A characterful Victorian house in Ontario

By Poppy Benner

Published: Wednesday, 14 December 2022 at 12:00 am

Thomas and Jennifer Dault, along with their three dogs, Scarlet, Crumb and Charlie, knew that they’d find the perfect home in the small town of Paris, Ontario. Dubbed ‘Canada’s prettiest little town’ for good reason, it sits at the junction of the Grand and Nith rivers, and boasts beautiful Victorian and Edwardian houses along its tree-lined streets, each one different from the last. What’s more, the area is home to a plethora of antiques shops, markets and malls, providing the ideal hunting ground for the decoration of this Victorian yellow-brick house.

Built in 1883 and once lived in by the town’s longest-serving mayor, the house’s history appealed to the couple, who knew it had the makings of a real gem. Unlike a lot of homes of the period, it had much of its original character in terms of flooring, plaster moulding, tall baseboards and bannisters. ‘This was important to us, because it’s where a lot of the charm lies. We knew with some remodelling and redecorating the home could really shine,’ says Thomas.

The couple are avid collectors and have been buying and selling antiques for over 10 years, so their sympathetic renovation of the house with salvaged finds and beloved antiques felt like a natural progression of their own love story and their shared passion. ‘We moved in on the 1st September 2015 and got married one month later. From there, it was a labour of love remodelling every room, all the while filling each one with the treasures we have been collecting over the years.’

The home had, at one point, been modernised with new windows, heating and air conditioning, plumbing and electrics, but had thankfully not been stripped of its architectural details in the process. The layout did not warrant altering either, as Thomas and Jennifer wanted to keep the historical integrity of the home intact as much as possible.

You might also like a colourful renovation in Johannesburg

‘The rooms were all big enough as they were, so we didn’t feel the need to employ any open-concept modifications to make it seem more spacious. We also love the separate rooms because they provide a real sense of intimacy, and they offered us the opportunity to decorate each one uniquely,’ Thomas explains.

The renovations and redecorating were carried out almost entirely by Thomas and Jennifer themselves, beginning with replacing all of the lighting. The main bathroom was gutted and completely renovated, while the kitchen was updated with new cabinets, counters, and a salvaged tin tile feature behind the oven. In the hallway, Thomas and Jennifer added wallpaper and trim to give it more character in tune with the age of the home, while new wainscotting in the dining room sits atop the original baseboards.

When they moved in, the wooden fireplace surround in the dining room was modern, but they were able to source an Eastlake-period mantel that made a fitting replacement. Other features, meanwhile, just needed a refresh. ‘The front door is original. We simply repainted it and added an antique door knocker,’ Thomas explains.

You might also like a restored 19th-century home in Texas

Every room was repainted (sometimes four times until they got it right), using a palette of dark grey and white for visual contrast. This scheme helped to break up the expanse of large walls, with the darker colours creating a pleasing background for the couple’s antique art. ‘We love the dark, moody and mysterious look. It’s a home where every room has its own distinct character, yet is not disconnected from all the others,’ says Thomas.

Although their renovation is complete, the couple can still be found scouring the numerous antiques malls, shops, fairs and marketplaces throughout southern Ontario. ‘The uniqueness and character of antiques brings a sense of poetry to our lives,’ says Thomas. In fact, their shared passion has extended beyond merely collecting – in 2012 they started Old Soul Antiques; an online business that aims to curate antique objects and rehome them so they may live on as cherished items in people’s lives.

‘We had a vision of what this house could be, and knew that it would take a lot of hard work to realise that vision, but we couldn’t be any happier with the final results,’ says Thomas. Their love of antiques is surely the thread that ties this home together. Thomas is particularly fond of the natural history pieces in their living room curio cabinet, and the toucan in the den. For Jennifer, it’s the collection of antique mirrors in the guest bedroom.

But choosing a favourite room is simply too hard, as each one is filled with so many great memories. ‘We designed each one meticulously and filled them with our treasures. Each antique piece has a story of its own, but the most important story to us is our discovery of them,’ Thomas smiles. ‘When we fell in love with a piece, where we found it, and who we purchased it from – all of those elements have a meaning to us.’

"Victorian
Built in 1883 by Samuel Appleby, a prominent developer in the area at the time, the house’s architectural features include local yellow brick, a wrap-around veranda, arched lintels with limestone keys, detailed corbels, Italianate iron works and brick mortar chimneys.
"Victorian
Jennifer and Thomas Dault on the front veranda of their home with their three-legged Great Dane, Scarlet.
"Victorian
Wood, glass, flowers and stone combine to bring an array of colour and texture to the porch. The couple wanted the outside space to feel as comfortable as the inside, with oversized furniture and mood lighting.
"Victorian
The view through the front entrance, into the main hallway, with the living room visible beyond. The table lamp was built by Thomas out of found parts.
"Victorian
In the living room, a cabinet of curiosities is home to many of the treasures that Thomas and Jennifer have collected on their adventures. The table lamp was made from an antique shooting trophy and sits beside a Chesterfield, bought locally from Restoration Hardware.
"Victorian
Thomas and Jennifer added grandeur to the dining room with a salvaged Eastlake fireplace mantel and a chandelier from an old church in York, Ontario, converted from gas-burning to electrical. The antique harvest dining table is from a convent in Guelph.
"Victorian
In the den, a toucan and toucanet from The Cabinet of Curiosities in Hamilton add colour to the striking wall mural from AmsterdamElement on Etsy. The oak pedestal and chairs were found at local antiques shops.
"Victorian
Alongside antique books in the den are collected artefacts including a stuffed alligator, antique butterfly collection and nesting bird.
"Victorian
In the kitchen, dark grey walls painted in Pencil Point by Behr contrast with crisp white details such as the tin tile behind the oven, salvaged from a schoolhouse in Huron County.
"Victorian
Antique furniture sits comfortably alongside Ikea cabinets in the kitchen. Shelves made from century-old thresher floorboards showcase a Victorian egg collection and antique stoneware dishes.
"Victorian
Antique theatre chairs from Cobbletog Antique Market in London, Ontario, were a perfect fit in the sun room, which is also used as a mud room. Dark green paint was chosen as a segue from the backyard into the house. 
"Victorian
Thomas and Jennifer exposed the original brick in their sun room, then added a salvaged Victorian oak railing, paintings from St Jacobs Antiques Market and a wicker rocking chair.
"Victorian
In the guest bedroom, an arrangement of mirrors helps to offset the darkness of the walls. Thomas and Jennifer don’t shy away from deep colours and believe it can bring a moody ambience to a room. The Victorian iron bed frame came from Aberfoyle Antique Market and the antique crystal chandelier is from Roberts Antiques.
"Victorian
For a Victorian home, the main bathroom was very spacious and allowed for a pair of sinks. The monochrome colour palette allows antique pieces to stand out, including the cabinet housing antique medicine bottles from The Cabinet of Curiosities. The floor tiles are Merola Tile Arte Grey from Home Depot and the overhead sink lights are Bautista by Willa Arlo Interiors.
"Victorian
The master bedroom is another room with dramatically dark walls. Here, the couple chose to paint the moulding the same as the walls to take a step back from being too traditional. The king-size bed frame was bought at Restoration Hardware.
"Victorian
In the upstairs hallway, a small space is used for some of Thomas and Jennifer’s collected pieces. The textured wallpaper in the hallway helps break up the plain walls, and was chosen over wood wainscotting for its softer touch.