HERITAGE holiday

THE VILLAGE OF BAYFIELD, ONT., situated on the shore of Lake Huron, appears preserved in time. It’s a destination for many, but stumble upon it unawares and you’ll feel like you’ve time travelled to pioneer days.

That was exactly what led Joanne Oliver to purchase and restore The Little Inn of Bayfield, a historic hotel in the centre of town. “The fact that it has been operating continuously since it was built in the mid-1800s as a coaching stop is such a wonderfully charming story, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the place,” she says.

Joanne hired local decorator Cynthia Weber, who had also fallen under the inn’s spell long ago, to gently restore the heritage building. “My husband and I have a history at the inn – we had stayed there over the years – so I had a few things in mind that I felt would enhance it,” says Cynthia.

Her approach centred on a neutral palette that takes a back seat to the 19th-century architecture. She layered in all the creature comforts a traveller could desire. The result is a quiet beauty that’s welcoming year-round but takes on a special magic during the holidays, when a light hand is all that’s required to infuse festive cheer.

Unadorned evergreens and brown paper packages boasting a pioneer spirit mixed with the glamorous glimmer of gold and bronze amount to a look we admiringly call heritage holiday. Here are the highlights.