House & Home December 2019 - The A-List + Entertaining

CELEBRITY STYLE Step inside Alicia Keys’ sprawling mansion with jaw-dropping views. NEW H&H TV EPISODES See how designer Emily Griffin created a European-style kitchen dressed for the season. IT’S A WRAP! Great ideas for your gift wrap. Discover 50+ sweet treats to bake this holiday season. DECORATING & DESIGN Browse 30 kitchens decorated for Christmas. Apple, the Apple logo, and iMac are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Photography courtesy of Gary Kasl (Alicia’s home)/Alicia Keys via Instagram (Alicia’s portrait)/ by Stacey Brandford (cookies)/Sian Richards (fireplace)/Angus Fergusson (gifts, kitchen countertop)…

“I SHOP AT NORDSTROM FOR ITS HUGE RANGE OF BRANDS AT GREAT PRICES. AND WHEN I FIND A SPECIAL DEAL, I TRY TO STOCK UP!” Janice Meredith, Fashion & Lifestyle Expert and Cityline Expert Natalie Chong, Principal Designer and Owner, Nest Design Studio “THE HOLIDAYS ARE MY FAVOURITE TIME OF YEAR, BECAUSE I GET TO SHOWER THE PEOPLE I LOVE WITH PRESENTS.” Follow @nordstromcanada on Instagram for holiday inspiration, or visit nordstrom.ca to find your nearest store. Photography by Kyle Mack (Janice’s portrait)/Lauren Miller (Natalie’s portrait)…

This issue is overflowing with star talent. It’s the time when we celebrate our very best, our annual A-List issue, now in its third season. These designers are at the top of their game, whether they’ve been around for more than a decade like our Designers of the Year, the übertalented Les Ensembliers, or they’re a firm that’s just starting to make waves, like dynamic duo Carey Mudford and Erin Coe of Coe Mudford Interior Design. Richard Ouellette and Maxime Vandal, the internationally recognized pair behind Les Ensembliers, invite us to their Knowlton, Que., farm for a tour of their down-to-earth yet beautifully appointed coach house. The couple has recently planted 8,000 annual seeds and more than 15 varieties of dahlias on their land to support a burgeoning flower farm business.…

CHRISTINE HANLON Prop stylist, “Style Files” (page 21) and “Fresh Ideas” (page 94) A former design editor at H&H, Christine now shops for and curates home and lifestyle items as a freelance prop stylist. Every holiday host needs… A greeting cocktail, dimmer switches and efficient coat storage! Favourite gift to give? I often give practical but unique items such as European soaps, taper candles and pretty boxed matches. INES MAZZOTTA Designer, “Opposites Attract” (page 42) The Guelph, Ont., designer’s work has been featured in H&H, and online at wsj.com and hgtv.ca. Home bar must-have? A bottle of good port — nothing says a cosy winter’s evening like a glass by the fire. How do you create a festive feel at home? We fill the house with fragrant greenery, turn on the fireplace, light…

Wow, a shelter magazine that publishes letters from its readers! I always stop and read this section first. I love to know what other readers are thinking and am glad we get your magazine in the U.S., even in my little town. Keep up the great work! — SONYA WILEY, Marianna, Fla. I’m sure I’m not the first to comment on how much I love Lynda Reeves’ columns, but here it goes! While so many editorials are straight-up summaries of what’s in the issue, hers are witty, saucy, smart and completely her! Thank you, Lynda, for years of interesting commentary. — SARAH STEEL, Morgantown, W.Va. When my November issue arrived, I was surprised to find not just one but two traditional Dutch dishes. In his recipe for Belgian Stoemp, chef Travis Phillips describes it…

GOTTA HAVE IT A showstopping bouquet of amaryllis bursting with holiday colour makes the season bright. INSPIRATION CRANBERRY CRUSH Red carpets, red envelopes, Cartier’s little red box… is there a more glamorous colour than this celebratory hue? Go bold and saturate a room in the sultry shade — walls, ceilings and drapery. Bar Marilou, a craft cocktail bar next to Atelier Ace’s Maison de la Luz hotel in New Orleans and designed with Studio Shamshiri, proves the all-ornothing look is a no-fail antidote to the winter blues. Bar Marilou, 544 Carondelet St., barmarilou.com. BEAUTY Out of the Box Gucci’s newest Bloom fragrance is inspired by an ancient Greek elixir and captured in a bottle the colour of a fine Bordeaux. Thanks to its tendril-laced box, unwrapping this gift du jour is akin to uncovering vintage wallpaper during…