Peek inside a floral designer’s gorgeous converted rural church

Alison Westlake’s life would make a great romantic comedy: Struggling actress meets handsome barista in local café. Romance blossoms, but acting career falters. Fortunately, her dream of opening a quaint, magical flower shop is realized in 2009 and results in accolades and success. Rural wedding follows, and they all live happily ever after. 

Of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing, but even Alison would agree that she is living a charmed life. The moment she laid eyes on this 1887 converted church in pastoral Ontario just two roads over from where she grew up, she knew it was meant to be. Loving the pale, winter white vintage style of her Toronto-based floral studio, Coriander Girl, Alison adapted the same decor esthetic for the home she bought with her husband, Tyler. The soaring white walls of the great room are balanced by rustic, worn wood floors — which have marks where the pews used to be — and one-of-a-kind furniture pieces salvaged from local antique stores. The kitchen features a deep farmhouse sink and a beautifully panelled harvest island. The peaked windows are dotted with pastel Mason jars and vintage glass Alison collects. And, of course, her love of plants is evident throughout the entire space, from bouquets that look like they were plucked from farm roads to seasonal evergreens planted in galvanized pots.