A Maryland collector shapes her newer Cape Cod–style home to reflect her preference for prim and celebrate the iconic imagery of the fall season.
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A Maryland collector creates eye-appealing layered vignettes brimming with favorite family treasures, antiques and handembellished accents to give her Cape Cod–style home a cozy, welcoming appeal.
Julie Hirsch
isn’t afraid to take things into her own hands— sometimes literally—when something doesn’t quite measure up to her decorating ideals. The vintage-looking pumpkins arranged on a rustic ladder in her front hall are the perfect example. “They are actually from a craft store,” she explains. “I rubbed shoe polish on them to make them look primitive.”
That can-do creativity and make-do spirit, which are characteristics of the primitive style she most admires, can be seen throughout the Cape Cod–style home in Salisbury, Maryland, that Julie shares with her husband, Andy, and 11-year-old daughter, Olivia. These traits have influenced not only how the family decorates but also the design of their home itself. When they began the process of constructing the 2,500-square-foot residence in 2016, the builder’s original floor plan didn’t suit them, so they asked him to adapt it to better fit their lifestyle.
They wanted the feel of a vintagestyle home with a contemporary layout. “We were fortunate that, when we built, we could change the original floor plan and knock out walls to have an open concept,” Julie explains, adding that the couple eliminated separation between the living room, dining area and kitchen so they could entertain friends and family in one space, especially during the holidays. “This way, I can talk to everyone without running from room to room,” Julie observes.
First-floor bedrooms were another adaptation. “I knew when we built this
home that it would be the one we grow old in, so I wanted to make sure the bedrooms were on [the first] floor,” she adds.
The floor plan may be on the modern side, but the decorating definitely is not. Julie fell in love with the simplicity of primitive style decades ago and has never looked back or been tempted by trends. “I love the look and how certain pieces have a story,” she explains, adding that she especially cherishes family pieces passed down by her parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents. “Decorating fads come and go, but primitive never goes out of style,” she asserts.
The thrill of hunting for new decor is also part of the fun, says Julie, who scours antiques shops and country stores for treasures, scooping up both authentic antiques and carefully chosen reproductions. Many of her shopping jaunts are with family members, including her husband, parents, mother-in-law and sister. “My mother-in-law has similar taste, so if we shop together, we usually pick out the same thing,” she notes.
One person who doesn’t share Julie’s enthusiasm for vintage style (yet) is her daughter, who currently prefers modern decor. However, if Julie has her way, Olivia will grow to appreciate pieces from the past. “I’m hoping she changes her mind and keeps all my primitive decor,” she says. It’s too soon to tell, but growing up amid family treasures, meaningful collections and DIY touches just might do the trick!
“Decorating fads come and go, but primitive never goes out of style.”
Julie Hirsch welcomes visitors with an appealing autumn vignette in her front hall. The drop-leaf table she inherited from her great-grandmother forms the basis for the arrangement and is flanked by a colorful leaf-wrapped tree and a barrel brimming with twigs, cornstalks and a repurposed owl decoration.
A hanging ladder in the front hall brings attention to an assortment of baskets intermingled with fall decorations. The faux pumpkins on top of the ladder were aged with shoe polish and acrylic paint for a primitive look.
Featuring a pleasing mix of antiques and carefully chosen reproductions, the cozy sitting room shows off Julie’s ability to successfully mix and match patterns and textures. A large lantern becomes a showcase for a smaller seasonal grouping.
A game board propped on a red cabinet in Julie’s sitting room anchors a display that holds a pewter pitcher as well as Julie’s collectible resin pumpkins.
Above: Julie decorated the living room hearth with fall finds gathered throughout the years, some from the family’s travels, others from favorite antiques stores and primitive shops closer to home. Positioning taller pieces, such as crockery and a candle box, on the ends and near the hearth balances the display and leads the eye to the smaller treasures in the center.
Right: Julie livens up the living room’s year-round furniture, including an antique pie safe and reproduction blanket chest, by incorporating harvest-themed textiles, decorated pumpkins and a gourd garland, among other accents.
Below: Open to the kitchen, the dining room is Julie’s favorite space in the house. Black elements, such as a faux fireplace, painted chairs and dark curtains, are toned down by a painted floorcloth and furnishings finished in ruddy tones. The bench under the window and the firkin on the table were passed down to Julie from her great-grandmother.
Left: Julie framed a pumpkin figure using a basket turned on its side atop a simple wooden cabinet in her dining room, filling in around it with dried florals. On the shelves below, other fanciful folkart pieces cavort amid crockery and faux preserves.
Left: Julie brought cozy continuity to the intimate breakfast area by taking cues from the pewter and tin pieces showcased in the cabinet when selecting other decor, including the chandelier, centerpiece and vintage milk can. Orange elements shine bright amid the otherwise dark furniture.
Above: In a cabinet in the breakfast area, petite pumpkins fill an antique bowl and a vintage scale. Julie and daughter Olivia made some of the small pumpkins from a mixture of cinnamon, applesauce and glue.
Punches of black in the guest bedroom, which include a simple, yet dramatic, window treatment and an inky four-poster bed, complement the neutral wall color and call attention to the whimsical fabric elements.
Left: A tall, rustic cabinet in the corner warms the guest bedroom and shows off the simple swags and view out the window while adding both style and storage.
Bottom: Mums, pumpkins, cornstalks and a rustic wooden cart bring harvest flair to the Hirsch family’s spacious front porch.
Below: Julie and husband Andy sought vintage appeal paired with modern function when they built their 2,500-square-foot Cape Cod in 2016.
Julie, Andy and Olivia look for the perfect spot to tuck in just a few more fall touches.