{"id":18691,"date":"2023-01-31T09:30:26","date_gmt":"2023-01-31T08:30:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homesandantiques.com\/?p=39371"},"modified":"2023-01-31T10:36:52","modified_gmt":"2023-01-31T09:36:52","slug":"a-19th-century-home-in-canada","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/rss_feed\/a-19th-century-home-in-canada\/","title":{"rendered":"A 19th-century home in Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"

Using neutral shades, pretty pastels and Regency and Queen Anne furniture, Alison Westlake has created a home that effortlessly blends old and new. Feature Geraldine Nesbitt\/ Features & More. Photographs Krista Keltanen\/ Features & More <\/p>

By kirstylyons\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 31 January 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Fifteen years ago, Alison Westlake\u2019s house was, quite literally, relocated \u2013 lock, stock and barrel. The one-time inn, which dates from the 1820s, was transported about 50 miles from its original location in Cobourg, Canada to this 13-acre plot of land on the island of Prince Edward, on the north shore of Lake Ontario. Board by board it was labelled and then rebuilt on a new foundation.<\/p>\n

Even an early Canadian log cabin that also sat on the original land was uprooted and brought along too, where it was attached to the main house and converted into a kitchen. During the rebuild, the house was fitted with modern electricity and plumbing and given indoor bathrooms. But for the most part, every single item, down to the rippled glass windows and doors, is original.<\/p>\n

Alison Westlake and her husband Tyler, who run a floristry business, bought the house three years ago. \u2018The instant I saw the property I knew it was our home and that I would do whatever it took to buy this house,\u2019 says Alison. What drew her in was the building\u2019s heritage \u2013 it was one of the first colonial homes ever built in Ontario \u2013 and the 13 acres of land (complete with church, naturally) that came with it.<\/p>\n

The previous owners, explains Alison, had designed the interior like a museum so her main task on moving in was to make it more homely. \u2018They had gone to enormous lengths to recreate the atmosphere of the house as it was when it was built. They went as far as to remove a window and part of a wall to get an antique dresser<\/a> in that was too big to fit through the door,\u2019 she says. It\u2019s still in situ today.<\/p>\n

\u2018After moving in, all we changed were the colours of the walls. We softened the overall look by sticking to neutral shades<\/a> throughout, replacing some of the more period colours and bringing them up to date. And because of my love of flowers and colourful pieces, the neutral shades are a tranquil backdrop. The scheme helps me to feel calm,\u2019 says Alison. Throughout the home, soft furnishings are pastel and prints are discreet so nothing shouts or jars.<\/p>\n

As far as furnishings and accessories go, Alison has inherited her parents\u2019 eye for design. From an early age, Alison would frequent flea markets and vintage stores<\/a> with her family. Even though she appreciated it less at the time, it instilled in her a love of the authentic and the old. Her timeworn pieces are perfectly at home in these historic surroundings.<\/p>\n

There are almost no new items in the house, and each piece has a history and a story to tell. \u2018I love a good find,\u2019 she says. \u2018Ontario is great for antiques shops<\/a>.\u2019 Being a florist, Alison has a weakness for botanical prints<\/a>, apothecary bottles and glassware, and has vast collections of each. She picks such items up for a song at local flea markets. \u2018I\u2019d describe my style as romantic and nostalgic,\u2019 she smiles.<\/p>\n

Alison and her family make the most of the large amount of land by keeping animals, including Harry the rabbit, a collection of sheep and seven ducks. But the land has more uses. Between April and October they grow flowers for their business, Coriander Girl, and Alison hopes to soon use greenhouses<\/a> to expand the growing season. \u2018I love living here because, despite appearing to be rural and secluded, it\u2019s actually close to town. It\u2019s also like taking a step back in time but with the comfort of modern conveniences. It\u2019s the perfect blend of then and now.\u2019<\/p>\n