Michelle Christy has a talent for creating a cozy home with character – even when it’s not hers.
Her husband, Greg, is the president of Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. The couple and their three children, now ages 12, 15 and 19, moved into the two-story presidential property six years ago. The home, built in 1979, features four bedrooms, four bathrooms, two kitchens, a full finished basement and a sunroom. They’ve put a personal touch on every square inch.
After Greg was selected for the top position, the college hired a local painter to update the home in colors of the family’s choice. “They have been very gracious,” he said. The wallpaper came down, and the whole house got a fresh coat of paint in shades of beige, accented with rich hues of plum and navy. The kids –Kyle, Maddie and Ryan – picked from a palette of playful blues, purple, bright green and cardinal red.
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The family of five had recently added on to their home in Mitchell, S.D., and bought a three-piece sofa set to furnish the space. Now, it fits snugly in the president’s home and the brown leather blends beautifully with the ‘70s brick fireplace.
Traditional yet eclectic elements give character to each room with a mix of newer items, refinished furniture and family heirlooms. The place is packed with plenty of charm.
Michelle’s tendency to decorate with keepsakes makes the home warm and inviting.
Grandpa Chuck cultivated her love of antiques. He had a knack for refinishing furniture, and he’d take Michelle to auctions to find pieces with potential. She carries on the family tradition.
One day, Greg and the kids found her sawing off the legs a drop-leaf kitchen table that once belonged to her great-grandmother. They weren’t using it anymore. Michelle made it into a coffee table for the family room, where the Christys spend most of their time.
Over the years, Greg and Michelle kept all three of their own dining room tables. (None of them have been modified. Their legs remain intact.) Some furnishings have been stashed in corners or brought to the basement, but others get a prominent place in the president’s home.
A children’s desk is situated in the family room’s bay window. It was a gift from Michelle’s grandfather when she was a girl. Ryan, Maddie and Kyle took turns using the little desk in their rooms before it became a showpiece.
Michelle is not quick to get rid of anything. She treasures a wooden chest that her grandpa made in his high school shop class.
While Greg likes newer things, he’s gained an appreciation for antiques.
Going downstairs, he points out a picture of the Canteen Lunch in the Alley, a 16-stool lunch counter that serves loose-meat sandwiches and pie in Ottumwa, Iowa. The framed print of the popular eatery in Greg’s hometown hangs above a slate blue gumball machine filled with marbles.
“My dad used to have a bubble gum machine route,” Greg said with an air of nostalgia. “We’d take the pennies out and put the new gumballs in.”
Upstairs, the front room off the foyer serves as Michelle’s office. “And I rent space from her,” Greg added with a quick laugh. A large spindled mirror in the corner is a family treasure from Greg’s great uncle, who bought it from a downtown clothier.
Greg, a long-time St. Louis Cardinals fan, joked that he had been eyeing his oldest son’s bedroom for his office. For some reason, Ryan didn’t want to take his Cardinals gear to college.
The room remains decked with team photos, bobblehead dolls and tickets from a couple of the World Series games.
“We go watch one Cardinals game every year,” Greg said. “It’s a Christy family tradition.”
When students come to visit the home on Juneau Avenue, they sometimes ask who’s done the decorating. Well, Michelle has. She even switches certain things out according to the season.
“It’s a creative outlet for me to do the decorating,” she said. “That’s a part of the job – decorating and making an environment that people feel welcome in.”
Greg and Michelle enjoy hosting college functions, inviting staff and students into their home from alumni board members to freshmen in the fall and seniors in spring.
“We’ve really come to love the people of Northwestern,” he said. “It’s fun to serve them in that way.”
