A Pantry Hill Christmas in the Country

Pantry Hill, a spec home transformed into a turn-of-the-century escape by a creative family, proves that the best heirlooms are special holiday memories.

There’s nothing quite as beautiful or nostalgic as a snowy Christmas in the country! This country home in Saratoga Springs, New York, is a new build, but over the last seven years, Eric Rozell and his wife, Darien, have been turning it into a refined country home called Pantry Hill. Here, Darien chronicles life through social media, a seasonal e-newsletter and a website—each one providing a peek inside Pantry Hill, telling its story in recipes, family history and traditions, such as the popular pie-making workshops that are held at Pantry Hill’s kitchen.

“Our focus is all things kitchen, home and garden,” Darien says. “And during the holidays, you really see this as we gather with family, decorate with treasured heirlooms and bake treasured recipes that have been handed down for generations.”

tree in galvanized tub decorated with pinecones and red ribbon — RocKING AROUNd the Christmas Tree. The Woodland Elegance theme seen throughout Darien’s holiday house is carried through to the Christmas tree. The tree is placed in an antique galvanized tub and then surrounded by dried moss to give the appearance of a planted tree. It has all the same elements as the rest of the home’s décor, featuring a natural mix of birds and nests, satin and velvet ribbons, pinecones, mushrooms, dried oranges, brass, copper, gold and sparkly ferns. Darien started collecting zinc houses years ago and always grabs one when she comes across it and displays them here as well for a charming touch. “I love how they contribute to the woodland theme and coordinate with the galvanized tub,” she says.

Before purchasing Pantry Hill, the Rozell family lived in Seattle and Boston. Darien was a managing digital editor for a magazine publishing company, but found it hard to leave home—especially one that calls you back with deep roots, as both Darien and Eric’s families have lived in Saratoga for more than 250 years. Upon returning, they bought a spec house, which meant they didn’t have any say in the construction. However, it had all the bones of a classic older home—thick moldings, built-ins, soapstone—and they’ve slowly added the character and charm of a turn-of-the-20th-century home, allowing it to sing its own song.

Today, Pantry Hill is full of custom millwork and wallpaper and features a butler’s pantry and a new mudroom with brick flooring. And their work continues. The family is currently building a large barn, which will serve as an office, entertainment space and studio for Pantry Hill. “My interior design style is a combination of American comfort, English practicality and French elegance,” Darien says. “I’ve loved implementing it in our home.”

Holiday Harvest

The summer months at Pantry Hill are spent preparing for the holidays, with food and gifts made by hand and with love. Almost everything is sourced from the land and taken through the kitchen—a magical alchemy made from hearth, heart and home. Fresh honey is harvested from the apiary, jam can be found bubbling on the stove with berries picked from the garden and the rich scent of homemade vanilla extract mingles with drying herbs and garlic. Salted caramels are made and wrapped individually in parchment paper along with savory Chex Mex. “Everything is given in little linen bags stamped with our logo,” Darien says. For other gifts, the family uses leftover wallpaper and fabric from home projects as gift wrapping.

outside at Christmastime at Pantry Hill covered in snow

Woodland Elegance

For Pantry Hill’s holiday décor, Darien is inspired by her surroundings, both inside and outside. “I would call my holiday décor style Woodland Elegance,” she says. She starts with a color scheme drawn from their home itself—brass and copper—saying, “it mimics the warm finishes around our home” and adds lots of evergreen and pops of rusty red. Earthy and organic details like feathers, pinecones, ferns, mushrooms, dried hydrangeas, dried herbs, bittersweet and evergreens are found throughout the home and enhanced with a touch of sparkle with shiny ornaments and satin ribbon. “We mix and match natural materials with faux,” Darien says. “Our house is super dry in the winter, so most of our interior evergreens are faux and then we mix in natural materials you can find on our property, like pinecones, dried mushrooms, bittersweet, dried herbs and fresh greens in containers and vases.”

Decking the halls is a family affair. Darien’s sons love pulling out the ornaments and recalling the memories and traditions behind each one. “It’s why we don’t add too many new pieces. There’s something magical about rediscovering the same old stuff,” Darien says.

gallery wall along staircase with bannister decorated with natural garland and red ribbon — Stunning Stairway. Beadboard and a gallery wall full of collected treasures, meaningful photographs and heirlooms are additions to the stairway and truly make it one-of-a-kind. “It’s the first thing you see when you walk in the front door. During the holidays, we drape the railing with a festive garland and ribbon and place a set of antique heirloom storybooks between the rails,” Darien says. “It sets the stage for the rest of the house.”

