AN OCEANSIDE HAVEN ON NOVA SCOTIA'S SOUTH SHORE

When you’re from the Atlantic East Coast it’s not often (if ever) you see local houses featured in your favourite international design magazines. So this past June, I was excited to see an 18th century oceanside house in Chester, Nova Scotia featured in Veranda magazine.

This vacation home is nothing short of spectacular. It has the look of a luxurious old ship designed for comfort. Its Toronto-based owners (Philip Mitchell, an interior designer who oversaw the renovation and decoration and his husband Mark Narsansky, an ad-exec) snagged the house just before it was torn down. It was in desperate need of salvaging, so the house was taken apart piece-by-piece then reassembled to the original footprint. It took two and a half years, but was clearly worth the effort.

The floors of the house are original and have the most amazing luster. The house is filled with English, French and Swedish Furniture, marine ceiling lights and is described by the owners as a “colonial mish-mash”.

Looking at the photos I feel as though I can almost smell this house. Rich wood, salty sea air and the smell of lobster, lemon and butter coming from the kitchen. This is clearly a place where people are warmly greeted and plied with food, drink, and down-soft beds; somewhere you wouldn’t mind getting caught in a storm.

This oceanside haven is proof that world-class design is alive and well out here on the East Coast.