Decorating & Design
June 15, 2020
Visit An Idyllic Victorian Farmhouse With Classic Country Style
Designer Michael Angus tells Arren Williams how his idyllic rural retreat came to be.
“I’m so grateful to be able to walk out the door and see endless fields,” says designer Michael Angus of the home he and his partner, Glen Munro, bought in 2018 in the rolling hills of Northumberland County, northeast of Toronto. Built in 1858, the classic Canadian Victorian red brick farmhouse sits on 10 and a half hectares and was discovered after five years of hunting for the perfect place to reflect the designer’s trademark style. Angus & Company, Michael’s eponymous Toronto home store, was relished by tastemakers from 2000 to 2016, when he closed up shop and moved to the country, first to Elora, Ontario, then to the farmhouse two years later. I chatted with Michael about the 3,500-square-foot house, as well as his favorite pieces collected over the years!
The couple keeps the landscaping as low-maintenance as possible so they can spend less time gardening and more time enjoying their home.
Michael (seated) and Glen relax on their side porch, the perfect spot to enjoy the view over the fields. The previous owners, David Cameron and his late wife, Janet, restored the house after leaving the city 45 years ago.
In the front hall, the lines of a Victorian Gothic chair pick up on the form of a handsome lantern chandelier.
A large-scale abstract piece by painter Jean Alain Raffalli is an energizing contrast to the traditional interior. “It’s a piece I love and have always found a home for, but in this home — more than any other — I’ve been able to showcase it best,” says Michael. Previously, the hallway had a creamy yellow–painted tin ceiling.
Vintage Inuit art prints sit above a wood chair Michael describes as “primitive country Biedermeier.” He adds: “To me, that chair is a piece of art, just as much as the prints above.”
New cabinets and counters gave the kitchen a fresh start. The Georgian brass chandelier was found in the basement and now lights the rustic farm table and chintz-covered, mahogany shield-back chairs.
The dining table is an antique pine Mennonite piece that can be folded up. It’s paired with vintage French chairs reupholstered in classic ticking.
Michael decided to make a bold statement in the powder room with classic wallpaper, art and an ornate mirror.
A staircase leads up to a loft space once used to house farmworkers. The fringed burlap tablecloth on the table in the mudroom–laundry room is lined with ticking so it can be reversed, if ever Michael fancies a change.
In the den or “snug,” as Michael and Glen call it, a favorite Biedermeier chair was upholstered in a glamorous leopard-print velvet, and a shallow closet was opened up, lined with beadboard and fitted with shelves to hold framed photos and collectibles.
The black lacquered tulip table is Michael’s own design, inspired by the Art Deco period.
With a palette of navy and brown pulled from the antique rug, the twin guest room has a clubby feel. The velvet-upholstered beds are paired with an antique English chest and glossy black–shaded lamps.
The main bathroom’s vanity, a big-box store find, was given country charm with wooden knobs and a coat of grey paint.
The principal bedroom is tucked under the eaves. The bold Pendleton blanket is a colorful contrast to the subdued antique lighting and art in the space.
Virginia Macdonald
House & Home June 2020
Michael Angus