For the past 10 years, award-winning actress Wendy Crewson has lived in a 1913 Tudor-style home in Toronto's Rosedale neighbourhood, where she has raised two children and studied many movie scripts, including The Vow and Winnie, both of which she stars in this year. Crewson bought the house in 2001, the same week she moved back to Canada from California with then-husband Michael Murphy, for the precise reason that the living room was large enough to accommodate her prized possession, a 20-by-12-foot Persian rug. "Mike has always said the room reminds him of a movie set or a Victorian whorehouse," she jokes. "It reminds me of an elegant hotel bar circa 1940. It reflects my travels."
The carpet
"I believe it's a Sultanabad and is about 75 years old, made of wool and showing spectacular colour. We found it in Oakland and spent our entire decorating budget on it; for the next several years, we had a gorgeous rug but no furniture."
The glass table
"This is a hybrid. The top was originally meant for a higher table. It's sitting on a base constructed from a birdbath that I found in the backyard when I first moved in."
The mirror
"My dear friend Nancy Kriel worked with me to find big, bold pieces for this room. This mirror is one of her finds. She called one day to say she was at an auction where she had found a 10-by-six-foot gold mirror adorned with huge oak leaves and acorns. She thought it would match the rug perfectly. How could I say no? It's been the centrepiece of our living room ever since. My teenagers loved it when we would push the furniture back to let the mirror reflect their dance parties."
The wall colour
"Nancy also suggested the [Benjamin Moore]wall colour, Anjou Pear. It really adds the glow I wanted for this room."
The painting over the mantel
"It's an oil on board, dated 1938, that I bought in a junk store in Bucharest eight years ago for about $20. I was in the city shooting Sex Traffic for the CBC. I had to bring it home as carry-on, which required convincing airport security that I'd be able to slide it in behind my seat on the plane."
The fireplace screen
"This is actually a decorative door overhang from a beaux arts mansion in Paris that I found here in Toronto at The Door Store. I had it turned upside down and had feet made for it to turn it into a fire screen. It's one of my favourite pieces."
The potted plant
"It's a kentia palm. I love this species because it is gorgeous and easy to care for. I bought this one the week we moved into the house 10 years ago and it refuses to die."