"It's a never-ending job, keeping a house like this," says Linda Bridges of her Victorian home in the historic Ontario village of Belfountain. "You have to get a feel for it as it evolves, and that doesn't happen overnight." Built around 1853, only three years after the first settlers arrived, the home sits on half an acre of scenic land that allows Linda views onto farms, forests and a stream that weaves its way into a pond on her property. It's this country life combined with a community she describes as "tight-knit" that prompted Linda to move from her "secluded" 101-acre home to Belfountain in 2005, giving her the company she craved alongside natural rural beauty.
An interior designer with an inclination toward rearranging furniture and decor on a whim, Linda was so charmed by the care previous owners had taken with the home's structure and character that she opted to stay true to its 19th-century bones as well. A passionate Canadiana collector, Linda scoured her favourite haunts (see "Top Shops," next page) to put the pieces in their rightful places, adding at least "one substantial antique" to each room. But that didn't mean she wasn't about to inject her own modern personality into them as well.
"I've done something to every room," she admits. "Whether it's refinishing the floors or putting a new colour on the walls, I've definitely put my stamp on it."
This imprint is evident with only a quick glance at the serene painted walls in the bathroom or dramatically emphasized trim throughout, but it's Linda's skilled approach of infusing a space with history while simultaneously making it pretty that stands out in these rooms. A simple space, such as her upper-level, pine floored office, became more elegant with the addition of an antique desk and chair, with the computer tucked neatly out of sight when unused. "When I moved in, there was a carpet in the hallway here," she explains, "which I lifted, only to find wood floors with the original paint on them. My first instinct was to strip them down, but the longer I looked at them, the more I liked them the way they were. So all I did was retouch the paint." The bathroom walls weren't as low maintenance, requiring a new coat to cover the previous mocha tone. The lightness of the shade allowed the walls' original texture to come through, adding a decorative element to this otherwise minimalist space.
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