This Country House Is a Master Class in Rustic Modern Design
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For any urbanite who's had late-night Zillow fantasies about chucking it all and moving to a farm in the country, Toronto-based designer Allison Willson is proof it’s possible. “My husband and I had been searching for some property to build a farmhouse on for years,” Willson says. Their patient research paid off when they discovered a 50-acre parcel less than two hours from their home in Toronto that was essentially untouched. “There was a little old German man who had horses there, and he built a barn out of railway ties that used to run through the land.”
On this fairytale ground, Willson and her husband plopped an Airstream trailer to live in while they designed their dream home. “We spent time getting to know where the sun is in the winter versus the summer and what happens with the wind at the place we wanted to build,” she recalls. “We found some ponds, cut some trails, and made it this beautiful place.”
They worked closely with their architect, the late James Pearson, to design a farmhouse that would take in all the lushness in a way that suited the native scenery. Pearson’s existing plan was long and linear, and Willson pushed for something that would feel “a little bit more intimate and cozy, even though the scale was similar,” she says. “I took that long line and chopped it up and turned it into a U, so the house turns back on itself.”
One of the family’s favorite spaces to gather is the kitchen, where solid oak beams, vintage pendant lanterns from Jardin de France, and white oak cabinetry add to the storybook feel. The rubble-finished limestone walls, in particular, assist in making the new construction feel centuries-old. “Our architect liked to take one part of a house and make it a question mark: ‘Oh, is this an original old stone home?’” Willson says.
To continue that storied feel, Willson chose real stone instead of veneer, which meant extra legwork. “Since it’s chunky and heavy, it needed to be built in at the architectural stage and factored into the foundation. We had our kitchen archways and window walls built out 12 to 16 inches thick so that when you’re in the kitchen, you’re surrounded by these incredibly deep walls. And it does give a feeling like, Okay, this room has been here forever.”
Mudroom
“Everything’s tumbled, everything’s chipped...so you can really just feel relaxed,” Willson says. She sourced the reclaimed cobblestones for the floor from Eco Outdoor. Ceiling light: vintage, Victorian Revival. Table: Schwung. Knobs: Ashley Norton.
Hallway
Family Room
“The concept was laidback living, inspired by the great outdoors,” Willson says. Paint: Shaded White, Farrow & Ball. Drapery: custom, in Tonic Living linen. Sofa: Montauk Sofa, in Studio Four NYC fabric. Armchairs: custom, Silva Custom Furniture.
Willson doesn’t love big rooms: “My approach was to cozy it in.” Her brother, a mason
at Strongback Contracting, detailed the fireplace with antique brick from François & Co. Chandelier: Wish Designs. Shearling armchair: Crate & Barrel (foreground).
Kitchen
The countertop has a different profile on the island—a double bullnose. Wall covering: Kravet (ceiling). Counter stools: Shoppe Amber Interiors. Hardware: Upper Canada Specialty Hardware.
Honed Arabescato marble counters bring a softness to the cook space, because “it’s so texturally interesting,” Willson says. Faucets and pot filler: Waterworks.
Pantry
A large, south-facing window allowed Willson to paint the walls in a darker color, Down Pipe by Farrow & Ball. Cabinetry: Against the Grain. Pendant: vintage, Big Ship Salvage.
Dining Room
Willson says the deep arch helps the space “feel like an old, original stone structure.” Vintage pendants from Victorian Revival add warmth. Sconces: Obsolete. Dining table and chairs: vintage.
Primary Bedroom
Doors by the fireplace offer a view of Georgian Bay that’s best enjoyed from the cozy bed. Sconces: Obsolete. Coffee table: Prize Home + Garden. Armchairs: Montauk Sofa. Rug: Allan Rug.
Girl‘s Room
“I wanted this space to feel vibrant but calm for my one-year-old,” Willson says. She DIYed the ottoman with bullion fringe trim from Len’s Mill Stores. Crib: Stokke. Suzani: vintage, Round Top Antiques Fair. Ceiling light: Pinch.
Primary Bathroom
Willson loves the Barry Dixon mural that frames the entryway, saying, “There are little farm animals on it, and it feels like it belongs up there.” Ceiling light: Residential Lighting. Tub: Drummonds.
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