Tour a Calming, Christmas-Ready Home in Minnesota

When Kate Arends and Joe Peters moved into this 1,900-square-foot Tudor in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2014, it was just them. Within a few years, there was a lovable English Lab, Winnie, skittering around and two animated kids racing from room to room (sometimes in search of Winnie). Given the whirl of joyful activity, it’s no surprise that Kate, creator of the Wit & Delight blog, was looking for a distinctly peaceful, practical home with style — or, as she says, “a place of comfort and beauty.” When it came to decorating, she turned to sleek, Scandinavian-style pieces and neutral colors, along with hushed tones of blue, blush and green. Paying respect to the home’s almost 100-year-old history, she worked around existing beams, arches and various funky wall angles. “We are at a time in our lives where we spill things and the house will be messy,” she says. “But that doesn’t mean we have to wait to enjoy our space.”

“This super-cozy setup is our sweet spot — we spend lots of time here,” says Kate. The misty gray armchairs get pushed back to make way for board games played on the floor, the velvet ottoman is a plush landing pad, and a deep leather sofa (all pieces are from Article) is great for movie nights. Above the mantel, a Samsung Frame TV can showcase art on the screen. The vintage rug from Frances Loom beautifully disguises snags and stains.

Long Minnesota winters are no match for this cheerful addition off the kitchen. Emphasizing the vaulted ceiling, a gallery wall stagger-steps upward. Ikea cabinets got an easy DIY update: A cushion topper made from a piece of plywood, a rectangle of foam and a windowpane fabric from JoAnn turned them into a perfect spot for putting on and taking off boots. The snowflake pillows are from Arcadia Home.

“I wanted the kitchen to feel a bit moody, where the adults could sit and think over a cup of coffee,” says Kate. (And ponder, say, the origins of dinosaurs with August.) So she chose a deep gray-green for all the cabinets, contrasted by a quartz-top white oak island. Brass pendants, brass cabinet hardware from Rejuvenation, and a brass-hued faucet from Delta add glow.

Similar tones of wood keep the serenity going between the oak table from Article, an old Ikea coffee table repurposed as a bench and retro-esque rubberwood-blend chairs from Dot & Bo. Come Christmas Eve, the room is a flurry of paper — it’s where Kate and Joe cut out snowflakes and loops for paper chains to string up around the living room for an early morning surprise for the kids.

“To me, a bed with posts feels really adult!” says Kate. This one once had four, but losing the footboard and two posts was comfier for tall Joe. Blush bedding from Serena & Lily and a cream wool rug by Sarah Sherman Samuel are temptingly tranquil, yet the room is hardly a yawn. Zigzaggy lines on the bench from Lulu and Georgia jazz things up. And velvet curtains in golden yellow are, says Kate, “energizing and optimistic. It felt like something was missing until we added them.”

This was once Kate’s office. She left the peaceful mossy hue on the wall and brought in splashes of pink, her preschooler’s fave color (that fun print is from Amazon). The fringed rug from Rejuvenation and A-frame bookcase by Babyletto are popular destinations: “Bennett memorizes books I read to her and recites them,” says her proud mama.