Walking into Fern Crete’s home in Burlington is an overwhelming sensory experience. Classical music plays nonstop, and an orchestra of clocks tick and chime. The house, which has a modernist exterior, resembles a French château inside and is packed with sumptuous antiques, including chandeliers and lamps with unique shades that gently illuminate a seven-foot-tall stuffed peacock in the Bird Room and a roaring polar bear head mounted in the living room.
Crete, 79, is a retired nurse who grew up in Barre, and he has been collecting antiques since his early twenties. That’s also when he moved to Burlington and came out as gay. For the past 30 years, Crete has been adorning his home in the New North End with his treasures. The walls are covered in decorative hangings as well as his own artwork — he began painting six years ago. In contrast to the busy house, the backyard is a soothing, lush green space. It’s filled with art, too, but also bonsai, conifers and, of course, ferns.
In the latest episode of “Stuck in Vermont,” Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger got a tour of the maximalist dream home and walked through the peaceful gardens. Crete’s scene-stealing rescue pug, LouLou, tagged along.
Sollberger spoke with Seven Days about filming the episode.
How did you hear about Crete?
I got an email about Crete from his neighbor last fall. I waited until spring to catch his garden in bloom, and — oh, boy — it was worth the wait. I kept gasping as we walked through his house and backyard, which Crete found entertaining. I asked him how he would describe his house, and he responded, “Over the top. Maximalist.”
Crete’s house and garden have very different vibes. As frenetic as the interior can be, the green garden is restful and zen. Crete said working in it helps erase his “stinking thinking,” which is also why I love gardening. The two spaces balance each other superbly and perhaps represent two sides of Crete.
What attracts you to these unique homes?
I have featured dozens of interesting homes and gardens over the years, and this is my favorite kind of story. Peeking into people’s everyday spaces gives insight into the complex humans who live there. For me, it all started with Peter King’s tiny home in Johnson, which I filmed in 2008. That video has almost 300,000 views and still gets comments. The minimalist tiny house is the opposite of Crete’s maximalist home, and they both are fascinating character studies.
What are Crete’s plans for the future?
Like many other senior citizens on a fixed income, Crete is concerned about being able to stay in his home with the rising cost of living in Burlington. He has put so much time and energy into this special space over the past 30 years. I hope he can spend the rest of his days there.
How can people see his home and garden?
Crete’s home was featured in Preservation Burlington’s annual Homes Tour in 2023. He told me that it created a bit of a roadblock because people didn’t want to leave — I felt the same way. If you missed that tour, Crete’s neighborhood has an annual garage sale coming up. On Saturday, June 7, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., you can visit Crete and his gardens on Saratoga Avenue. Maybe you’ll even score some beloved treasures of your own.