Purple door, orange door: the classic Halifax homes

The vibrant shingles and doors on Halifax homes immediately showcase the city’s charm, history and age. 

Molly Ford, a tenant in one of these historic buildings, says the properties are full of personality and detail.

“Everything about the house is just gorgeous … and there’s so much character to it,” says Ford. “It makes it like a great place to live, very homey.”

The green and gold plaques on houses around the city mark registered heritage properties, from the West End’s grand apartment buildings to the South End’s teetering Victorian lodgings. 

Jenna Balbaa lives in one of these South End homes. She says these buildings are as influential to the city’s identity as they are to her personal style.

“When I think about Halifax, one of the first things that comes to mind are the beautiful, bright, colourful, historic homes,” Balbaa says.

As part of its Heritage Property Program, the Halifax Regional Municipality designates properties for conservation and facilitates maintenance and preservation. 

Gill Bramm is a resident near the Old South Suburb heritage conservation district. They say the iconic heritage properties are a soothing, warm element of their community, connecting them to their neighbourhood’s history and diversity.

“It’s a big part of the cultural identity of not only Halifax, but all [of the] Canadian East Coast houses have colourful siding,”  says Bramm.  “It’s a big part of the broader cultural identity here.” 

Those that occupy and maintain heritage buildings recognize how such spaces contribute to Halifax’s distinctiveness. Bramm moved from a bigger city where colourful housing wasn’t as common and says it felt a lot more monotonous. 

“When you look outside, it feels like everything has a bit of a personality.”  

Bramm says living in a historical house brings its own personality.

“You start with a lot of character and a lot of personality, and then you design around that and get to feel the people who also used to live in this place as well.”