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An Ohio Cape Cod gets all dressed up for the holidays... with a little help from Mother Nature.
By Roberta Messner
Come December, John and Kathy Hayes’ Chillicothe, Ohio, home comes to life like the scenes in a pop-up children’s Christmas book. As the couple unpacks their treasure trove of holiday ornaments, it’s like visiting with old friends again—their homespun memories every bit as enchanting as the objects they use to infuse their home with personalized seasonal style.
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(Above) Any area of the Hayes’ home is fair game for adding a holiday touch, whether it’s a windowsill, tabletop or the top of a bookcase. While the Hayes decorate with a number of artificial theme trees, their main tree has to be a real Frazier Fir. It’s filled to overflowing with treasured ornaments and swagged with popcorn garlands.
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 Even an ordinary object such as an antique lard plays its annual role in their homemade Christmas. “John grew up with popcorn strung on the tree,” explains Kathy, “so the first year we were married, we invited friends over for popcorn and then handed them a needle and thread to string it.” Each year they save the popcorn in that old lard can that belonged to John’s mother. “One year, we didn’t get the lid on tight enough and the popcorn turned yellow,” says Kathy with a laugh, “so we had to have another party. But in 31 years of marriage, we’ve only had to string popcorn twice.”
Another Hayes tradition is that the main holiday tree in their living room “has to be real.” Artificial trees suffice for the many theme trees throughout their home, but Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without the tall Frazier Fir bedecked with ornaments made or gifted to them through the years by friends and family. “I have to have a real tree,” says Kathy. “I have to smell it, have to see it.  That’s my ‘family, special-meaning tree.’” Branches laden with treasured ornaments also echo the couple’s love of sailing and their preference for simple primitive furnishings. “Decorations don’t have to be spectacular,” says Kathy, explaining that one of her favorite holiday touches is simply filling baskets with greenery, tiny white lights and fruit.
Also playing a starring role is incense cedar roping that garlands the living room walls. It is prized for its wonderful scent and little yellow berries (and the fact that it doesn’t fall apart when it dries); Kathy tucks sprigs of it alongside collectibles and fresh fruit on the mantel, as well as on the shelves of a pine cupboard that holds their prized collection of pewter and redware. She says: “I’ll put a branch of incense cedar, which drapes beautifully, on top of a dresser and then add an apple, a pear and a pinecone, and it looks great. It’s so easy to have a primitive Christmas look in every room of the house.” •
(Above) Martin Senour’s Benjamin Powell House Red contributes that classic country touch to the Hayes’ dining room and is a hue that works especially well with Christmas accents. The antique pond boat is part of a favorite collection. “We’re not purists,” says Kathy. “We mix it all. It’s just us.”
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(Below) This upstairs bedroom is the perfect getaway for the Hayes’ beloved nieces, Rachael and Kathryn, and nephew, Tommy, when they come to visit. Quilts, baskets, handmade braided rugs and homespun Christmas accents are in perfect keeping with the home’s primitive look.
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photographs: Al Teufen; Roberta Messner, stylist
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