If there ever were an escape within the city, the home of Alexandra Norris is it. Perfectly nestled in the heart of Strathcona, Alex has created a space that invokes a love for nature, found objects, and story. After receiving a guided tour of her home and treasures, it’s no surprise to me that Alex spends her time crafting beautiful pieces for her businesses, Wild Horse Gardens and the soon-to-be-launched Strathcona Soap Company.
What is it: The second floor and attic of a house built in the late 1890s. Maintained, yet never fully renovated, it still has its original foundation, window frames and floors, and a layer of beach-glass stucco. A classic Strathcona home.
Your bio: Retired BC treeplanter vet, Emily Carr and UBC alumni. Vancouver-born and -raised. Teacher, gardener, artist, traveler, motorcycler, pianist, bicycler and business owner. I taught special education in Northern BC, and a stray mama dachshund with her five pups found me in the process! Most recently I have been working on the launch of my new business: Strathcona Soap Company. This project is in development right now and I am so excited about launching the website. Stay tuned!
First thing I changed: I cleaned it up (with help)! I replaced all of the broken window panes, removed all the garbage, and redid all of the drywall that the previous occupants had deliberately destroyed (with help). I left the spray paint on the floors because I like the colours; there is a fading silhouette of a dancing pizza slice somewhere... Someone told me I should paint over the floors and and mouldings, instead I have been manually scraping the trim paint off- revealing these amazing layers of green paint with ancient timber peeking through.
Feature I brag about: I really like that it was made with solid materials that have lasted over a century with continued use. It still has the original clawfoot tub. The walls aren’t airtight, there’s no central heating system or A/C, and it makes me feel more connected to the earth. My personal favourite is a small solar panel on the roof that I use to charge my phone, grind my coffee and such, it’s just awesome technology.
The décor: Honestly I don’t know what to call it; Cabin in the City? The subjects in the author Lloyd Khan’s body of work inspire me. I don’t really care for modern home accents, it just comes across as synthetic and wasteful. I definitely like having the feeling of the outdoors inside. Some people come in here and are uncomfortable – I only just got a couch last year. Others love it to pieces. My idea of comfort is different than most, we only get the heat going in the dead of winter when a glass of water can freeze. My longtime boyfriend, Corey, hangs his vintage chainsaw above his door, the space is sprinkled with his handmade knives and motorcycle tanks.
The story behind the space: The granddaughter of the man who originally built this house tracked me down and gave me a photo of the front of the house when it was first built. It shows two white horses standing in the front yard with a few people casually around them. Apparently the yard for the house went all the way to the end of the block and was originally used for horse grazing. That’s part of why I called my residential gardening and plant sales business Wild Horse Gardens. I love that there are so many stories attached to this space. This house has sheltered many artists and has fostered a lot of creativity in it’s time.
Downsides: Because the house is so old it needs a lot of TLC, all the time, never-ending TLC. It’s a labour of love. Apart from that, there isn’t any other place in this city I’d rather be. The community of people here in Strathcona is real. People say hi, remember your name and care about what’s going on.
Neighbourhood haunts: Of course the old stand-by’s are (in no particular order): The Wilder Snail (buy Wild Horse Garden plants there!), Union Market, Benny’s, Wayne, STU or S2, Astoria, Finches, Dunlevy Snack Bar and Pat’s Pub...and maybe a few new ones that I don’t know about yet!
