VILLA VERDE STORY GEORGETTE MCCULLOCH PHOTOGRAPHY SANDY MACKAY

Transcription

1 Paula and Jeff Courtney had no intention of buying a cottage. That is, until they saw an article about a 19th century barn that had been dismantled, floated and reconstructed on a piece of land near Honey Harbour. It was for sale. VILLA VERDE STORY GEORGETTE MCCULLOCH PHOTOGRAPHY SANDY MACKAY I saw the cottage and looked at the pictures online and told the real estate agent we wanted to look at it, says Paula, president of The Verde Group, a Toronto consultancy expert that helps companies improve their customer experience. The agent balked because the cottage was only accessible by boat. She had had a lot of tire kickers, Paula says. She asked us if we had ever owned a cottage and we said no. The agent said, You realize it s a water-access only cottage, right? Do you have a boat? No, I said, but joked that my husband did have a boating licence. Paula and Jeff, who is president of the Fight Against Cancer Innovation Trust, met the agent at a dock in Honey Harbour and headed out in a small boat on a rainy day for the 20-minute ride to the cottage. Paula remembers feeling awful. I thought, I m wasting this woman s time, I have no intention of buying a cottage. Then, they saw the farmhouse and the property. It took our breath away, she says. Twenty-four hours later, it was ours. We closed 10 days later, so we had 10 days to buy a boat. Thanks goodness Jeff had his boating licence. That was in Since then, the Courtneys have increased the size of the cottage with a seamless addition with the help of Discovery Dream Homes and Chandler Construction. Continued on page 33 Paula and Jeff Courtney TOP LEFT: A grand entrance with solid, curved wooden doors welcomes all to Villa Verde. FAR LEFT: Paula and Jeff Courtney fell in love with the barn and the property the very first time they saw it. The barn and the property have only gotten better under their stewardship. LEFT: The cottage rules. OPPOSITE: The dry-stacked fireplace in the living room is the focal point in the majestic main living area. Roaring fires are an evening staple at Villa Verde. 28 ourhomes HOLIDAY/WINTER 2017/18 ourhomes HOLIDAY/WINTER 2017/18 29

2 The kitchen and dining area fills half the lower level in the original barn. Hemlock covers the walls and floors. The stairs lead to the second floor with bedrooms and a full bath. 30 ourhomes HOLIDAY/WINTER 2017/18 ourhomes HOLIDAY/WINTER 2017/18 31

3 LEFT: This guest room is decorated with a pop of sunny yellow. RIGHT: The office on the landing upstairs is furnished with antiques. BELOW: A serving area with a bar was built under the glass-enclosed staircase leading up to the guest rooms. OPPOSITE: Beadboard walls, a square, wallmounted farmhouse sink and baskets play along with the upcountry atmosphere throughout the barn. The Globe and Mail listing that piqued the Courtneys interest in the property tells the story about the original barn. Built in 1846, it was purchased in the early 1990s by Streetsville businessman Mark Ferguson for $10,000. Ferguson hired Mennonites to dismantle the barn. The timbers were then transported by water to his property in Honey Harbour where it was reconstructed according to the original design. The Fergusons still live in the area in a new, more modern cottage, Paula says. After a few years of enjoying the beautiful and unique farmhouse, Paula and Jeff decided they wanted and needed more space. They set out to build a bunkie, but municipal regulations thwarted those plans. Someone suggested an addition, but Paula thought, How the heck am I going to do an addition on this antique barn? They searched for and interviewed several builders. It was Discovery Dream Homes that came up with an intriguing plan expand by building a breezeway from the original barn through one of the antique windows. The Courtneys loved it and away they went, spending the next three years under construction. The work was completed this past summer to thunderous applause. The original barn is majestic, with timbers that rise to 33 feet at the centre. It houses a huge kitchen with the original reclaimed pine cupboards and a nine-by-five-foot island. Paula had wanted to purchase the Fergusons dining table that seats 20, but they wanted it, so she had one made with wood from Indonesia. The dry-stacked, floor-to-ceiling fireplace in the adjacent living room is truly spectacular and made from rocks from Pointe au Baril. It s so spectacular that the Courtneys set out to replicate the fireplace in the new addition. We had to find a crew in the United Kingdom to do the work because there were so few people available with that skill, Paula says. Continued on page ourhomes HOLIDAY/WINTER 2017/18 ourhomes HOLIDAY/WINTER 2017/18 33

