Halifax artist Kate Morse’s distinctive A-frame home is perched high on a hill, surrounded by old-growth trees, with a panoramic view of Fletchers Lake. Inside, the natural ambiance continues. It’s Christmastime, and the home carries the scent of fresh evergreens; it resembles a winter wonderland and has the tranquil atmosphere of a soothing spa.
At the centre of the large floor-to-ceiling front windows stand three fir trees, each varying in size. They are adorned with simple white lights and gold ornaments, while their bases are neatly covered with burlap. Miniature decorative trees grace the wall shelves, and tiny sprigs of green dangle from concealed wires. Everything is simple, understated, and inviting.
“I love natural décor,” says Morse, as she picks up her cat, Daisy. Her other cat, Kitty, basks in afternoon sun on the sofa. “I’m drawn to things like pine boughs, evergreen pieces, plants, wildlife and natural wood.”
She points to one of her many ornamental deer and confesses that she’s obsessed with the deer motif, especially at the Christmas season. “I have such a soft spot for these gentle creatures. Any time I see a vintage ceramic deer, I have to snatch it up.”
Morse grew up in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley on a farm with ample land to explore. She said her parents always had a frugal mindset, and their holiday traditions included collecting natural decorations like pinecones, evergreens, and branches with berries. “My favourite Christmas décor is sustainable and affordable,” she says. “I believe it originated in the way my mom decorated.”
“You can’t beat real”
Morse carries on several holiday rituals from her childhood, including gathering all her own greenery.
“My wreath is made from our juniper bushes out front,” she says. “And these boughs (in another display) were from a local Christmas tree farm. When we were out getting our trees, I saw that they had a big pile of branches they had cut off the bottoms of the trees. I asked if I could take some and they were like, ‘Sure.’ You can’t beat real.”
Even her Christmas village display has a natural theme: small yellow wooden houses that she painted herself. “They were just scrap pieces from two-by-fours left over from another project.” Her husband, Jerry, is a carpenter and easily whipped them into shape and then handed them over for her to work her magic.
When it comes to her own art, Morse typically paints nature-related themes, which you can find throughout their home, and she also sells it in local shops, on Etsy, and at different local markets. She uses acrylics, which she sometimes dilutes to achieve a watercolour-like appearance.
“I try to make everything very peaceful and serene. It’s like my art jumped off the canvas and into my house,” she says.
The couple bought their home five years ago. Built in the 1970s, the A-frame needed a few cosmetic upgrades when they moved in, chiefly new floors.
“We wanted to trade in the carpet, and I thought the pine matched the A-frame cabin style,” says Morse. “It wears and shows character, but I love that. I see the scratches and I think of my cute cats running around.”
Morse found an ordinary brown mirror at a thrift store and added her own personal touches, giving it a vintage brass mirror look.
Enhanced thrifting
The house is decorated with thrifted, antique, second hand, and vintage items. “And I love DIY,” she adds, and gestures toward her coffee table. “I call this our Frankenstein coffee table. The top was from one thrifted table, which I sanded down and whitewashed. The bottom was from a different table. It was originally black, but I painted it white as well. That’s what you do when you don’t have the budget for all new furniture. You have to be creative.”
Morse’s sofa is another example. It’s from Ikea, but she added thrifted legs to give it “a more earthy look.” She also notes other thrifted items, including her entire deer collection, candlestick holders and a beautiful gold mirror. “This mirror was just an ordinary wooden mirror that I thrifted. I got a glue gun and added little blobs of glue, and then painted over it. It has the feel of a vintage brass mirror now.”
The couple’s kitchen island is crafted from reclaimed barn boards sourced from a barn in Shubenacadie, N.S. A local company made the top. The kitchen shelves are fence boards from the horse pasture at her parents’ farm. “They’re very old and have a wavy look,” she says. “I like that about them.”
At Christmas, Morse fills these shelves with her collection of tiny artificial spruce trees, one of her few collections that isn’t thrifted, plus her regular greenery — myriad thriving houseplants. Like the cats, her plants love all the natural light.
The beauty of every season
The natural décor isn’t just for Christmas. In the spring, Morse brings out her strawberry-themed décor, a nod to time spent at her grandfather’s strawberry farm in the Annapolis Valley. In the fall, there are pumpkins. There’s also a permanent display of suspended butterflies at the top of the stairs, just outside Morse’s studio.
“I hung them before my friend’s garden-themed bridal shower in July and ended up leaving it. It offers a fun little photo spot.” The butterflies are also a tribute to Jerry’s construction company, Monarch Homes.
“I’m all about showcasing the beauty of every season,” she says.
Explore more of Kate Morse’s inspiring décor on her popular Instagram account, where she has garnered more than 77,000 followers.