This lovely couple has always pictured their dream home to be a perfect place to celebrate Christmas in. Anne Ornatek and Matt Ware were looking for a quiet farm house which they could turn into their nest. Anne shares, "I always had a dream of living in a farmhouse, and he always had a dream of living on lots of land." When they found an 1824 Colonial house with a three-story, gambrel roof barn, they knew this house was going to be a witness to many family holidays. Matt's lovely wife shares to Down East, "It was the marriage of everything we hoped for."
After a year of staying in the house, which they fondly call 'Snow Meadow Farm' after the Snow family who once lived in the same house during the 19th century, the two used the barn as a beautiful location for their wedding. The farm, true to their dream, has seen their family grow bigger, as a few years after their wedding, Grace, their adorable daughter, came along.
Through the years of living simply, the couple slowly transformed their house into their dream abode, steadily renovating the Durham farmhouse, while keeping the changes apt to the home's history. They selected materials that are consistent with the house's 19-century architecture. They opted for wide planks pine for the floors and beams from the old house reused as the kitchen island. The furniture is mostly reclaimed, either from the old house or from their parents' farm.
Since the house is aged and has a rich history, the Wares get a lot of visitors all year round. There are random people who drop by and share their fond experiences with the old farm. To their family and loved ones though, their nest is considered 'The Christmas Farm,' as all of them come home to this beautiful abode during the holidays.
