Country Homes
Hygge Holiday: A 19th-century Farmhouse Gets Restored In A Serene Scandi Style
Published on December 3, 2025
The Cronk farmhouse is nestled in North Port, Ont., a lesser-known community of Prince Edward County that’s brimming with history. Lore has it that many of its settlers were Quakers; it’s likely that the Cronks, the family who built this farmhouse in 1802, were part of the United Empire Loyalists who immigrated to Upper Canada. While this storied heritage wasn’t the main draw for owners Jodie and Jesse Merson, who also have a home in Toronto, it’s certainly why the farmhouse still bears the name Cronk more than two centuries later.
Jodie and Jesse purchased the property in 2017; they’d often vacationed in The County and enjoyed the wineries, breweries, farms and the beach. “We love the area, so we went out looking and came across this beautiful, old white farmhouse,” says Jodie. “It needed work, but it had a lot of character.”
They wanted a place to unwind and host friends and family, but they also envisioned it as a house they could rent out. In 2019, they enlisted their friend Toronto designer Alison Milne for the reno project. Alison and her team transformed the property into a modern, 4,000- square-foot, Scandi-style farmhouse with four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a new lease on life. “They loved the space as it was, but it needed polish,” says Alison. “It had good vibes and that was the feeling we wanted to harness.”
Cedar cladding and black-framed windows give the exterior modern edge, but the overall façade honours the original architecture.
The first hiccup came once they discovered that half of the previous owners’ addition was built without a solid foundation. “It was made of old tree logs,” says Alison. Working with structural engineers at Blackwell, they were forced to tear down the addition entirely and build a new one that would house the kitchen, living room and dining room, plus bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs. The original farmhouse would house a second living room and a stairway to more bedrooms and bathrooms on the upper floor. The renovation took 18 months to complete.
A grand archway frames the lofty dining room, which features soaring ceilings and rustic beams. The handwoven tapestry brings warmth to the space.
The Mersons wanted a more usable layout and a design that didn’t stray too far from the vibe of the area or the home’s heritage. Nodding to Jodie’s Danish roots, Alison chose a minimalist Scandinavian look that would feel homey and inviting. To add to the overall airiness, the walls are enveloped in Benjamin Moore’s Oxford White. “There are very few window coverings in the house to let in sun and keep views unobstructed, which feels very Scandinavian,” says Alison.
In the dining room, larch floors are laid in a herringbone pattern to delineate the space. A circular still-life photograph echoes the curved motifs throughout the house.
To keep the minimalist aesthetic from looking bland, hits of glamour elevate the space, including contemporary light fixtures, herringbone-patterned floors in the dining room and custom pink knobs for the Wolf range. Finally, Alison layered in art from her own fine art gallery. “Art walls were considered, and art was placed with proper lighting and framed for vantage points,” she says.
The original Cronk farmhouse is where you’ll find the rustic second living room, with its original pine floors and ceiling beams.
“The wood beams in the kitchen and the pine floors in the second living room are from the old house; those details add a lot of charm,” says Alison. In the addition, there are larch hardwood floors throughout and Douglas fir clads the cabinets and island in the kitchen.
Simple greenery and tapers in brass candlesticks have minimalist holiday style. Douglas fir planks clad the cabinets and island; timber beams from the original house were saved.
For her holiday decorating, Jodie follows a less is more approach that’s in keeping with the home’s understated Scandi style. “We have a tree with minimal ornaments, wreaths and lots of candles, which has a hygge vibe,” she says. “We eat, relax, play board games and disconnect from life in the city.”
The pantry is one of Alison’s favourite rooms. “The pale wood and palette feel Danish, but we added country appeal with open shelves for fresh fruit and vegetables.”
To create cosiness, Alison designed a sunken living room, one of her signature moves. Concrete floors provide subtle contrast.
“The living room is my favourite place in the house,” says Jodie. “It has big sliding doors that look out into the yard. There are so many trees, it feels like you’re outside.”
Archways off the front hall soften the doorways to the main living areas.
Walking from room to room, it’s difficult to see where the reno begins and ends. “You can’t tell what’s old or new,” says Alison. “We achieved a sense of cohesiveness that blends modern elements with heritage details.”
Jodie and Jesse’s daughters, Olivia and Audrey, share this ensuite. The walls and floor are tiled in a subtle blush hue.
Though the home is a rental property for parts of the year, during the festive season, the couple and their two school-aged daughters like spending Christmas here, blanketed in snow.
White walls, generous windows and blond woods define the girls’ bedroom. “I wanted it to feel like a room for two young girls but also be mature enough to grow with them,” says Alison.
Both Alison and the owners are glad to have preserved the Cronk home as much as possible. “If we had knocked the house down, it would’ve been a different build — likely something super modern,” says Alison. “It was important that we keep the feeling of the old farmhouse and bring in that Danish inspiration.”
Riley Snelling
Alison Milne