A Designer’s Retreat

STORY CAELI MAZARA | PHOTOGRAPHY SANDY MACKAY

As seen in the Southern Georgian Bay Spring 2026 Issue.

The chandeliers shine and the last shipment of furniture has arrived at this mountain-view home in the Blue Mountains.

For homeowner Gillian Crone, principal of Gillian & Co Interior Design Inc, the transformation is both a professional proving ground and a deeply personal reset.

The house sits on a private lot backing onto a golf course, with views of the mountain – a significant upgrade from the smaller ski chalet Gillian previously owned across the street.

“The other house was never intended to be a full-time residence,” she explains. “And it felt a little bit like you were in a shoebox.”

This property came with its own challenges. Built more than 20 years ago and largely untouched since, the interiors were awash in heavy colours and finishes. “There was burgundy and black and orange and green,” says Gillian. “Glass block and dark Indiana slate with orange and gold.”

Gillian’s vision was clear from the outset: strip away the visual noise and create a serene, textural interior that could counterbalance a busy professional life. She worked with Van Strien Developments Inc. to bring that vision to life.

“When you have a busy life outside, I come home looking for calm,” she says. Gillian opted for texture over colour. Throughout the home, colour is restrained in favour of layered materials such as washable slipcovered sofas that look like linen, chenille tub chairs in creamy white, Carrara marble, reclaimed wood and handwoven lighting. That affinity for texture – especially linen – runs deeper than aesthetic preference.

Recently, Gillian learned her family lineage traces back to linen merchants who brought the textile from France to Ireland.

“I was just instinctively drawn to linen,” she says, laughing. “And, hey, it’s in my DNA!”

Two three-foot handwoven chandeliers over the refreshed kitchen island command attention. “A lot of people would be afraid to use fixtures that large, but it really gives a pop and a punch,” says Gillian. “That’s what you see when you first come in the front door.” The cabinetry was painted black and Gillian kept the black slate countertops.

Opening the entry was one of several architectural adjustments. A wall that once blocked sight-lines to the kitchen and dining area was removed, allowing for a larger dining table and a more dramatic introduction to the space.

The kitchen-living-dining room’s 28-foot vaulted ceiling and a soaring stone fireplace offered grandeur, but the finishes needed recalibration. The floors are 150-year-old reclaimed hemlock, but they were buried beneath coat after coat of orange-toned varnish, which Chris Bickerton of Northland Wood Products Inc. painstakingly stripped away.

Once neutralized, the flooring is now a defining feature. On the staircase, MCR Industries replaced the wooden balusters with custom metal, and pine treads are glazed in a soft grey wash to match the hemlock. The goal: a light, timeworn effect reminiscent of a French château.

That balance – historical references with contemporary touches – is especially evident in the bathrooms. The second-floor bath, shared by Gillian’s daughters, was fully gutted. A glass block wall was replaced with a large walk-in shower and Carrara marble herringbone tile flooring. Custom millwork by Heritage Cabinetry creates an old world feel, while updated fixtures and layout improve function.

Faux beams in the primary bedroom were painted to reduce visual heaviness. A dramatic shower with custom-cut large-format herringbone tile anchors the en suite. “It’s a sort of vintage look, but done in a modern way,” says Gillian.

Despite the light palette, practicality was non-negotiable. Cabinetry in the mudroom conceals laundry, with a secondary stackable washer and dryer in the main suite. The basement – complete with a gym and entertaining space – retains some original finishes for now, prioritizing function over perfection. Foresight is the philosophy that guides both Gillian’s home and her professional practice.

As the founder of Gillian & Co, she typically enters projects before a contractor is engaged. Her team produces full 3D renderings, floor plans, elevations and concept boards before construction begins.

“It’s important to get us in first to get all of the homeowners’ thoughts and wishes on paper,” Gillian explains. “If you don’t do it that way, it’s very difficult to pivot.” That front-loaded clarity avoids costly mid-construction changes and allows clients to reconcile dream with budget.

Gillian’s career began with hands-on building projects alongside her father and evolved into a Bachelor of Science in interior architectural design from Eastern Michigan University. After graduating magna cum laude, she worked internationally before launching her firm in 2006 and rebranding it upon relocating north in 2017.

Today, she collaborates with a remote team of three architects, scaling involvement based on project phase. That flexibility became essential as she stepped back from operating a retail storefront to refocus on core design services – and bringing her practice home was both strategic and restorative. The completed home tells a layered story of heritage and reinvention, of business and comfortable living, of old-world inspiration filtered through modern discipline.

“I knew that I could change this space into something on a whole other level,” Gillian says. Now, the house stands as both portfolio and sanctuary – a serene counterpoint to Gillian’s busy world beyond the front door. OH