ALTHOUGH USUALLY FOUND IN STORYBOOK LANDSCAPES, especially in classic stories meant for children and set in some romantic and far-away place, the trope of the kindhearted and magnanimous uncle seems like just that, a fairytale character—not someone you might actually meet in real life.

But this was not the case for homemaker Jamie Druke, who turned her late great-uncle’s New England house into a home for her family, which includes two young girls, ages four and two. Understated elegance reigns supreme here, with white surfaces offset by darker hues of wood and gorgeous rafters. Jamie relies on ottomans instead of coffee tables because her girls do enjoy a good scamper now and again.

“It’s easier than you might think keeping the white couches white,” says Jamie, who explains that keeping furniture covered with white sectional slipcovers from Ikea makes the look attainable even with her busy brood.