A 1920's farmhouse in Canada is brought up to date with modern rustic style and Californian funk
This artist's country home - a farmhouse in Canada - is a beautiful balance of rustic style, antiques and modern design pieces
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

The property
A 1920's farmhouse in Canada has been updated and refreshed with a rustic, artsy look, and turned into a beautiful and unique modern home (opens in new tab).
Home to artist Christine Flynn (opens in new tab), the property is peppered with art, eclectic items and one-off vintage finds.
Located in Prince Edward County (about 2.5 hours outside of Toronto), the waterfront town is a hub for artists, and has become increasingly popular with Toronto's creative set looking to escape busy city life.
Artist Christine Flynn followed suit, moving here from Toronto a year ago, with her husband and two sons, aged 13 and 15. As a family they have been coming here for almost a decade, visiting multiple times during the summer months. Now they can enjoy the fresh country air and beaches all year round.
Entrance
Despite being built 100 years ago, the property itself was in pretty good shape. All it needed was a refresh, a new bathroom, some new electricals and a bit of a face lift.
To help them with their vision, Flynn brought on designer Jennifer Garnett to help give the space a simple, rustic vibe that could play nice with Flynn’s treasure trove of vintage pieces. Together they fixed and resurfaced all the walls, then closed off odd door and window openings in order to delineate a better flow.
See Also: A Television Exec's Los Angeles Home Gets a Sophisticated Refresh (opens in new tab)
Their biggest move was sanding and whitewashing the pine floor boards, stripping them of their orange tint to create a worn, rustic, farmhouse-inspired look.
They also added trim work to match the original trim in the dining room, adding a classic and traditional touch to each space.
Living room
Flynn is a vintage fanatic and a lover of California funkiness – so her home is colourful, storied and textured.
The home is filled with Beni Ourain rugs, antique cabinets, and a few designer pieces thrown in (like this Serge Mouille pendant). Flynn then tracked down an eclectic mix of Scandinavian and vintage pieces to complement the home’s laid-back vibe.
Dining room
Christine's work is featured throughout the home. The house is in a constant state of change due to the artworks.
The two botanical pieces in the dining room are Christine's work.
See Also: Inside a mirrored home on an extinct volcano in Mexico (opens in new tab)
Breakfast nook
The Saarinen marble table and velvet upholstered tub chairs create a slightly more modern look in the breakfast nook.
The palm print is one of Christine Flynn's works.
Family room
The couple also arched some of the doorways to make the space more dynamic.
What is now their family den was configured by the previous owners as a hair salon.
Bedroom
The master bedroom (opens in new tab) features a neutral bedroom (opens in new tab) scheme with a salmon pink colour (Benjamin Moore’s Pinky Swear).
See more bedroom colour ideas (opens in new tab)
Bathroom
They reimagined an old salvaged dresser as a vanity, bought the black hexagon floor tiles (opens in new tab) on sale, and used the leftover paint from the bedroom.
See Also: Explore a 1920s-era riverside home with relaxed, farmhouse interiors (opens in new tab)
Lotte is the Digital Editor for Livingetc, and has been with the website since its launch. She has a background in online journalism and writing for SEO, with previous editor roles at Good Living, Good Housekeeping, Country & Townhouse, and BBC Good Food among others, as well as her own successful interiors blog. When she's not busy writing or tracking analytics, she's doing up houses, two of which have features in interior design magazines. She's just finished doing up her house in Wimbledon, and is eyeing up Bath for her next project.
-
-
HomePod vs HomePod Mini: comparing the Apple smart speakers
Curious about Apple's updated HomePod speaker? We dig into the details to see if it's better than the the HomePod mini
By Caroline Preece • Published
-
Stuck for storage? These ideas for small spaces will help you find a place for everything, even in a tiny home
These clever storage ideas for small spaces, from nifty built-in features to simple transformative hacks, will give you ample more room
By Oonagh Turner • Published
-
Tour a mid-century house in Philadelphia with a modern take on Mad Men style
This mid-century house in Philadelphia is a modern take on mid-century design and the perfect backdrop for this enviable collection of art and objects
By Livingetc • Last updated
-
This modern Edwardian house in Melbourne is small but mighty
It may be small, but thanks to its ingenious design, this Edwardian house in Melbourne makes family living a breeze
By Livingetc • Last updated
-
Old meets new in this apartment in New York's East Village - a former community centre built in 1860
The owner of this loft-style apartment in New York's East Village mixes ancient and modern with timeworn pieces, design classics and his own abstract art...
By Livingetc • Last updated
-
Explore this super-contemporary coastal house in Cornwall
This coastal house in Cornwall is all about drinking in the uninterrupted views of nature at its most raw, most pure…
By Livingetc • Last updated
-
Explore this spacious detached 1900s house in southeast London with stylish modern interiors
Edgy textures, luxe materials and a mix of vintage and bargain buys transformed a blank detached 1900s house in southeast London into a home full of personality.
By Livingetc • Last updated
-
This large house in west London is minimal yet playful
A firefighter’s pole in the kitchen and a slide down the stairs? This house in west London proves minimalism can also be fun.
By Livingetc • Last updated
-
Inside A Clever Garden Room That Doubles As A Chic Guest House
This striking garden room design incorporates a sleeping area, kitchenette, loo and shower, as well as plenty of storage space, making it ideal as both a self-contained guest house or a restful retreat to escape to.
By Lotte Brouwer • Published
-
This light and bright Victorian terrace in west London is relaxed yet stylish
This chic Victorian terrace in west London is full of clever ideas that allow it to evolve.
By Livingetc • Last updated