All Is Bright In This Colvard Farms Home

Chrissy Marie Serrano prioritizes cozy touches and family-friendly updates, creating a dreamy home for the holidays

By Morgan Cartier Weston | Photography by John Michael Simpson

Durham native Chrissy Serrano, her husband, Jose Serrano, and the pair’s four active children – Robbie Serrano, 15, Sofie Serrano, 13, Leo Serrano, 10, and Camille Serrano, 7 – plus the family dog, Zion, had already begun to outgrow their home in Treyburn when the pandemic hit. “When we were all at home 24/7, we started living in the house differently,” Chrissy says. She realized she needed a home office, for starters, plus a guest room for Jose’s parents, and Sofie and Camille’s shared bedroom felt a bit tight. “Suddenly, this great house that had worked for us so well just didn’t work anymore.”

The couple embarked on a search for a home that would accommodate their family for the long term and, most importantly, ensure each child had a place of their own to work, play and recharge. “We were not interested in building,” Chrissy says. “We thought, let’s take a house that has a great footprint in a great neighborhood and make it our own.”

They found that perfect canvas in Colvard Farms. The 2005 build felt a bit dated, but the brick home’s classic charm and the fact that they’d have plentiful space for each of their kids were enough to convince Chrissy and Jose to look past surface details.

It also helped that the family’s routines would become easier, too. “The location was great because, where we felt a bit isolated [in Treyburn] before, we now have a much quicker trip to things like gas stations, grocery stores and things to do,” Jose says. “We knew the neighborhood would be great, but that location component was huge as well. It is so quick to pop down to [The Streets at] Southpoint or Target.”

They purchased the home in 2021 and began envisioning a transformation to make it work for their family. “We walked in, saw it had everything we needed and immediately went into the next thought process, which was ‘What do we do to make it ours?’” Jose says.

The Serranos have plenty of experience with homes of all types – Jose is a practiced real estate sales agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Carolinas Realty, and Chrissy is the creative force behind nationally recognized design blog Chrissy Marie Blog – but the pair had never undertaken a renovation before.

“We didn’t want to do an open concept,” Chrissy explains. “We weren’t into making all the rooms connect. But we did want the living room and kitchen to be together.” The initial phase of the renovation centered on removing the wall that separated the two rooms, flooding the previously dim kitchen with natural light streaming in from the living room’s large windows.

Intentional decor groupings like the ones Chrissy put together here can create a textured, layered feel without cluttering a surface.

The couple turned to Raleigh-based designer Katie O’Neal to assist with choosing new finishes and fixtures, and sourced them from Kitchen & Bath Galleries in North Hills.

“It’s totally changed the way we live,” Chrissy says. “We’re always in here.” “It makes entertaining really easy, but also feels intimate,” Jose adds.

Shortages of materials and labor affected the renovation timeline more than once, but the family worked around it. “In all the projects that we have gotten ourselves involved in, both voluntarily and involuntarily we always end up spending a lot of time at Chrissy’s parents’ house in North Durham,” Jose says.

He and Chrissy’s mom, Susan Richter, work together at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, and her dad, Daniel Richter, is a professor of soil science at Duke University. “And bless their hearts,” Chrissy says, that’s not easy, taking on four kids and a dog for any amount of time, and we were there for months.”

The kids got involved in the renovation, too. “The younger two were especially excited about their rooms and the process, and they wanted to help with the move,” Chrissy says.

Today, the home stands as a testament to the family’s shared dreams, offering sanctuaries tailored to each member. The owner’s suite is Chrissy’s favorite room in the house, an oasis of tranquility for her and Jose to enjoy on their own. A double-sided fireplace divides the sleeping area from a private lounge, the ultimate retreat for the busy parents to steal a quiet nap or watch TV on a matching pair of chaise lounges.

As the renovation inches toward completion, Chrissy and Jose express their contentment with the decision to raise their family in Durham. They find joy in exploring the Durham Farmers Market and attending Durham Bulls games in the summer, and Chrissy has a front-row seat to the evolution of her old stomping grounds through the eyes of her children. “It’s funny, because when I was in high school [at Immaculata Catholic School], the thing to do was hang out on Ninth Street,” Chrissy says. “Now, Robbie has started hanging out downtown; he goes to The Parlour. It’s so cool to see how things have grown.”

DECK THE HALLS

Chrissy’s decor tips for creating a magical holiday haven

Pick a color scheme for the season and lead with those colors to create flow. Instead of the traditional red and green, how about green and navy, or metallics, or brown? This can be kept inexpensive. For instance, with browns you can use items like velvet ribbons and repeat this with bows on garlands, wreaths, presents, even tied on the end of branches on the Christmas tree as ornaments. Use biodegradable brown kraft paper to match your colors instead of buying wrapping paper! Your home will feel cohesive and intentional. Don’t take on the holiday decorating by yourself (or alone with your spouse, if you have kids). I’ve done this myself, and it can quickly take out the fun! When everyone is involved, it’s so much more memorable.

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ALL ABOUT THE DETAILS

• We are candle people, and a good candle to enjoy throughout the season really sets the mood. We love Bright Black’s “Bachata” scent in the winter.
• Since we do a faux tree, a live plant in neat pottery is so nice to have out. I showcase a lot of faux plants on social media because that’s what my audience looks for, but our real plants are from For Garden’s Sake – it’s just a mile down the road! They have some great pottery pieces I’ve invested in, too.
• A really good wreath. Don’t knock a faux wreath. Etsy has some fabulous, thick and well-made wreaths! You can use wreaths inside as well: over the oven on the range, on the inside of a window, even over a bed. Just use a big Command hook, and take it down after the season is over so it doesn’t pull paint.
• Velvet ribbon, thick or thin! I choose one color and use it everywhere. Tied on wreaths; in big, hanging bows on swag; tied on Christmas tree branches; or even at the top as your star. And on presents, of course.
• Use smart timers for all Christmas lights, inside and out. No more crawling behind trees and turning off porch lights. I have them all on timers on the Alexa app, but there are several ways you can do it that are simple and inexpensive.

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