Name: Lena
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Size: two-story semi-detached house
Years lived in: 30
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See that porch light there by the front door? It's a beacon. To a warm and cozy retreat at the end of a snow-filled walk. Home to Lena for 30 years, her house in downtown Montreal shelters a much-loved interior filled with art and collections from a lifetime of creation and travel. Hailing from Sweden with extensive travel in Vietnam and Africa, the home reflects her widespread roots while remaining a traditional Montreal residence...
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With her children grown and left with the large family home, Lena now opens her doors to guests, providing travelers with simple stylish bedrooms and gourmet breakfasts. AT often finds home inspiration in hotels and other travel accommodations, so I was thrilled when Lena opened her doors to me for a tour. Since we are neighbors, I haven't had the opportunity to stay as a guest but I did feel right at home tending to the house while she traveled over the holidays.
The house is one-half of a tudor style building with a broad sloping slate roof, solid brick walls, and wooden casement windows galore. Inside, spaces are clearly divided in a traditional sense. But Lena has used the conventional family home as a backdrop for displaying a collection of her own artwork and cherished mementos from a lifetime of travel. The home is potent with an air of quiet memory and reflection, almost wistfulness.
Rooms are furnished with a casual sense of style that makes you feel at home with absolutely no pretension. Maybe it's that cold, gray weather outside, but inside Lena has certainly created a cozy nest that's a perfect counterpoint to the Montreal winter.
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I can't seem to link to the slideshow???
view Annieo's profile
^ Me neither.
view jems's profile
yo tambien.
view spiralcma's profile
got an internal server error trying to see the slideshow
view erinpearce's profile
sorry - working on the slideshow error right now
view janel's profile
Working slideshow link:
http://gallery.apartmenttherapy.com/photo/011509lena/_slide_
view sagekitten85's profile
the slideshow is working now...sorry for the error and enjoy the tour!
view janel's profile
I stayed with Lena over the summer of 2007! Her home is truly lovely; completely unlike any other B & B (not a doily in sight) and her breakfasts are incredibly sumptuous. My partner and I had many wonderful conversations with other guests around that gathering table.... Thanks for bringing back the delightful memories, AT!
view SpanishOlives's profile
I liked their place. Looks very comfy.
view sideproject's profile
Boring. It looks dirty. If you are going to submit a photo of the bathroom please leave the moldy/dirty tiles out of the photo. This place needs a fresh coat of paint and a lot of the items and especially the kitchen need to be touched up! Not impressed.
view lyla's profile
How can I get info about staying at Lena's place?
view Lesley's profile
I'm gonna say it again. AT Montreal... yes.
Nice home. Looks cozy!
view Cassian's profile
there's something very serene and almost monastic about this place. beautiful indeed.
how do i get info about her place?
view formosagirl's profile
a simple google search for "lena b&b montreal" tells me her place is called "a montreal oasis" and contact information is available on at least the first three hits.
lena's place is beautiful. i love this effortless style where it's obviously just years of living a fulfilling life that have done the decorating.
view daniny's profile
Love the art!
view scarletdog's profile
What a lovely home! That tiny little wooden cupboard door at the top of the small stairway is so sweet. I will keep Lena in mind if we ever travel to Montreal.
view PrettyKitty's profile
Bravo! Really lovely, sincere, down to earth.
But, why the hell does anyone keep their shoes on the thermostat?
view kristen verity's profile
I like the pine tree.
kitchen building
view kitchenbuilding's profile
A charming house offering plenty of interest. Very nice.
view EAM's profile
Beautiful! And the bathroom is perfect.
view rosenatti's profile
Lots of charm and a appealing ascetic feel. The post complaining about the bathroom tile might want to consider offering advice about how to deal with that, instead of just rudely trashing the whole place. Then maybe the owners might want to keep that old look. It certainly doesn't look dirty just old. Lyla, chill out.
view click212's profile
Beautiful, nice clean lines. I wish my home was this "dirty"! Nice art displays, great pops of color. Love the outside too.
view housefulloffur's profile
thank u for the tour...beautiful home, very lived in.
view mfpants's profile
the large painting in the orange bathroom is fantastic... is that in the same house?
view sunan's profile
Could the Bloomingdales ad be more annoying? I'd love to have been able to see this slide show without all the visual noise. And I couldn't find the link to get back to original post. I'm glad for Bloomie's support here, but not when it spoils the joy of looking.
view kelleyk's profile
I miss Montreal.... Lovely home...
view flidais's profile
Oh...I meant to say I miss Montreal.... Lovely home...
and to the mean spirited posters "Parle à ma main"
view flidais's profile