What does it take to make a regular house into an awe-worthy home? The most beautiful homes are filled with character, style and a lot of personality – like the charming, treasure-filled abode of Julie Plantier, her fiancé and her children, Charlie and Sasha. Built in the 1920s, the two-storey (plus an attic) home is located close to the water in Lachine, Quebec – and Julie has filled it with one-of-a-kind antique finds, eclectic art and her warm, whimsical aesthetic. When it comes to curating her home decor, Julie follows her intuition. “I love mixing stuff. When I find something, I never ask myself if it’s going to fit. If I love it, it’s going to be right,” she says. Bonus: check out the video of this magical space.
Curated Charm
Built in 1927, the 1,650-square-foot home is an idyllic fit for Julie’s distinctively charming, vintage-inspired home decor. “I will describe my house style as very antique for sure, and very whimsical,” Julie explains. Curated to perfection, the home’s design serves as an ever-changing, carefully unfurled creative expression of self for Julie and her family. “All the objects, furniture, and mirrors were selected and found over the years.”
Related: 15 Canadian Vintage and Antique Shops to Find the Perfect Piece for You
Memories on Display
The old-meets-now aesthetic is a welcome greeting inside the home, where the view from the entryway doubles as a wood-framed gallery of Julie’s photography. A stunning cabinet is topped with a mix of decorations, including a time-piece with special meaning. “The clock was at my grandparents’ – it’s an important memory from my childhood and very important for me,” Julie explains.
Related: Picture Perfect: A Foolproof Guide to Hanging Your Pictures Perfectly, Every Time
It’s the Little Details
“The living room is one of my favourite places,” Julie says, and it’s clear why. At first glance, the living room appears cozy and comfortable for a young family; upon closer inspection, it’s that – and so much more. The room’s softly hued neutral walls and warm-wood trim frame the space that Julie’s filled with vintage treasures (all the furniture in the room – and the home – is thrifted), beautiful books and artful accents.
Animal Lover
Case in point? The fireplace mantel has been adorned with a mix of charming ceramic creatures, art pieces, and a stunning candle holder by artist Florence Balducci. “I love objects that represent animals,” Julie explains. The patterned wallpaper above the fireplace – a House of Hackney find – further highlights the area while honouring the animal motif in a luxurious way.
Related: 12 Gorgeous Home Decor Ideas for Styling an Empty Living Room Fireplace
Art Movement
In the living room, as with the rest of the home, art abounds – and there are no hard and fast rules, with a mix of mediums, artists and styles curated and on display. “I’ve always been interested in art, and, for me, decorating my house is my way of expressing myself,” Julie says.
Original Light
More than just using styling to convey her personal taste, Julie made many of the nearly century-old home’s authentic features work with her decor today.The lights over the couch in the living room, for example, are an original detail from the house.
Related: From Modern to Minimalist: Top Living Room Design Ideas
A Cozy Kitchen
With wood countertops, chic open shelving and gleaming appliances, the kitchen is at once modern and a continuation of the vintage-inspired aesthetic that Julie loves. The classic cabinets make a bold statement through a careful use of colour – a new change made by Julie’s family. “We painted the cabinets in that lovely green recently,” Julie explains.
A Stylish Sink
Here, a statement-making white apron-front sink adds a pop of modern farmhouse style, while a mix of textures and shapes lend dimension to the backsplash.
Related: From Kitchens to Living Rooms: Modern Farmhouse Design Ideas, Room by Room
A Recipe for Charm
While the kitchen requires plenty of practical details, Julie still found ways to incorporate her love of art and her whimsical style in subtle ways – like with pops of elegant wallpaper, which is also by French artist Florence Balducci.
Related: 15 Wallpaper Backsplashes That’ll Transform Your Kitchen
To Dine For
plays an important role in the personal feel of the home’s decor. In the dining room, a stunning chandelier dapples the room in light and sophistication. “All the chandeliers that we have in the house are antique – my fiancé thrifted them many years ago,” Julie says. On the dining room wall, a unique feature adds traditional charm. “Yes, it’s real candles on the wall, on a very old french antique candle holder.”
A Dining Mood
On the walls, a deep jewel-toned hue evokes luxurious vibes. “We’ve actually repainted this room, I think, eight times,” Julie says. “This is my favourite colour that we’ve done. So dark, so mysterious.”
Related: Surprise! You Can Use Dark Colours in a Small Space – Here’s How
Artful Accents
Here, Julie takes another opportunity to display artful pieces that showcase personality and a whimsical feeling.
