Craft.
Create.
Come Home.
We take these words to heart.
We show care, pride, and dedication in growing our Purpureas, deep violet Acutifolia, fiery and cinnamon Albas, and other varieties. After the harvest, each bundle is carefully sized and stored in our loft-like barn, in anticipation for weaving, restoration, landscaping, and creative work.
Willow Loft is also about home.
In 1992, we bought these beautiful, park-like five acres.
We raised our two children here and built our home and cabin in stages for more than a decade.
In the beginning, we “glamped” in our now-living room, borrowing electricity from the neighbour and collecting rainwater for dishes and showers. The house “grew” along with our family. In 1996, when we welcomed our daughter, we added two bedrooms. In 1998, when our son was born here, Nicolas built the little cabin in the field—now the Willow Loft accommodation.
In 2007, we made the difficult decision to leave Salt Spring Island. Our daughter was starting kindergarten, and we longed for bike rides to school, nearby libraries, pools, and cafés. (Happily, Salt Spring now has a pool, an updated library, and many fabulous cafés!) We sold our beloved home and set our sights on living in the city.
Eighteen years passed. Our kids grew up, graduated, and launched their own lives.
Amei moved through different teaching/administration jobs and Nicolas taught adult education at Camosun College. We lived in both the “big city” (Victoria) and small villages during the pandemic. In an Indigenous community half-way up the province, we deepened our ability to make our own fun and seek wild places. Still, our hearts yearned for the community we had known on Salt Spring in the 90s.
It felt almost too good to be true when the Heidi Place land came up for sale again—right when we were ready to settle somewhere for good. Now, we wake up undeniably grateful to have returned to this beautiful land, surrounded by a community we love. Every day feels like a blessing: being and working outside, reconnecting with neighbours, and making new friends.
Even in this second chapter, we’re taking root and weaving something meaningful
—just like willow.
