a Home for the Holidays Written by Bridget Williams
Photography by Josh Merideth
The hearth room has deep, comfortable seating facing the massive wooden breakfront bookcase and entertainment center.
Think of a woodland glen nestled in the trees with a babbling brook running through it. Then picture exotic creatures roaming through this idyllic setting. Lastly, picture a stone and natural wood residence with numerous terraces and porches to overlook the pastoral beauty of the 10-acre setting. Put them all together and you have this idyllic home that exudes even more charm during the holidays. The original house was built in 1988, and since that time, it has undergone three separate renovations, the latest being the most expansive. The most recent rehab added stonework in the front, a breakfast room wing, antique oak flooring and a large blue stone terrace with outdoor kitchen. The wife had the idea of adding a stone waterfall to a stream that already ran across the front of the property. It is now a major landscaping feature of the home and provides a favorite place for the two youngest children to play. This year was the first of what the couple hopes will become an annual event, a Halloween party and pig roast. Friends and family gathered for games, decorations, drinks and, of course,
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the aforementioned pig. The whole house was decorated with a fall and Halloween theme that reflected the season. Christmas is another holiday that is very important to the couple. On Christmas Eve the whole family gathers for dinner. The entire house is decorated, and after dinner, wonder of all wonders, Santa Claus takes time out from his most important night of the year to put in an appearance, a thrill for everyone in attendance. The tree in the large bay of the great room is 14 feet tall and decorated in a very traditional style to match the house. The lush reds on the tree and the greenery draped on the stairway accentuate the rich warm colors used in the decoration of the room. A large oriental rug covers part of the oak flooring. Longwood Antique Woods provided the floors throughout the house. The antique oak came from one of the historic horse barns at Hamburg Place Farm, home to six Kentucky Derby winners. The wood was taken from the barn stalls and was re-milled and finished. One of the most striking features of this stunning home, the floors beautifully set off the oriental and needlework rugs used throughout the house.
