The End of our St. Marys Story - The Dusty Victorian is FOR SALE - NOW SOLD

Dear Blogging Friends of the Dusty Victorian, 
Spring of 2018 will mark our tenth year anniversary living in St Marys. 
Opening our home to travellers was a little venture we very much enjoyed; we had the opportunity to host the most delightful people, enabling us to finance the restoration and preservation 
of our 129-year-old home. 
A new year always brings new opportunities, challenges and adventures. 
Sadly, 2018 will mark the beginning of the end of our time in St Marys as Brian and I have decided to put our beloved Victorian villa up for sale. There are always more than one reason for making such a life-changing decision, but being closer to family is the most important one. Living and caring for a lovely antique house, in beautiful St Marys, has been a most rewarding experience. Now it’s time for the seventh owners to be guardians and custodians of this Victorian villa. 

We offer heartfelt thanks to all the kindred spirits who have supported us with kind words and left encouraging comments through out the years. 
We will look back on these many posts with much fondness.

The End


THE DUSTY VICTORIAN HAS SOLD
July 2018

Three Bedrooms at The DV

From the outside, The DV appears dormant, but wintertime is a very busy time for refreshing the inside of the house. Astrid and I have been working on three of our four bedrooms,

In 1889, when the house was built, planning more space for the owner's bedroom was not a popular concept. All three bedrooms in the DV are about the same size. The English Study which serves as Brian's office with a single bedroom, is actually a little larger than the three other bedrooms because of the bay window.

Starting with ours, "The Master".

In one of the corners of the room, I painted this mural inspired by the pattern on my duvet.

Tree peonies and two birds in the Chinoiserie style.

The original light fixture in our bedroom was very similar to the one seen in the guest bedroom, but the bowl was cracked so it was replace with this contemporary chandelier to match with the curls of the metal wall ornament and fabric patterns.

The Guest bedroom with a hint of Japanese accents, has for a headboard, the doors that used to be the exterior front doors of the DV.

It is now furnished with antiques that once 

belonged to the second owners of the DV - The Harstones. 

The chest of drawers with vanity mirror and the small washing cabinet with towel bar adds warmth to the room.

This light fixture most certainly was installed when electricity became popular.

Last but not least, Astrid's bedroom.

A dream bedroom for many little girls. Astrid is now twenty (can't believe it).

Eastlake antique bed with a made to measure mattress. 

She did not outgrow the bed length, but very close.

The matching chest of drawers with vanity mirror where many hours are spent. The bedroom set also includes a washing cabinet (not seen) which serves her computer needs.

This gorgeous antique chandelier also came with the house and makes for the perfect 

"Princess Bedroom"

Exterior Flower Box Arrangement - Welcoming the Holiday Season

Jumping from Halloween into Christmas. Where does time go?!

My house colours lend themselves well to those of a traditional Christmas.
Here is a flower box I purchased at my local thrift and vintage store Pass It On a few seasons ago. You can see the before and after transformation here.

Replacing a summer arrangement with a winter one.

Remove all the wilted and dead plants and shrubs from summer, but leave the hearth. Cut a piece of chicken wire about the size of the opening of the box, but add a few more inches all around. Fit it in the box above the hearth so it bellows upwards. Both the hearth and the chicken wire will help support and secure the branches of the winter arrangement.

Fir and yew greenery cut from our trees and shrubs was the foundation of the arrangement.

I added faux frosted berry branches...

 pine cone blooms...

sparkly branches... 

 sparkly cherries and

red peonies.

Many of my accessories are handmade and recycled from previous years, others are found at second-hand stores and redesigned to suit my needs. A few are purchased new at clearance prices.

Add water to keep the greenery fresh; it will freeze as winter gets colder. This will make the arrangement withstand the brutal winds we often get during wintertime.

A welcoming sight for the holiday season.

🎄

Miss Havisham's Great Disappointment

A Victorian spirit, returning at night, 

 A ghostly visit, in wedding gown white. 

 Dirty and ripped, a frightening sight. 

 Moaning and crying, floating around, 

 The dining room table, she can always be found, 

 Looking for something, three-tiered and round. 

 Her dark broken heart, has turned to dust. 

 Left at the alter, promises lost. 

 Vengeance on men, she no longer trusts. 

Beware gentlemen, of Miss Havisham. 

 Brian, as well, beware of this femme. 

 In her sick mind, the males are all damned. 

 Set ablaze, her wedding attire, 

 Up in flames, her mansion hellfire, 

 Her ghostly figure, forever bemired.

Hope you had a fun Halloween.

Autumn Colours at the DV

I'm late in posting this subject, but some autumn colours from the DV could cheer up this grey and cold day. The autumn raspberries were big, beautiful and abundant compared to the summer crop. 

Below are some shots of my last blooms to offer their vibrant colours before the cold, wet and frosty days settled on our little town. Appropriate backdrop for Mis Havisham's Halloween apparition.

Handyman Special SOLD - 146 Wellington St North, St Marys, ON

UPDATE
SOLD


A highly ornate little Folk Victorian (circa 1880) has come up for sale in St Marys, Ontario.
It's located in my neighbourhood, a block away from the nature trail and the spectacular Sarnia bridge. The shot above comes from our town's museum, the St Marys Museum and Archives, and was taken many years ago when it was at it's loveliest. It was originally built to house the custodian of the now demolished St Marys Collegiate/Arthur Meighen School.

St Marys Collegiate, St Marys, ON - photo from St Marys Museum, ON

If you or anybody you know, would be interested in saving this little gem, please read letter below and share my blog post.

Words from Paul King, a dear friend and heritage conservationist.

Hello Everyone, 

For your information, the property at 146 Wellington Street North (next door to the Arthur Meighen Development site) is listed for sale with Re/Max. This is an exclusive listing so it only shows up on the local Re/Max a-b Realty Ltd. site. http://www.stratfordhomes.ca/m-property.php?id=1122002 . Also, there is no real estate sign on the lot. The list price is $224,900.

My concern is the effect on the neighbourhood if the developer of the Arthur Meighen Development Site purchases this property. The house would undoubtedly be demolished and the development site enlarged.

Also, as many of you know, I have an abiding interest in heritage properties. This house dates from the 1880s and, if restored, would again be a gem in our neighbourhood. I caution that the property needs substantial restoration work both inside and out. (There are no interior photos on the real estate listing website for good reason.) If you know someone with handyman skills looking for a project in an excellent neighbourhood, here is an opportunity. Also, with respect to the development of the Arthur Meighen site, as far as I know the Town is still waiting for the developer to come back with a revised plan.

Regards, Paul King

Note the carriage house/garage behind the wooden fence belongs to the property.