Holiday A HOMECOMING
After 17 years away, a Massachusetts couple settle in Cape Cod and build a new life in a part of the country that’s an old favorite.
Many collectors can point to that “aha” moment when they knew they were truly smitten. Tere Bunker’s came in the mid-1980s, when she spotted an old painted blanket chest in a local antiques shop. Chatting with the enthusiastic shopowner who detailed its rich history and admirable folk-art features, Tere ultimately decided to put the piece on layaway. When it arrived a few months later, she looked at it and realized she was in love. “I thought, ’That’s it,’ ” she remembers. “I was hooked.”
Not only did Tere go on to avidly collect antiques, but she also became a dealer, sharing her knowledge with others through the years that followed. That expertise came in handy when she and her husband, Mike, moved back to Massachusetts in the summer of 2013 after 17 years spent living in other parts of the country. “Ever since we were young, we dreamed of living on the Cape or retiring here,” she explains of their move to an area near Cape Cod. An old wood toboggan, a child’s sled and a pair of vintage skis sound a fun, wintry note in the corner of Tere and Mike Bunker’s family room, which is home to one of the family’s larger trees during the holidays. Decorated with lights and primitive decorations, the tannenbaum is accompanied by a nutcracker trio.
Thanks to four bedrooms and approximately 3,000 square feet, the Bunkers’ 2004-built Colonial satisfies two key requirements: There’s plenty of room to welcome friends and family, and there’s lots of space for displaying Tere’s favorite collections. “My love is early painted pieces, bowls, firkins, pantry boxes, benches and the like,” she enthuses. “I love early wood as well as stoneware jugs and crocks with a splash of blue.”
Tere loves to live with and display her collections, and she shows it all off in period-appropriate settings against neutral backdrops that she keeps simple both as a nod to history and to help pieces stand out. And, she makes sure to give her antique treasures “breathing room” so they can shine. “If you find one or two special pieces, you will treasure them more than buying many things just to fill a space,” she explains. Getting a great deal, enjoying the thrill of the hunt and spending time with friends who are kindred antiques-loving spirits all add up to, as she says, “the icing on the cake.”
Tere looks forward to the holidays for a number of reasons. Her four grown daughters, who live in Chicago, come home for a visit, and she enjoys spending winter on beautiful Cape Cod. The holidays, in fact, were in the forefront of her mind when she and Mike bought the house, and she found herself attracted to
the large country kitchen where everyone could gather. “Our house is always warm, cozy and inviting,” Tere says. “And, of course, it always feels even better when everyone is here under one roof. I swear the house actually smiles when we are all here together.”
Even when all of her children have returned to Illinois, Tere counts her lucky stars—the same ones that led her back to Massachusetts and a house she loves. “We feel blessed to have a home where we always wanted and where we know we will be happy. Our house is not antique, but the pieces I’ve collected over 30 years come together very well here. It just feels right.”