I consider myself to be beyond fortunate, especially in times like these, a time when we are all bored of staring at the same four walls and have nowhere to escape even for a change of scenery. I grew up going back and forth from our city home to our country home, and a few years ago, we sold the old family home and bought our own lake house.

My country home has always been my happy place, but this year more than ever, my country house is my sanctuary. I’ve taken a few steps to truly make my space reflect who we are as a family and amidst a worldwide pandemic, there is no place I would rather be then up at our home as a family.

Making our chalet as cozy and homey as possible has been a goal of ours through the year.

This stunning light fixture is from Union Lighting here in Montreal, designed by Chapman & Myers for Visual Comfort. We chose the Gold & White colour way- called Plaster White & Gild. You can shop it here, along with the rest of my Union Lighting favourites on my very own Mademoiselle Jules page on their site!

Redecorating can be a huge challenge, but when you take the time to revamp one space in a meaningful way, your home really has a way of coming together. I started with a colour palette – white and wood – and I worked my way from there. When choosing my décor and furnishings, I had one other rule: work with local. Room by room we went and the end result (although a home is never really finished, right?) is my favourite place to be… especially soon with the summer around the corner!

My bedroom is where I concentrate on creating a zen space that invites rest. In the city and up in the country I have Maison Tess sheets – their fabric is a coco linen that only dreams are made of. Tonals work well as I built up the room to spa-like levels. I played up the neutrals with the most stunning seasonal Renoncule & blossom branches from Maison Pepin. A unique gift for your home because it brings in the true element of nature that has a decorative life for a few months and then can be planted outdoors to bloom as a full-size tree. Also, Maison Pepin is known as the go-to place for all things unique – if you have a photo shoot or want to style your home in a one-of-a-kind special way, it should be known that stylists and photographers are obsessed with this local treasure.

From sleep to family meals, our dining table is where we gather. My old country home had he most stunning wood table. When we started shopping for a table for this space, we were unconsciously drawn to the natural Jura table made of solid Acacia wood from Mobilia. With the cast iron base for contrast, the space fills up in a way that complements our surroundings. And to spruce things up with true Julie flare, I went full high-fashion with the most robust and playful chandelier from Union Luminaire to make our kitchen feel super special.

Packing up every Friday to head north has become a quiet, almost ritualistic, moment I look forward to. Amidst the chaos of our week, just knowing we are going to our house in the woods brings a smile to my face. I usually spend a good chunk of Friday meal prepping so I don’t spend my weekend in the kitchen. But, I recently tried Société Grazing and kind of fell in love with the life hack. Lol! Pre-order a few meals and head straight up to serve an already cooked beautiful brunch, mess-free. Yes please!

Photography by Patricia Brochu