection to my Christmas collections,” she notes. “My ornaments are the same as my grandmother’s. I have a ceramic light-up tree that belonged to my grandmother that I display every year. My Christmas decorating can be summed up in one word: ‘nostalgia.’”

stairway with natural garland and mini tree with vintage ornaments — Garland Galore. The staircase handrail in the entryway is draped with greenery for a natural garland. It’s sprinkled with vintage silver ornaments and striped grain sack ribbons. Lori trimmed the feather tree on the cabinet with antique ornaments. The vintage vignette includes cardboard houses and a church, and “packages” wrapped simply in brown paper. On the wall is an antique sign Lori had in her collection.

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