Page 59 - Canadian House & Home - xxx 2010

The dining area is a modern
contrast to the adjoining living
area. A simple Parsons table
with a granite top is flanked by
Parsons chairs in brown ticking.
The charcoal wall highlights a
dramatic modern painting.
Chairs, table, Elte; vase,
Michael Thomas.

whispered of something special — albeit deeply buried.
Alan was intrigued enough to purchase the home in
December 2004.
A massive two-year renovation started soon after, and
amazingly, Alan lived in an apartment at the back of the
house during the entire process so he could be on hand to
oversee every last detail. Photographs of the home from its
earliest days, found at the local archives, helped his design
planning tremendously, giving clues to what the house had
looked like in the past. Alan added handsome Federal
architectural features, including a fan light in the attic and
shutters on all the windows, which help the house
fit in with other heritage structures in the area (settled and
built by United Empire Loyalists in the 1830s). High-
profile friends from the Toronto interior design scene —
including David Powell of Powell & Bonnell Design and
Irene Bell, a retired Ryerson University interior design
professor — helped Alan with floor plans and finishes.
Alan’s key goal for the interior of the house was simple:

FAR RIGHT: To make the new gas fireplace BEFORE
look like an original feature, Alan installed
an antique mantel and reclaimed bricks (cut
to tile thickness) for the surround. The array
of collectibles on the mantel speaks to
Alan’s eclectic tastes: a British coat of arms
from a local public building, African animal
carvings, and a handful of his antique blue
and white china (shown through the house).
SEE SOURCE GUIDE H&H FEBRUARY 2010 57

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