one hundred years of character

"In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different."

- Coco Chanel

I have posted few photos of some of the character in the house. The stairs are original and used to have carpet on them at some point. Previous homeowners took it down and sanded them - which we adore. There is a wood burning fireplace in the living room with a Napoleon insert. Our idea while decorating and painting is to remain true to the home's origin, while brightening up the rooms and adding some modern/shabby flare! 

Photo Credit: Samantha Erin Photography

Photo Credit: Samantha Erin Photography

Photo Credit: Samantha Erin Photography

Photo Credit: Samantha Erin Photography

Photo Credit: Samantha Erin Photography

curb appeal

"I was enchanted to meet you."

This spring and summer will be busy for us as we have a lot of plans in motion! Most of the plans are on the inside and basement (I'll post about that later)! As for the outside, we will be painting all the gingerbread white eventually. We will be grading the land away from the house and plant a few trees at the back of the property. Eventually I would like a flagstone path way from the house to the garage. 

So many trees. There are White Oak, Butternut, Sugar Maple, and Walnut trees on the property. We will be planting more maple and evergreens at the back. This view is from the back of our property line looking at the road. 

This was taken during our house inspection. They were heading into the attic to inspect the insulation. We will be spray foaming and blowing in more this summer and adding two whirly birds on top for ventilation. We will definitely be having lots of curb appeal during the winter including wreaths, outdoor string lights and Christmas appeal!

the purchase of our dream home

"They believed they could, so they did."

My husband and I have dreamed of a century home for as long as we can remember. Whether it was a farm style home or classic Victorian, we knew we needed something with history, character and soul that would suit us. We were prepared for something to restore, as these homes deserve to be made beautiful again and we are both handy. I have always dreamed of what my house would look like. I had yearned for a two-storey red brick farmhouse that had a unique staircase by the front door, old original doors, high baseboards and white wooden lace on the outside. I would often get lost in thought knowing it was out there somewhere. 

Our house hunting story begins with viewing four houses in search for this one starting in early 2014. We didn't settle until we found it – or until our hearts leapt out of our chests…whichever you prefer. Our search soon led us down our current rural road towards Oro Station. 

This late 1800s century farmhouse has not been neglected but does have a few things to be completed this year. At first glance it was my dreamed of "red brick gingerbread house". Just minutes from the lake shore, the house has truly been a labour of love for the last owners. This house has all the character we have ever dreamed of. The exterior is faced with old hand poured red orange bricks that are well-settled and wooden lace on most sides of house. There is a steel roof, to many windows to count, original high trim, original doors, a wood burning fireplace and a cute sun room (or in our case; green house). It also has a widow’s walk that has a view of lake Simcoe. The property is large, full of mature trees and houses a detached four-car garage and the “Bee Shed”. The shed is original to the home and was used for keeping horses and then bees for many years (- previous owners). 

Our house is warm and hospitable. It is a place for many family dinners to be held, sleepovers where we don't sleep, dance parties that go all night long, and most of all, this house is a house of The Lord. God kept us on the straight and narrow to find this beauty. We trusted in Him to help find us it, even when it seemed slim. We prayed for financial wisdom and He helped us make an informed decision. He impressed upon my own heart “March” for a few months, and sure enough our closing date is March 6, 2014. We couldn’t be happier to present to you our new home, finalised on December 31, 2014 no less! The official house name is pending.

Above: Built around 1870 and remained in the Bell family for many years as an active farm. The original barn is behind the property. There are protected Butternut trees on the property that are endangered. Some of the original refinished hardwood flooring in the home is Butternut.

Above: The white gingerbread lace will be repainted this summer (white of course). We will be power washing the brick and sealing/caulking around the windows. The windows are original to the home and will be replaced one by one, but they are pretty for now!