Thanks to a patient man’s passion for restoring old buildings in need of love, a long-abandoned house from 1850 has regained its former glory. Discover a place full of wonderful stories.
The story began 15 years ago, on a visit to friends who owned a magnificent estate in the Lower Laurentians. “My daughter was just four years old at the time and enjoyed learning to care for their horses. My friend had always dreamed of buying the house next to his farm, but it was not put on the market until after his death,” explains the home’s current owner. After careful consideration—the building required major renovations—he eventually decided to buy it himself. “It was quite an undertaking! I had already restored a house of a similar vintage; I knew that it takes a very long time and that you never know how much it’s going to cost. However, it’s something I really enjoy doing,” he adds. The work started with what is usually the last stage of most such projects: the owner began by turning his attention to the huge neglected expanse of land, planting over one hundred trees, regrading some areas and adding landscaping. When he stayed on the property with his daughter, they would sleep in an Airstream trailer that has now been turned into a guest room. Spending time on site, he got to know the space and could imagine how the home would look in this verdant sanctuary. “I was happy because the surrounding landscape was already beautiful by the time the house was finished, which is not generally the case,” he notes.
Constructed of four stone walls, the original house was infested with bats. It took two years to remove them and get them to roost elsewhere on the property. The renovation took five years and was carried out by specialists in old buildings. A number of glazed openings were made in the walls and the roof, but they match the home’s traditional style thanks to their grey-green wooden transoms and frames. “It was important to add more windows to take advantage of the view,” says the owner. In addition, two wings were built, one on each side of the original structure. One is used as a covered porch while the other is a playroom featuring a boule table that was a gift from his deceased neighbour’s wife. “He would have loved seeing this table in his dream house.”
Colourful seating in the living room and stainless steel kitchen cabinets add a light, modern touch to the interior, where stone and wood dominate. Even the bar stools lining the long concrete counter are made of chrome. “I wanted a restaurant feel, where you can see the pots and pans and it’s not perfect. In fact, the kitchen has just one closed cabinet, for the pantry,” explains the homeowner.
The wood-burning stove – a gift from singer Gilles Vigneault – was used for cooking during the renovations. It underscores the vintage charm of the kitchen, as does the butcher block, a gift from the village’s third-generation butcher.
The owner does not like walls, so the entire house is open, including the two upstairs bedrooms arranged symmetrically on either side of the stairway. Glass partitions become opaque as needed to provide privacy.
