Name: Linton & Rob and 2 daughters, ages 13 & 11
Location: Toronto's East End, Ontario
Size: 1,200 square feet
Years lived in: 13 years; Owned
Linton and Rob squeeze lots of living out of their modest-sized Toronto home. Together with their two daughters they have managed to pack the space with comfort, love, and fun, all while dressing it up in a style all their own.
Before settling in Toronto and having kids, the pair owned an antique shop in Montreal. Their love of Quebec period pieces is evident throughout the home, and visiting flea markets and antique stores remains a favorite activity. Curbing their appetite for buying old treasures is a constant challenge, but the two recognize that when it comes to their bright and at times dramatic home, some restraint goes a long way.
Despite their love of antique pieces, the family is thoroughly modern, displaying witty and funny touches in their décor here and there. The television mounted on an art easel in the family's living room may look familiar to Apartment Therapy readers, as it is a trick Linton learned from her sister Justine (whose home was featured last year in a House Tour).
These days Linton works as a wardrobe consultant, and her talent for mixing prints and patterns in bold and vivid colors is clearly demonstrated in her home. The mix of old country pieces with new art, soft furnishings, and accessories results in a unique and interesting style.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
Our Style: Quebec Country meets Modern Color.
Inspiration: We're influenced by the painted Quebec antiques that we used to sell in our store in Montreal years ago.
Favorite Element: Painted floors.
Biggest Challenge: The small space.
What Friends Say: That our house is warm and comfortable.
Biggest Embarrassment: Stucco ceilings and terrible light fixtures.
Proudest DIY: The diamond pattern painted floor in the upstairs hallway
Biggest Indulgence: Paying people to put the Pax wardrobe together — also the kitchen table and bedroom chandelier.
Best Advice: My sister advised me to redo the bedroom because I wasn't sleeping.
Dream Sources: St. Lawrence Flea Market, Christie Classic Antique Show
Resources of Note:
THROUGHOUT
- • Most pieces from antique shows/auctions/flea markets
LIVING ROOM
- • Sofas by Montauk
• Both paintings by Dorothy Stewart
KITCHEN
- • Ikea cabinets
• Table and benches by Weld-Done Designs
• Lights by West Elm
BEDROOM
- • Bedding by Garnet Hill
Thanks, Linton and Rob!
(Images: Abby Cook)
• HOUSE TOUR ARCHIVE: Check out past house tours here.
• Interested in sharing your home with Apartment Therapy? Contact the editors through our House Tour Submission Form.
• Are you a designer/architect/decorator interested in sharing a residential project with Apartment Therapy readers? Contact the editors through our Professional Submission Form.
Apartment Therapy's Sofa Shopping Guide
Nikki’s Sweet and Cheery Print Studio
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Stanley Console by ...
5 Things Paris Taught Me About Travel
Summer Recipe: Brown Butter Peaches & Chantilly Cream
What a wonderful home! Say, do you guys happen to be cat lovers? http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/giving-up-your-pets-185665
Sensational family home. Practical and inviting. And ooh those copper pots and distressed dark wood pieces.
Linton - Talk to me about painted floors. We just bought a house and need to take up the carpet on the third floor. If the condition of the floors suck then we might paint instead of refinish. What kind of paint do you use? How do you keep them looking so clean and free of smudges and chips?
I love the the TV on the easel. I'm going to give that a try. You have a great home.
Pi - That was awesome.
I love the wallpaper and the picnic table style kitcehn table. This is definitely a house for living and enjoying, Good job!
Beautiful home with joie de vivre. Well done.
Shame on you AT for censoring perfectly reasonable comments!
@thorndale: Here are the instructions I followed when I sanded and painted my subflooring after removing an old carpet. The results are beautiful! http://www.doorsixteen.com/2009/01/26/white-painted-floor-back-room/
I love the wall of necklaces! Are those just push pins in a regular wall? And books books everywhere. Very good.
Beautiful space. Wonderful home.
This is a lovely home. I loved the sky colored ceiling in the bedroom especially.
That upstairs hallway floor is dreamy (photo #32). I love the pastelly (new word?) light blue and white colors and pattern! Thanks for sharing!
I love the use of older objects and furnishings. It works, looks great.
