Name: Glenda and David Pedersen Location: Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue — Quebec, Canada Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 18 years, owned
Glenda — an utterly delightful soul — draws her greatest decorating muse straight from the realm of slumber. She gravitates toward the eccentric, the nostalgic, the whimsical, and the surprising. The result is a residence she shares with her husband that brims with joyful discoveries: hand puppets and tiny figures tucked into nearly every corner, a tabletop locomotive, a driftwood pendant light suspended above the dining table, an extensive array of mirrors lining the sitting room, cabinet hardware crafted from tree limbs, and countless period pieces from bygone decades arranged with creative flair — yet somehow achieving perfect harmony.
Every single piece carries a tale worth telling. Whether it's the buffet missing its upper section — handed down by an acquaintance — or the cabinet knobs fashioned from assorted tree limbs felled during the devastating 1998 ice storm, visitors always get a captivating backstory behind the curiosities crowding their wonderfully unconventional home.
Apartment Therapy Questionnaire
Our Aesthetic: Eccentric, witty, vintage-inspired, lighthearted
Sources of Inspiration: My children, the natural world, Carl Larsson
Most Treasured Feature: The element of surprise
Greatest Hurdle: Finding space to stow it all…Particularly when parting ways feels impossible.
What Visitors Comment On: "What's changed since last time?"
Most Mortifying Moment: Refer to "Greatest Splurge." Ha!
Most Satisfying Handiwork: Swapping out the front porch balusters for honeysuckle cuttings trimmed from a neighbor's shrubbery.
Greatest Splurge: Our leather couch. I despise it. It resembles a transit seat.
Words of Wisdom: Tap into your creativity and envision what an item could become.
Where Inspiration Lives: When it comes to sparks of imagination, dreams rank among the richest sources — and believe me, the visions that surface while sleeping are extraordinary.
Sources & Salvage Tales
LIVING ROOM: Mirrors — The bulk of the mirrors originated from thrift shops or curbside toss-outs. I'll confess, I once scored finds on eBay.
The rug turned up recently; its palette is simply stunning.
A pair of antique pink vinyl chairs framed in wrought iron actually belong to my daughter. They've taken up semi-permanent residence in this spot.
DINING ROOM: The buffet came as a present from a pal. During one relocation, the central drawer made a break for freedom — launching onto the highway and shattering.
The standing lamp likewise belongs to my daughter. We've since adopted it permanently, particularly after stumbling upon five coordinating lampshades at the neighborhood church rummage sale.
Both armchairs were rescued from the curb. The upholstered one is stuffed with down.
The oval-shaped table positioned by the front-facing window, draped in lace, belonged to my grandparents.
KITCHEN: We've preserved the 1950s-era molding and cabinetry in their original glory, with one exception — the hardware. Every single knob and pull has been fashioned from distinct wood varieties harvested from limbs toppled by the 1998 ice storm.