Christmas in the country is pure magic and, at Pantry Hill, that magic is displayed with love. It’s enjoyed by those near and far, whether it’s friends and family who get to celebrate at Pantry Hill in person or followers who get to experience it secondhand through the Pantry Hill digital record. Everyone can feel a little country Christmas wonderment thanks to Pantry Hill.

living room with framed botanical art at Pantry Hill — British Botanicals. This sitting room is dubbed the ‘Botanical Room’ and is inspired by cozy English lounge areas. “It feels lived in, but elegant,” Darien says. “Our TV is in this room. It’s the perfect place to relax with a glass of wine or a cocktail in the evening, but during the day serves as the main space for the kids.” Designing the room in a way that serves a purpose for both adults and children was important to Darien and Eric.

dining room Pantry Hill decorated for Christmas with natural decor — Set with Love. Darien decorates the dining table with antique soup tureens filled with nuts for cracking. She leaves out the full place settings, so whenever anyone has the urge for a sweet treat or hot beverage they can indulge.

lemon shortbread cookies made with twelve days of Christmas molds — . These cookies are lemon shortbreads shaped with Twelve Days of Christmas molds by Darien’s friends at Tuckamore Homestead. In Darien’s family, baking and recipes are heirlooms and a record of the women who came before her. As she says, “I’m fortunate because much of my family history has been preserved via recipes.”

Pantry Hill Christmas kitchen with baking underway and decor of natural garland and small wreath — Turning Back the Clock. The biggest emphasis in renovating the kitchen was stripping back a lot of the modern elements and making it feel warm and classic. “We did all of the work ourselves, with the help of Eric’s dad,” Darien says. The tiled wall with its crackled glazing (reminiscent of antique ironstone) and open shelves were inspired by turn-of-the-century English kitchens. Eric’s dad built the range hood from drawings Darien made. “We expanded the standard pantry, adding custom double wooden doors with porcelain knobs,” Darien says. “Then we added an integrated refrigerator flanked by cabinets featuring custom honeybee cabinet vents.”

bee-shaped cutouts in kitchen cabinetry at Pantry Hill — A Place to Prep. A newly built butler’s pantry provides extra prep space and has a charming oval window that overlooks the kitchen garden. It’s a spillover space for dishes and serving ware when the family is entertaining.

dessert bar with homemade cookies in glass jars

close up of bee cutout in cabinetry above collection of homemade jam

butler's pantry with vintage style stocking display — Pot Rail. In the butler’s pantry, Darien installed a classic copper pot rail that she uses to hang all sorts of utilitarian things, from pots to brooms to aprons. “We have a laundry line that we love to use in the summer, which inspired our stocking display made from vintage French linens and grain sacks by Penny & Ivy,” she says.

dining room hutch in Pantry Hill with natural Christmas decor — Cabinet of Creativity. This cabinet is an antique find sourced from Facebook Marketplace. “I searched for three years for the perfect cabinet,” Darien says. She uses it to display her antique collections, cookbooks and some heirloom pieces, such as her great-grandmother’s yellowware and her ironstone plates and platters.

master bedroom with red and green curtains and quilted bedding — Holiday Haven. Darien’s primary bedroom has its own garden thanks to her grandmother, who sewed custom pleated curtains from floral fabric. Even for spaces like the primary bedroom, which aren’t seen by many, Darien enjoys adding a bit of holiday cheer. “It’s those spaces that are the first and last things you see every day, so I like making them feel festive,” Darien says.

kids room with canopy beds and small tree in basket — Sweet Sleep. Darien’s sons’ room is fisherman themed in order to play on their hobbies and the natural surroundings. “We add a little tree in a basket to their desk and they stuff it with every family ornament we own,” Darien says. “It’s my favorite tree in the house. It reminds me of a vintage tree in the shop window of a classic toy store.”

Rozell family standing outside in the snow at Pantry Hill — Boy Mom. Darien and Eric have three sons who range in age from 18 months to 6 years old. “They are the heart and soul of everything we do here at Pantry Hill, from the garden to the kitchen, our interiors and our traditions,” Darien says. “It’s all for them. I hope when they grow up they have a deep sense of nostalgia for the home and environment they were raised in.”

If you loved Pantry Hill Christmas, you may also love A Natural, Nostalgic and Nautical Christmas Cottage. Of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get your daily dose of cottage inspiration!