54 CANADIAN HOMES & COTTAGES
Barn Beauty This home was built to have the look of a reclaimed barn with a French Provincial twist BY Diane Tierney. PHOTOS BY Alan Shisko The original homeowners of The Barn as it's affectionately known, were a timber frame builder and his wife who wanted a place that had the look of a reclaimed barn with a twist of French Provincial style. They finished building it in 2008. The 4,800-square-foot home, plus 900-square-foot workshop with a loft, is set on six acres about two hours northwest of Toronto. The builder sold it to friends, but those friends decided to retire and head south, so they called friends of theirs to see if they were interested in buying it. The current homeowner says, So we went to see the place and, wow, we gasped when we saw it little did we know then that we would end up buying it. That was in 2010 and we still never get bored looking at our surroundings. The old world timber frame construction with the white-wash paint is so interesting and the views surrounding this home are spectacular." The smell of pine immediately greets you upon entering the large foyer on the first floor because pine adorns most of the walls and ceilings throughout the entire house. The massive traditional timber frame structure is on full-display. Double-tier support beams span the main floor to minimize interior posts. This emphasizes the open-concept theme and provides maximum visibility to the outside through large windows that draw in an abundance of natural light. The solid wood, X-braced doors set the stage for the home s reclaimed barn-chic style. The kitchen is the most impressive space in the home. "It's quite grandiose and so large that it could easily fit 20 people. My wife is HOMESANDCOTTAGES.COM 55
56 CANADIAN HOMES & COTTAGES
an avid cook and loves to entertain. It's very open and people like to congregate around the island," he says. This kitchen not only enjoys limitless natural light during the day, but in the evening it s lit by 21 custom-made LED pendant lights that descend from the 12-foot ceilings. The pendant lighting is on dimmer switches to create a range of different moods. "I replaced almost all the lights in the house with LED bulbs so I could put the ladder away for a long time." All the kitchen cabinetry is custom-made with the intent of having an eclectic mix of styles. This kitchen is a dream even for the most accomplished chef. It features a custombuilt solid wood island with open shelving at both ends. There is access to large cupboard space with sliding pull-out drawers for cookware on the stove side of the island. The kitchen is also large enough to accommodate an additional breakfast table. A range hood contains lighting, heat lamps, and multi-speed high-volume ventilation. Beneath the hood sits a premium, stainless steel Brigade, six-burner, gas range and oven with a gas broiler. The traditional porcelain farmer's sink is so large that a custom supporting cabinet and wing cabinets with live-edge granite countertops had to be made to accommodate it. A partition wall on the kitchen side is occupied by a premium, stainless-steel LEFT The kitchen is spacious enough for the homeowners to host many friends and family members. ABOVE The dining room table visually divides the kitchen and living room areas. HOMESANDCOTTAGES.COM 57
Workshop with a View The homeowner wanted a workshop so he expanded the garage and insulated the space. It now accomodates one vehicle, a compact tractor and trailer, additional lawn and garden equipment, tools and ample storage for wood and building materials. A staircase at the rear of the shop reaches a loft area where additional storage is available. The outbuilding looks over the surrounding wooded area in addition to the spring-fed and aerated pond. This seven-foot deep pond is crystal clear and provides outdoor leisure year round: swimming in the summer and skating in the winter. It is also host to plenty of wildlife such as frogs, turtles, geese, ducks, bass, sunfish and more. It was easy to see their vision and we re glad we carried on with their dream Liebherr fridge/freezer, with solid wood wing cabinets custom made to fit. The kitchen features yet another custom built solid wood cabinet with live-edge granite counter top and stainless steel sink for food preparation and a reverse-osmosis water system. There's a large pantry, as well as a wine cellar through a small door. The great room is opposite the kitchen and has a fireplace that is the focal point of the room. "It's a gas fireplace because we had woodstoves in our last house and they are too much work. We wanted to focus on relaxing and less doing," the homeowner says. The vaulted ceiling is 32 feet high from the main floor to the peak and adds to the spacious atmosphere. The view from the main dining area through the large windows looks west which provides an unobstructed view of the stunning sunsets. There was no home office so the homeowner and his wife created space by doubling the function of two rooms. His wife's office doubles as a library, and his office doubles as a home theatre. Both feature custom built cabinetry and shelving. The staircase up to the second floor has massive spindles to keep consistent with the scale of the timber frame style. The spacious master bedroom accommodates a king-size bed that looks small by comparison to the entire space. Plus, there s still room for several dressers, mirrors, night tables and a chaise lounge. The views north, east and west feature manicured lawns, a vegetable garden and woods. The windows in this room provide the view north into the large yard. In the en suite, the claw-foot tub and south-facing window invite long baths. The bathtub was so heavy that it needed a blockand-tackle to lift it up over the balcony to get it in place during construction of the home. Sitting right in the middle of the bathroom floor, you can choose which end you wish to bathe at so you can enjoy either a westerly or easterly view. And you can lie in the tub and see the moonlight shining in because of the 58 CANADIAN HOMES & COTTAGES
TOP A king-size bed looks small by comparison to the entire space of the huge master bedroom. BOTTOM Double sinks are set into a custombuilt cabinet with a hand-laid travertine tile countertop. vaulted ceiling," the homeowner says. Double sinks are set into a custom-built cabinet with a hand-laid travertine tile countertop and sit beneath antique mirrors and custom lighting. A 19-foot-long, walk-in closet was designed to resemble an old world grain shed. The homeowner says, "It was custom-built and lined with cedar. It's a massive space, although I only get a small section of it. My wife gets to use most of it. Outside, a deck was built off the kitchen that integrates with the timber frame look. The original builder and his wife visited the home a while after the current homeowners moved in and were thrilled with what they had done especially the exterior stonework. "His wife said that was exactly what they had envisioned too. The also shared hundreds of photos of the original building process with us and were thrilled at how we picked up where they left off," the homeowner says. It was easy to see their vision and we re glad we carried on with their dream. HOMESANDCOTTAGES.COM 59