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WHEN I LAUNCHED House & Home, I had my wish list of the people I wanted to feature most. It was an ambitious list of who I thought were the best of the best in our business: On my list was Ralph Lauren, Laura Ashley, Nina Campbell, Calvin Klein and Joe Brennan. You see, back then, if you drove past a fabulous restoration of a stately home or a new house to covet, chances were it was the work of Joe Brennan, Canada’s builder to the rich and famous. If I could feature those great style-setters of our time then, surely, our new, fledgling magazine would have a chance, I reasoned. In the first two issues, we landed Ralph and then Joe! The piece was called “The Master Builder” and it featured the then 37-year-old, shy and charming Mr. Brennan. Since that time, I can’t count the number of Brennan houses that have graced our pages. And so, it feels appropriate to me that, 33 years later, Joe’s country house is featured in this issue at a time when we all appreciate the beauty of our Canadian rivers and lakes more than ever before. I stayed on Shanty Island these past two summers, and I can tell you that to be a houseguest of Joe and his partner, Danny Greenglass, is a particular thrill.
As a design buff, I returned home with a notebook filled with ideas and sources. As a cook, I revelled in the garden-to-table bounty we were fed, along with freshbaked bread, homemade pasta, and there was even a lesson in how to set a fire that lights with one flick of a match — not a chemical or firelog in sight. I hope you enjoy “Life on a River” (page 50).
Also in this issue is Emily Griffin’s magical barn-dorm on the family compound in the Kawarthas ( page 60). Emily’s aunt Krystyne first tipped me off that this was something I should see. She’s a style maven herself, so I took that advice to heart. From the first scouting shots of the skirted sink wall and the dorm-style sleeping loft, I was in love.
What both these homes have in common is the romance of a country place that tells a particular story. Whether it’s life on a majestic river surrounded by stone walls taken from the landscape or the perfection of a rustic barn dressed in summer cotton and whitewashed pine, the best country places are more about our memories of happy times spent than anything else. There is sadness as I write this, wondering when we can resume the best part of cottage life, inviting friends and family to stay. Soon, I hope... finger’s crossed!
Stay well,