In 1853, a cottage was built for textile mill workers near Paris, Ontario. The dwelling was simple, its rooms serviceable. And almost 150 years later, little about this structure has changed. Except, perhaps, its cachet. An interior design consultant, not a mill worker, lives there now. And it was the home’s time-worn floor boards, plain rooms and rippled glass windows that made her want to move in.
“It took 30 seconds for me to know I was home,” said Susan Burns, whose interior design company shares her name. “I moved in my furniture, and all of it fit. I hung pictures on nails that were already there. On moving day, a friend came by and accused me of having already decorated. In truth, all I’d done was cut some flowers from the yard and lit a fire in the fireplace.”
The 2,600-square-foot cottage has been Susan’s home for three years now, and it’s as irresistible as ever. Here, Susan provides 10 design tips that helped transform the look of her home--timeless ideas that can add character and class to your own.
1. Personal expression
“Art, more than any other element of a home, defines your look and gives a house personality,” says Susan. She avoids prints and pre-framed art, and looks to flea markets, tag sales and auctions instead. “You don’t need to spend hundreds or thousands at a gallery. Just pick up a piece that appeals to you for $25.” Or frame something you already have, such as architectural drawings from your house plans, or a child’s school painting.
2. Layer for flair
Art, propped against a wall, one painting in front of the other, adds texture, colour and interest to any room (not to mention fewer holes in your walls). Susan also collects old frames and likes to stack them, empty, against the walls, as well. Cushions and throws in various fabrics can also be layered to add colour and texture to a chair or sofa.
3. Living colour
No matter the season, Susan snips what’s in the yard for bouquets. In spring, apple blossom branches are arranged. Herbs and flowers in summer, coloured leaves in autumn, and evergreen branches in winter. “One of the most valuable decorating tools I own is a set of pruning shears,” she says.
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