Carolyne Roehm: Christmas in Connecticut

For me there is nothing more romantic and magical than celebrating the holidays in a rustic, yet elegant, environment where “the weather outside is frightful, but the fire [inside] is so delightful”! Growing up in northern California dreaming of a white Christmas was just that, a dream. Though Lake Tahoe was certainly an option my family never wanted to spend the holiday anywhere but home. No wonder, then, I romanticize over the mix of rustic coziness and refined elegance that Carolyne Roehm imbued her Connecticut cottage, Weatherpebble, with since it first appeared in 2001. Following a fire that destroyed the main residence, Weatherstone, Roehm took up residence here, a converted barn, during the ensuing reconstruction of the main residence, which is featured in her latest tome, A Passion for Interiors: A Private Tour.

Photographs of the cottage first surfaced in the December, 2001, issue of House Beautiful to coincide with the subsequent launch of her lifestyle book on entertaining, At Home With Carolyne Roehm. She explained that she was embarking on a different way of decorating for the holidays, moving away from the more elaborate in favor of something more natural. “As I have gotten older, I find myself turning away from the artificial decorations and taking a more natural approach. Yes, part of me still loves tinsel and all that glitters, but my holiday decorating and entertaining now rely on the subtler elements found in nature. Borrowing from the wintry outdoors is a more gracious gesture; it counterbalances the season’s commercialism and is more in keeping with the spirit of Christmas.” I couldn’t agree more, and feel inspired to eventually and gradually replace many of the artificial decorative elements that adorn our holiday house.

The rooms that follow are not new to many of you, and have appeared countless times on blogs and Pinterest of late. Still, it is hard to resist the convivial warmth possessed by these mellowed pine paneled rooms accented with green, red and silver, a welcoming refuge from the wintry landscape that lies beyond their windows. With her taste for classical northern European design Carolyne Roehm’s rooms at Weatherpebble are a gracious tribute to lasting traditions and the comfort of home during the holiday season.

Photography by Stefan Studer for the December, 2001, issue of House Beautiful and by Sylvie Becquet for At Home With Carolyne Roehm, 2001.