The Story
Just about every inch of this pretty house in Florence, Oregon, was DIYed by homeowners Ann and Brian Lacouture. A contractor by trade, Brian built it in 2016 from floor plans the couple designed, and crafts aficionado Ann decked it out in the ensuing years. Although she was working on a tight budget, it didn’t hold her back: “Even the most simple handmade things have a way of making a house more interesting and personal,” she says. Ann also put in pieces with “a traditional feel, but modernized” and bold patterns and colors. As a hands-on family, decorating for Christmas is something the Lacouture brood — Camp, 17; Jane, 15; Danin, 13; and Skip, 9 — look forward to all year. Once Thanksgiving is over, they flock to Santa’s workshop (a.k.a. the crafting room). “Virtually every day at least one person is in that room making something,” says Brian. Playful punches of pinks, oranges and turquoise bring the cheer just as much as traditional red and green, and mesh with their home’s eccentric style. “Our kids have said they love Christmas because of how our place feels,” says Ann. It just goes to show: The more crafts, the merrier.