AN ARTIST’S APARTMENT
Painter fills classic home with eclectic mix of furniture and artwork
Artist Holly Friesen was born in Saskatchewan, but her father, a doctor who attended McGill University, introduced the family to Montreal. Friesen studied art at John Abbott College and then fine arts at York University in Toronto. However, she didn’t complete her last year, opting instead for buying a motorbike and “going off to explore the continent.”
Friesen’s abandonment of her studies certainly didn’t do her any harm. She settled “up north” in Mont-Tremblant, where she raised two daughters and built a successful career as a painter, specializing in large-format landscapes. In 2008, she moved from Mont-Tremblant to St-Henri.
Friesen has a studio in one of the artists’ lofts on St-Ambroise St., and her home, a second-floor apartment in a 1912 greystone triplex, is close by. The apartment is filled with Friesen’s artwork and, while she creates the paintings in her studio, she does do some preliminary sketches at home.
The apartment building — one in a row of similar buildings — has a castle-like turret and is across from a square landscaped with trees, park benches and a fountain. Friesen’s apartment, which looks out over this scene, has two bedrooms, a double living room, a long, narrow hallway and two balconies. It also has interesting architectural details typical of the early 20th century: hardwood floors, stained glass and high ceilings.
Q You were telling me that you admired this building from afar for many months before you actually moved in? A I did. My studio is just down the street, and I’d often come to the park and sketch. That’s how I got to know the neighbourhood. I used to fantasize about renting an apartment in this building, but it’s a desirable area, and I didn’t think I could afford it.
Q So how did you get here? A I was sitting in the park one day when I looked up and saw a tiny, little “for rent” sign. I plucked up the courage to phone the number and was told there was an open house the following Sunday. I came at the end of the day, after the owner had seen about 75 people, and from the moment we met, we immediately connected.
Q And here you are! A Yes.
Q And the rent? A Very reasonable for this area.
Q Now, what about your furniture? Did that all fit into this space? A It did. When I was living in Tremblant, I worked for a woman’s landscaping company. I rented a truck, contacted a bunch of my former colleagues and they moved everything — my mattresses, my couches, everything.
Q Did you have to buy anything new? A Not really. I have eclectic taste. My furniture is all stuff that I’ve collected down the years.
(Friesen walks me around her apartment, pointing out things as we go. We start at the small balcony to the right of the living room. It’s made of the same greystone as the rest of the exterior.)
It’s not very big but there’s enough room to sit out and watch the world go by. At night, when it’s quiet, I can hear the fountain.
(We walk into the living room, where Friesen points out a curved glass pane, which follows the contours of the turret. From the inside, it is essentially a bay window.)
I’ve debated whether or not to install a built-in window seat. My landlord, who lives downstairs, has done that. But I also just like sitting here in my rocking chair, drinking my morning coffee.
(From the front of the double living room, we move to the back, which Friesen uses as her dining room. The two areas are separated by ornate pillars. The ceiling is ringed by a bas-relief, plaster frieze.)
Q There was apparently a fashion at one time for decorating one’s home with architectural details inspired by classical Greek designs. A But, you know, they used to order these pillars from catalogues. When I walk past my neighbours’ windows, I can see they have exactly the same decor!
Q Speaking of which, did you have to renovate when you moved in? A No. A previous owner to my landlord had made some alterations a number of years ago. I’ll show you the kitchen. It’s an awkward shape, but it has been modernized.
(As we walk to the kitchen, which is at the back of the apartment, we pass a room that was the original dining area. Friesen uses it as her home office.)
As an indie artist, I have a lot of paperwork to contend with, so I do that here.
Q That wooden piece of furniture in the corner with all the drawers, is that what they call a blueprint cabinet? A Exactly. Architects use them. I find it really useful, too. This is an old one, and it comes apart. It’s in three sections. Wooden ones are hard to come by these days because now everything is digital.