A Fresh Spin on a Victorian Home in This Modern Montreal Makeover

Canadian interior designer Michelle Martel (@michellemartelathome) has followed a unique route into her chosen industry. Enrolling in design school after 17 years as a homemaker, Michelle worked her way through school and various designer showrooms to hone her skills and learn the ins and outs of the business. Just before the start of the pandemic, and after 20 years of living in their former home, Michelle and her family started a “downsizing mission” that led them to their new home, a beautiful 1902 Victorian.

“We were looking to purchase a turnkey home,” says Michelle, but things turned out very differently than she expected. “After several unsuccessful offers on a variety of houses, we were finally able to purchase this old Victorian, which was the opposite [of turnkey].” Still, the place had a charm that the family found impossible to resist. “The 12-foot-high ceilings, original plaster moldings and original oak trims and baseboards were some of the elements we wanted to preserve,” she explains. But they were all badly in need of repair. The only solution was what Michell describes as a two-and-a-half-year renovation “adventure,” which saw the family alternately living in and leaving the house for months at a time.

Good things come to those who wait, though for Michelle the wait was shorter than she originally intended. “We planned on living in the house for a while and renovating over time,” she recalls. “But dangerous wiring, leaky toilets and asbestos in the walls gave us a pretty big incentive to get our fixer-upper into shape ASAP.” Today her living room stands as one of her favorite reminders of why it was worth all the work. “It has a beautiful fireplace, which I love, and we added fantastic freestanding bookshelves for more layering and added character — the perfect mixture of old and new.”

Respecting the history of her new home was one of the most important things to Michelle in her redesign. But right from the start, she was on the lookout for the perfect places to add something new. “We purchased the gorgeous armoire that sits in the entrance when we first moved into this house,” she says. The entryway also offers a peek into the dining room and another of Michelle’s favorite finds. “I love that I’m welcomed home by my favorite piece of art: our gorgeous lady from Ivhu art that hangs in the dining room.”