feature
I
“I’m crazy about Christmas,” says Tammy
Robinson. If you’ve ever seen the Robinson
home, you know she’s not exaggerating. At
Christmas, this home truly comes alive.
“I’m very nostalgic,” says Tammy, who was born and raised in Sault Ste.
Marie. Her father died when she was 18 years old, but both he and her
mother had always made sure their family had a great Christmas. For
that reason, the holidays always bring back wonderful memories.
Each year Tammy sends out about 60 hand written Christmas cards.
“I like to put love and energy into Christmas,” she says. “This is a gift
for me to share.”
Moving home from Calgary four years ago and going back to the
traditional colours – red, green, gold and silver – has felt like having her
childhood Christmas back. “But with today’s design,” says Tammy.
It’s important for Tammy to keep up the tradition of Christmas,
and she knows her husband Dan appreciates it when he comes in from
working away (he’s a private pilot). It pleases the rest of the family too.
Part of Tammy’s reason for moving back to the Sault was to
share “home” with Dan. He agrees it’s been fun to move to the town
where Tammy has such strong roots and where she still has lots of
extended family. Continued on page 30
OPPOSITE: A beautiful
Christmas tree stands
in the entrance of the
home. This rustic pre-lit
tree was sprayed with
artificial snow. ABOVE:
The Robinsons (from
left), Tammy, Klara,
Alisha, Dan, and the
family dog, Reya.
LEFT: This real tree
has been decorated
to complement the
décor in the soft
blue living room.
At Home
FOR
THE
HOLIDAYS
STO RY PA U L I NE C L A R K
PHO TO G R A PHY C OL I N CRO W EL L
28 | ourhomes
WINTER 2014/2015
ourhomes
WINTER 2014/2015
| 29
feature
RIGHT: Tammy wrapped and tucked strips
of burlap around each dining room chair.
BELOW: This buffet side table is a family
heirloom that got new life with silver paint
and crystal drawer pulls. BOTTOM: Dark
wood and granite (Granite by Design) on
the island help to visually separate it from
the rest of the kitchen.
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As for Christmas, the prep work is gradual and it changes every year.
The couple hired Weed Man Canada to hang the exterior lights and
Tammy does the interior decorating herself. This year she used burlap
(Heritage Home Hardware Building Centre) throughout.
By December 1, she has the trees up – there are four this year
– though it might take until December 10 to get them completely
decorated. Some of the trees are artificial and themed, but Tammy also
uses traditional family decorations, including ornaments the kids made
when they were in school.
The family decorates the real tree together. This is also a card tree,
where all the Christmas cards they receive are placed until Christmas
morning, when they will be opened together. It’s in the “white room”
– a nickname they’ve given to the formal living room – despite it
actually being blue.
The living room is just one of the things the couple love about
the house. In fact, when they first saw their home, they knew it was
going to be ideal.
Their real estate agent found what the couple believed would be “the
one.” That house sold the day they arrived, but the agent told them she
had “a gem” for them, a house nearby that was just going on the market.
Continued on page 32
30 | ourhomes
WINTER 2014/2015
Phone: 705.575.5684
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feature
Your Journey to Beautiful
Floors Begins Here…
“As soon as we pulled up, I thought, ‘Wow, it’s a stone house,’” says
Tammy. “We walked in and we just knew this was it,” agrees Dan.
The house, built in 1988, is a 3,350 sq. ft., two-storey home with four
bedrooms, four bathrooms and a full basement.
Dan says it was almost move-in ready.
“There’s so much more work needed in preparing a new house,” he
says. “Plus you have construction around.”
Tammy painted the entire home with Benjamin Moore paint and
installed wallpaper treatments. Bishop Painting installed the New
York-themed wallpaper in the kitchen. The wallpapers and lighting are
from Paint & Décor Concepts. The kitchen remodel also included
the addition of beautiful granite and a mosaic crystal backsplash (both
Granite By Design). Then, the couple selected new furnishings
(Mio’s Furniture Fashions, The Brick) and décor (The Queen’s
Cupboard, Winners) to mix with their family pieces.
Dan’s career – he’s a retired Royal Canadian Air Force pilot – has
been commemorated through RCAF and plane memorabilia on the
walls of the downstairs family room. That room is completed with a
fireplace and a pool table Dan’s grandparents had when he was a teen.
Another feature of the family room is a chalkboard wall that everyone
signs at various family gatherings.
When the board is full, Tammy takes a photo before it’s erased.
Recently, it held the signature of an aunt who died a few months
after she’d signed.
“It took me a long time to erase that one,” says Tammy.
This is the first home they have really taken full ownership of and
they’ve enjoyed every aspect of it.
“It feels like this one has been my castle,” says Dan.
Tammy says the home is perfect for a family – and a large extended
family. They’ve hosted functions with as many as 50 people.
Tammy, who calls her decorating style “eclectic,” says she likes to
keep people guessing.
“Is it modern? Chic? Traditional?”, she asks. “It’s a cohesive design
and it flows so wonderfully.”
Dan likes how their home has a Restoration Hardware vibe to it.
Tammy, whose father loved blue jays, tells a story about when she
and Dan first moved to the Sault.
“Dan was working so I came alone but I felt like I was home,” she
says. “I said, ‘Dad if you’re here with me, give me a sign.’ Then I looked
outside and saw a blue jay land in the tree in the back yard. I knew right
then that he was here with me.”
For the Robinsons, it’s not only the beautiful surroundings that
make this house a home, it’s also a neighbourhood that celebrates
year-round, with barbecues in summer and outdoor fires in winter and
of course, regular visits from that blue jay. OH
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TOP: A silver wall treatment and white bed linens mix well with wood furnishings
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WINTER 2014/2015
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