Related: 13 Beautiful Pieces of Artwork for Your Home for Under $100
Kids’ Corners
In her children’s rooms, Julie strives to create spaces where imagination, natural inspiration and comfort abound. “I want my kids to feel they’re in the enchanted forest with animals and fairies – we love going into the forest for long walks,” she says.
Related: Looking for Ways to Help Spark Creativity at Home? Design a Fun DIY Kids’ Craft Room
A Walk in Nature
For her son’s room, Julie turned to the outdoors for design inspiration, incorporating elements of the forest, sky and stars. “The mushroom and the bunny lamp are from a brand called Egmont – I really love what they’re doing,” Julie says. “I have many of their lamps in the house.”
Related: 20 Ultra-Stylish Kids’ Rooms Designed by HGTV Canada Stars
Passing it Down
When it comes to art, decor and design, Julie notes that her children love finding special pieces, just as she does. “My kids are very sensitive to objects and the arts,” she explains.
Related: Decorating With Kids: 15 Ways to Make it a Family Affair
Woodland Whimsy
Animals and nature add sweetness and charm to her daughter’s room as well. “The stickers are from another French artist that I love, Nathalie Lété,” Julie says of the woodland creatures that watch over the bed. Children’s books abound in the room, too. “Books are really important for me, and for my kids too,” Julie explains. “I really love a kids’ book – I think some of them are so special. I like to open their eyes to unique and beautiful stories. I think we are growing a lot from what we read.”
Related: 10 Whimsical Kids’ Room Accent Walls (and How to Score the Look)
A Darling Desk
While her daughter’s room showcases sweet toys and textures (like the beautifully shaped area rug), an old wooden desk below the window steals the spotlight. “The desk has been thrifted too; we found it the summer before Sasha started school,” Julie says.
Related: Dreamy Ways to Update Your Kid’s Bedroom on a Budget
Sweet Dreams
Julie’s love for selecting special vintage pieces carries into her children’s rooms as much as it does the rest of her home. Here, the gorgeous bed frame is as unique and pretty as a work of art. “The bed is an antique wicker piece from France,” Julie says, noting that finding the special bed took years of research.
Related: 12 Things Every Stylish (and Functional) Kids’ Room Needs
Statement Stairs
The stairs leading up to the master bedroom are framed with wooden posts for linear detail that’s at once bold and clean-lined – a visual palate cleanser as one moves from one beautifully styled space to another.
Related: 10 Staircase Ideas That Will Make a Statement in Your Home
Stylish Dreams
As with every space she works with, Julie resists any urge to rush when designing her rooms – instead giving the process the time and space it needs in order to find the right elements to fill each nook. “I spent a lot of time thrifting and looking for special pieces,” she says.
Related: This Montreal Triplex Makes a Compelling Case for Old-Meets-New Design
Rest and Relaxation
The bed is layered with printed bedding from Garbo & Friends (the same brand of bedding used for the kids’ rooms, Julie notes) for a cozy effect that’s still pretty and elegant. Overhead, lights from a Montreal boutique, Coeur d’Artichaut, illuminate the room with a clean-lined look that offers subtle contrast to the intricate and vintage details.
Dressing Room
The place you get ready for the day can be pretty in itself, as this statement-making vanity illustrates. While the vanity is styled in a trend-right woven design, it’s another thrifted find.
Related: 10 Must-Know Expert Tips About Sourcing From Salvage
Wall Blossoms
Pops of delicate wallpaper are a new addition that add extra character to the bedroom, in a beautiful floral design from a French brand, Sézane. Love the blooming look? Here are more floral wallpaper designs to help your own wall decor ideas blossom.
Related: Step Inside a Character-Filled Home Brimming With Antique Treasures
Ornate Accents
As with the rest of the home, the bathroom delivers a perfectly luxe mix of vintage treasures and whimsy. The ornate cabinet is a recycled gem from another house the family had, while dual round vessel sinks lend a touch of contemporary balance to the show-stopping vanity.
Related: 10 Ways to Bring Vintage Appeal to Your Basic Bathroom
Layers of Character
The spacious bathtub is spa-like, but it’s the personal touches – like the wall-mounted hanger (saved from a house that Julie’s fiancé renovated many years ago), framed art and a glamourous antique chandelier – that convey layers of character. An array of potted plants bring life and a freshness that completes the space.
Related: 15 House Plants That Help Reduce Humidity in the Bathroom
HGTV your inbox.
By clicking "SIGN UP” you agree to receive emails from HGTV and accept Corus' Terms of Use and Corus' Privacy Policy.