Gary Mulcahey/The Globe and Mail
There's hardly a notable actor, director, princess, philanthropist, surgeon, premier, socialite and prime minister that Robert Gage hasn't coiffed. The retired Toronto hairdresser purchased a house in the country 25 years ago to give his head (which is preoccupied with heads) a bucolic rinse and set. The old Anglican Church, built circa 1840, is situated on an acre of rolling gardens in Warkworth, Ont., about a 90-minute drive east of the townhouse salon the born-and-bred Torontonian shuttered in January after announcing his retirement after 56 years. Gage bought the property in 1989 with the intention of making it his primary residence. It had already been converted into a single-family home in the 1950s, but Gage renovated again, before decorating it with precious pieces collected during seven trips around the world and a life as a confidante to the mega-rich and powerful. Now that he has hung up his scissors, the 72-year-old will be spending even more time at his rural residence, entertaining friends in the morning room. "It's big, it's bright and it's full of sunshine," says Gage, who shares the space with two terriers and a tabby named Margaret. "It's a gigantic room and everything in it is oversized," he adds. Including the homeowner's personality.
The ginger jars
"There are two. But one you cannot see because of the red amaryllis. I just love them. They are almost gross, being so over the top. They are probably meant for the floor. But not in that room. They had to be on a table. They weigh a ton. I bought them at auction at A.H. Wilkens, on Queen Street East in Toronto."
The columns
"They are from an old house on Jarvis Street in Toronto, which someone was ripping down, so I went and bought them for $25. The whole thing about my house is that everything in it is a little frayed, tattered and scratched, these included. I find such things make people feel relaxed."
The window
"This house is situated as Anglican churches are usually set, so that at Easter the sun comes right through the window and illuminates the altar on the other side of the room. On a Sunday morning, the whole place is flooded with sunlight."
The painting
"This was a beautiful gift from David Gineen and his wife, Linda. He had been my Bentley and Rolls Royce dealer. He passed away about a year ago or so. We were very close friends. I got him his wife. I was his matchmaker! But back to the painting. Two of my favourite things in life are naked dogs and fierce men, so there you have it."
The cushions
"Those are made from a Hudson's Bay blanket, which had belonged to my grandparents. The moths had got to it, so it became cushions. I had them made and I did that before even The Bay – who are now making everything out blankets, including furniture – thought of it!"
The chandelier
"That was from my Auntie. I inherited it. She had children, and they probably wondered where the hell it went."
The club chairs
"These came from George Bartello, like, a century ago. I like great, big comfortable chairs and I like to take a room and fill it with enormous furniture. They're green, and tartan. I love tartan."
The bar
"On it is a terracotta head, which is a copy of a head on the Trevi fountain in Rome. It's in front of a mirror that has been carefully positioned so that, if you are drunk, you will be able to see that you don't need another drink."
The flag
"I got this Union Jack in England and it displays my background. I have draped it over a portrait of Lord Chubb of Chubb Insurance fame. He was very English so I wrapped him in his flag."