Todd and Rebecca Talbot discover joy in downsizing
Credit to Author: Mary Beth Roberts| Date: Sat, 23 Nov 2019 14:26:19 +0000
As soon as I arrive at the home of Todd Talbot, the affable co-host of TV’s Love It or List It Vancouver, it’s obvious that this home is a keeper. This beautifully renovated cottage with its scene-stealing pink front door commands the attention of the entire tree-lined street it resides on. It’s also obvious that this is a home that loves Christmas. A huge floral wreath in shades of pink adorns the door, while fir boughs decorate the railings. White Christmas lights highlight the frame of the house, creating a magically festive scene.
The Talbots are an all-singing, dancing, musical family and Ashlyn loves to play Christmas songs on the family piano. “Christmas starts when the festive music sheets come out,” says Todd.
“This is our first Christmas in our little house and we’re very excited,” Talbot says. “Rebecca has always wanted outdoor Christmas lights and this is the first year we’ve had them.”
Todd and Rebecca met back in 2002 when they both starred in an Arts Club production of West Side Story at the Stanley Theatre. Although their characters weren’t romantically involved, off-stage their romance blossomed. For the first time in years, they will be treading the boards together once again in spring in a production of Crazy for You. “We cannot wait! It will be such a blast to be acting together, plus after five seasons of Love It or List It, I’m ready for the interaction of a live audience,” Talbot says. (He co-hosts the Vancouver-based home design show with former Bachelorette Jillian Harris.)
Fresh wreaths are a must over the festive season, and this year, the floral arrangement matches the Talbots’ newly painted pink front door.
The couple and their two children Kesler, 8, and Ashlyn, 10, moved into their single-storey, 1,200-square-foot East Vancouver home just over a year ago, after deciding to downsize from their sprawling 3,000-square-foot Lions Bay house. “We didn’t just downsize our home, we downsized our entire life,” Todd Talbot explains. “It was very conscious. We needed to change our lives.”
Over a cup of coffee and a plateful of festive treats, Talbot explains that the decision to give their lifestyle a revamp arose from a pre-Christmas dinner where the kids behaved badly. “As a punishment, Rebecca decided that Christmas should be cancelled, and although we couldn’t bring ourselves to go through with it, we decided to return most of the gifts we’d bought them,” he says. “We realized that they already had way too much stuff, and then when we looked around, we realized that we did, too.”
The dining area of the Talbots’ spacious kitchen is layered with warm textures, including furry throws and linen cushions to keep the space warm and cosy.
They then went through their home and purged everything that was superfluous. Suddenly they discovered that they were rattling around a huge empty house. “We knew then that it was time to move.”
Their new home, Talbot says, fits the family like a glove, although he admits it was in dire need of some TLC when they purchased it. But the family were not deterred by a major renovation. “I’ve learned a thing or two about home renovations with Love it or List It,” he deadpans, “And I knew a few tradesmen who could give me a hand!”
An airy, open floor plan replaced a warren of small dark rooms on the ground floor, with a spacious contemporary kitchen taking centre stage at the rear of the house. The bedrooms and bathroom were moved downstairs to the basement. “We opened it up to make it feel lighter and more spacious,” he explains.
Family stockings are hung with fresh winter boughs to add a forest scent to the heart of the home.
Bleached wood floorboards and a light palette with streamlined furnishings unify the bijou space, while clever storage and multi-purpose furniture keep it clean and contemporary. Eclectic artworks create stunning focal points around the home, while simple, natural decorations hang on their alpine Christmas tree. There is no question that what the house lacks in space, it makes up for in style.
Living in a smaller space, Talbot explains, has transformed their family’s lives. “We spend a lot more time together as a family, which is great,” he says. “A smaller space forces you to interact more and I love that. The kids are only going to be small for such a short time and I want to be part of it all.”
The Talbots discoverjoy in downsizing.
He also says the family is more mindful about what they buy and bring into the house. “We think about everything we buy and decide whether we really need it,” he says. “We have less, but what we do have is of better quality and is something we will keep for years.”
This also includes Christmas, where they are limiting the number of new decorations and gifts the family will buy. “Our decorations are personal and we’ve had most of them for years,” he says. “And when it comes to gift giving, we are really cognizant about what we buy.”
Conscious of their impact on the environment, the Talbots always wrap gifts in either recycled paper or fabric that can be re-used every year. Sprigs of eucalyptus add a hint of nature to the family’s Christmas gifts.
This less-is-more philosophy also extends to the impact the family has on the environment. “We have a smaller footprint, which is important,” Talbot says. “We use less fuel to heat our home, buy sustainable products whenever we can and are forced to re-use and recycle what we already have.”
The family is excited to be in their new home this season, especially since this is the first time in six years they haven’t gone to a rental cottage in the Shuswap. “This year we wanted to be at home,” Talbot says. “We want to create new Christmas memories, which of course will focus on us instead of the stuff we have.”
Credits
Plants: southlandsnursery.com
Tree: ohchristmastreefarm.com
Baked Goods: thepiehole.com
Wreath and boughs: studiofullbloom.ca