I think this is my favorite of all AT Home Tours. Many are too much of something for my taste: too modern, too eclectic, too sterile. This one was the perfect balance. Beautiful, tasteful and livable.
I love the yellow upholstered headboard, the white walls and bright splashes of colour.
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing. I love those little chairs pulled up to the coffee table.
Very nice and I love the colours.
Lovely home!!
About paining floors: we painted the flooring on our third-floor. It was in terrible condition, and had been painted by at least one of the previous owners… We used a light, robin’s egg blue, in a porch paint variety. It’s held up very well and is easy to clean.
However, having refinished floors on the lower levels, I now wish we had taken the time to do the third-floor. I do still like the blue, it’s very bright and fun… but not as timeless as finished wood.
A lovely house!
Can anyone tell me what the photo above the kitchen door says? All I can make out are the words "moshing" and "crowd surfing" and I'm intrigued.
I love the "chemin de croix" frame used to frame a mirror in, I believe, the living room.
** not the living room, but the first 2 pictures...
Your place is the perfect example of "home sweet home" means.
what is the name of the red colored paint on the floors?
Thanks! We used oil-based floor paint and it has worn really well. The lighter colour upstairs tends to show more dirt, but it's nothing a little vacuuming can't fix. I just use wet Swiffer cloths to clean. Just remember that the fumes from the oil paint are noxious, so plan on staying somewhere else for four or five days while it dries.
It's called Bay Coral by Pittsburgh Paints. It's a sort of milky orange. I'd wanted a much brighter colour originally, but there wasn't anything available at the time. I think there's a little more variety now.
Sometimes I think we'll be swallowed by our books. The necklaces are hanging on little picture nails. Not the prettiest, but you can hardly see them once the necklaces are up.
It says:
Pas de "moshing" et de "crowd surfing"
Rob took it at Osheaga last summer.
Thank you to all for your nice comments and interesting questions!
Your house is lovely, but what got me is your SHOE COLLECTION! So, so awesome.
umm... what about the wallpaper?? I am loving it!! I'm from London Ontario; maybe I could get some....oh, I just love the whole home!
and Linton; those pants - do tell!
Thanks, Deanna
You have some wonderful antiques - wow! Loving seeing a home filled with treasures from the past. Great artwork too. My favorite shot is of the red bedside table! Thanks for sharing!
All positive comments! How about that. You must be very proud of yourself Linton!
You have some amazing art. I'm perfectly jealous :-). I love your antique pieces and your floors as well. Great home, Linton. Thanks for letting us peak!
I love all of this but especially your bedroom and the fabulous headboard. I'd love to know where that came from. I'd also love to hear the advice your sister gave you about redoing your bedroom for better sleep. As someone who struggles with insomnia, any advice that has worked would be very welcome.
Just so nice. Thank you. I have always loved white walls.
Mon Dieu! Beautiful home! Yes, please tell us where to find that wallpaper!!!
So beautiful. I love the third picture.
I love the open shelving full of stuff with the busy wallpaper design above the clean white cabinets- so whimsical
I thought it was a little funny that the owner appeared more than just once in the pics, but perhaps AT wanted to connect the dots for us (owner's style = house's style, even though it had already been said in the text.) I really enjoyed the tour. The house has lots of character, and I so appreciate these unique tours. Thank you!
I love this home. I think the best part for me was discovering the red outlet cover in the last photo - such a minor detail but it just lets you know that there is so much purposeful whimsy in every corner of this place. Really inspirational!
third photo was a little strange
I too would love to hear about the bedroom/sleep advice! Here is a similar headboard upholstered headboard for sale: https://www.etsy.com/listing/123436864/vintage-upholstered-yellow-queen?
Thanks, Circa Dee. The headboard is very cool. I already have an upholstered headboard and am not in the market for a new one immediately, but I was curious.
Gimme the warmth of wood. I'd love to see the grain of the old plank flooring.
The ikea cabinets need some variety.... think about switching up the cabinets as to plain, contrasting, plain and contrasting. With a opposite contrasting wall. Will give the room a little punch.
Please!!! tell me where to find the wallpaper. Thank you.
Wonderful space with great combination of colors and patterns.
The wallpaper wins.