Vintage Finds & Camp-Style Flair Shine in This Festive Home

Text by Holly Seng

Homeowner Stacie Gilmore traces her love for collecting to her father, who would often bring home heirloom pieces and vintage wares teeming with nostalgia. She inherited the same habit when it comes to outfitting the 1970s rustic cedar home she shares with her husband, Eddie, and their two sons, Trent and Tanner. “I find myself rebuying parts of my childhood,” Stacie says of her approach to decorating.

While sentimentality remains a year-round fixture, come Christmastime, it’s given a place of prominence. Found pieces make up fresh displays that herald notes of holidays past—all while setting the scene for new memories in the making. “I really love pulling out all of the vintage items,” Stacie notes.

A warm and jovial welcome greets guests before they even set foot inside, with a festive front porch filled with delightful décor. Fresh greenery fashioned into sweeping garlands and a wreath spruces up the front door and adjacent bench, both coated in a cheerful red hue. Decorative pillows featuring the classic green-and-red combo adorn the chairs and porch swing, beckoning those gathered to sit and stay awhile.

However, it’s the trio of choir boys, designed by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association in the 1950s, that hearkens back to Stacie’s great-grandfather. “I started looking for those because my dad was telling me his grandfather, who I never knew, had these choir boys that he made out of plywood and put out every Christmas,” she says of the patterns she came across on eBay. “So, when I found those, I thought, ‘These have to be them.’”

Inside, collections—from hunting memorabilia and painted paddles to paint-by-numbers artwork and Hudson Bay blankets—create captivating focal points throughout the living room. Stacie even took one of her Hudson Bay blankets and crafted the colorful stockings that now hang on the mantel.

The Christmas tree boasts strands of multicolored bulbs, as it, too, plays host to cherished collectibles. Vintage ornaments passed down from Stacie’s grandmothers find their homes amongst flea market finds. Petite paddles painted to match their larger counterparts arranged on the mantel are interspersed throughout, while varsity letters and pennants are perched within the tree’s branches.

An assemblage of Santas in various sizes brightens the space nearby. The smaller figurines and mugs mingle with jadeite dishware, bottle brush trees, and vintage plaid thermoses, lending a sprightly spectacle to the shelves of the mint green hutch.

In the dining room, cane-back chairs Stacie inherited from her maternal grandmother surround a table topped with woodland-inspired accents—from the grapevine and feathered trees to the antlers and stag candelabra. A miniature paint-by-numbers canvas featuring a pair of mallard ducks is encircled by a simple wreath. Nestled in a corner, what was once a dresser becomes a stylish bar, thanks to the personalized mirror and two-tiered stand displaying vintage glassware.

The kitchen’s brick accent wall, paneled ceiling complete with beams, and wood cabinets contribute to the warmth of the space, emphasized by the makeshift island Stacie found on Facebook Marketplace. The piece is a prime locale during gatherings, as it usually houses the tantalizing spread of appetizers.

While additional accents and festive furnishings denote the holidays, the Gilmores’ house is sure to offer up a nostalgic take on camp style no matter the season. “A house will tell you what it needs to be,” says Stacie. “And then you incorporate what you love and what reminds you of your childhood and relatives.”

For more information, visit @campgilmore on Instagram.