With both adult daughters out of the house, Susan and Scott Hunt look forward to the holiday season as a way to get some much-needed family time. The big yearly event, Susan notes, is daughter Holly’s annual “Day Before the Night Before Christmas” party, where the girls and their friends all gather at the Hunt household like they did when they were teenagers. “It’s so nice to have the girls home and to see all their old friends,” Susan says. “A good time is had by all! That’s the holiday tradition we look forward to most every year.”

The family moved to the home (built in 1928) in 2007, and over the years they’ve done renovations and additions to make it more their own. Most importantly, according to Susan, was making the house more open and inviting for parties and gatherings. They added a new kitchen and much needed square footage while making all the rooms in their home functional both for entertaining and everyday life.

“Our style is timeless, traditional and comfortable,” Susan explains, noting how they blended the home’s original traditional style with a more transitional remodel to better accommodate their lifestyle. As for the holidays, “I really like enhancing my year-round decor with my holiday decorations, and I want each room to have a unique flair.”

With help from Joey Miller of J Miller Designs, Susan enhanced and elevated her home’s Christmas decorations to a whole new level for the Deck the Halls of Glennon Homes, held to support Cardinal Glennon’s Children’s Hospital.

The main entry features blues and creams from a VERY recent remodel. “I’d just finished painting when we started decorating!” Susan laughs. A unique tree topper in the corner pays homage to Susan’s love for fashion and a recent trip to Paris while silver, gold and greenery accent the family’s collection of both antique and newly bought furniture. She buys most of her furniture from local, women-owned small businesses, as she is a small business owner herself. “Anne Tipton from Expressions and Barb Davis from B Davis Designs are personal favorites!” she notes.

They consider their living room “the most formal room in the house,” and Susan and Joey Miller chose grand and shiny decorations to reflect this. “We tried to make it over-the-top and special since we use this room for entertaining and unwrapping gifts,” Susan notes, “Especially the fireplace mantel.” The biggest and most viewed of the home’s seven mantels, the team strove to make it pop with plenty of greenery woven with lights and a Chanel brooch.

The navy dining room functions both as a buffet station for parties and an intimate gathering place for family dinners. Above the table hangs a John Richards chandelier to cast a warm ambience around the space, set on dimmers to help change the room’s mood depending on its function.

The bright white kitchen mimics a winter wonderland with white, silver and gold decorations. To keep the room from feeling cold, the Hunts opted for a warm walnut island and bar, dark hardwood floors and sumptuous leather furniture in the connected family room, a favorite hangout spot for their beloved Newfoundland, Lucy Lu. “This room is used for our day-to-day life, and we really wanted to keep it more comfortable and casual while still highlighting timeless and important pieces,” Susan says. “The cabinets were custom-made and have glass doors so I can showcase special dining pieces.

In the winter, the family den becomes “Santa’s room” according to Susan. “I have a bit of a Santa obsession,” she laughs. “So this is his room. It’s just a fun and cozy place to work from home, read a book or just enjoy the view.” The antler chandelier and fluffy Tibetan ottoman keep the room warm and relaxed.

“I was really appreciative of the opportunity to help the hospital and honored to be on the tour,” Susan says. “With help from Joey Miller, I think we created a real experience for everyone who visited. This year, I’m so excited to have my family together for the holidays.” 

Resources

Interior Decor by J Miller Designs

Architecture by Lauren Strutman

Building by Heritage Building Arts