4 LEFT: The entertaining room in the new addition was built with integrity and respect for the original barn. Paula and Jeff recreated the dry-stacked fireplace in the original barn with help from stone masons from the United Kingdom. ABOVE: Shiplap covers the walls in the new powder room. A custom vanity and vessel sink fit the farmhouse style. BELOW: The glass-enclosed wine cellar creates a wall behind the bar in the new addition. OPPOSITE: Light pours into the master suite on the lower level in the new addition. The en suite s vessel tub has a metallic skirt and a stunning view. The shower walls are covered in marble, meticulously laid in a herringbone pattern. There are guest bedrooms upstairs in the barn, beautifully furnished with antiques and the very best linens, and a full bath. An office on the upstairs landing is discreet and there s a rack with fishing lures and walking sticks made by Paula s father out of wood found on the property. Back downstairs, a screened-in porch beckons with a view of meticulous grounds with clover instead of grass. A sign announces that you have arrived at Villa Verde. From the outside the addition looks like it has always been there. The only giveaway is the green roof one side is slightly darker and brighter green than the other, says Paula. The addition includes a powder room, a bar, an entertainment room with the second, equally majestic, dry-stacked fireplace, and the master suite. A second storey includes two bedrooms, one for daughter Julia and another for guests, plus a full bath. The walls and hemlock floors in the addition are a near perfect match to the original barn. Continued on page ourhomes HOLIDAY/WINTER 2017/18 ourhomes HOLIDAY/WINTER 2017/18 35

5 Personalized to Perfection ExclusivEly at Di PiEtra DEsign Di Pietra Design Wishes Everyone a Safe & Happy Holiday Season! typhoon BOrDEaux nero cosmos BianO riviera TOP LEFT: Discovery Dream Homes designed a breezeway to connect the original barn and the new addition. A large steel lantern hangs in the opening between the new and old spaces. ABOVE: Daughter Julia s upstairs bedroom in the new addition is so very pretty in pink. LEFT: Julia shares the bathroom with her guests. RIGHT: This is where Julia s friends sleep when they visit. WHitE ice ultra compact Welham Rd - Barrie 36 ourhomes HOLIDAY/WINTER 2017/18

6 The screened-in porch sits to the right of the barn s entrance. The amazing news, says Paula, is we actually got the same guy who sourced the hemlock walls and floors; the exact same person who laboured 25 years ago. The renovation experience has been a worthwhile endeavor for the Courtneys, mostly because of the fine workmanship of so many. As Paula prepared to close the property for the winter, she openly wished that she and her family could celebrate Christmas and New Year s at the barn built more than 170 years ago. Could you imagine how wonderful that would be? she asks of her home-away-from-home. Wonderful indeed. OH HOME ADDITIONS & RENOVATIONS A Reputation Built on High Quality Craftsmanship & Proven Reliability austin@kirkworthconstruction.ca austin@kirkworthconstruction.ca Expect the best... We re greener than the rest! DESIGN BUILD MAINTAIN Call today for discounted pre-paid 2018 lawn programs! Residential, Commercial & Estate Property Lawn & Garden Maintenance Tree Pruning & Removal & Stump Grinding Fertilizer & Weed Control Programs LICENSED TO TREAT EMERALD ASH BORER SOURCE GUIDE Discovery Dream Homes Chandler Homes Wendy Berger & Associates John Laundry Heritage Masonry Window Quilt Muskoka Traditional Door Design and Millwork Antique Woods Hammersmith Metal Works T&P Heating & Cooling Fire In The Rock Tom Lucas Plumbing Mariposa Electric TOP RIGHT: Decking with rope railing meanders behind the new addition. ABOVE: A view of the barn from the water. The new addition is on the left. The only way you can tell the new from the old is the slight colour difference on the green metal roof. RIGHT: The dock was built around an enormous granite rock. Award-Winning Unilock Designs Patios & Walkways Retaining Walls Natural Stone Garden Makeovers Foster Lawn & Garden LTD (705) ourhomes HOLIDAY/WINTER 2017/18