story by Janice Henshaw, photos by www.nuttycake.com –
Designing and acting as a contractor for your own home while managing a large farm involves taking on a mountain of extra work. Having built two previous homes though, Linda and her husband David knew what they wanted, and they had a good idea of what they were getting into.
Using the software program AutoCAD, Linda and David started with the house’s footprint. A key feature of the design was to angle the main rooms so they could capture the finest view of Mt. Baker. In August 2006, the excavation and construction of the 7,600-square-foot home began. Sadly, in the year that followed, David passed away. Linda carried on with building the house and although it was unfinished, she moved in in May of 2008. “I was sick and tired of living out of boxes,” she says.
The three-level, luxuriously spacious home, garage and horse barn are sided in cedar shingles accented with dark trim. Magnificent fir beams supported by handsome, stone-faced pillars form the grand entryway and guide visitors to the porcelain-tiled front step. A sculptured planter full of flowers delivers vibrant colour, and a custom-built wooden bench offers a place to sit.
Built of edge-grain fir, the front double doors proclaim beauty and elegance. Vertical ribs add to their depth and attractiveness. Wall lanterns and windows surround the doors, mirroring the sky and trees. High overhead, a pendant light hangs from the wide expanse of tongue and groove cedar. Classical music floats softly in the summer air.
In the entry hall, there is a graceful metal sculpture and a dramatic, wall-sized water fountain. The ceiling soars to fifteen feet. Soft lighting from the chandelier and wall sconces glows on the wood ceiling and tan walls. Plants and exquisite works of art invite visitors to pause in contemplation.
Through an arched doorway, the expansive family room features a lovely stone fireplace that adds elegant warmth. A piano sits near glass French doors. The decorative dropped ceilings are high at 10 feet, and enhanced by recessed lighting. A steamer travel trunk and horsehair chair are both over 100 years old and belonged to Linda’s grandmother. The cozy linen sofas are inviting, a perfect place for conversation with family and friends.
The wood floor and natural cherry cabinets in the adjoining kitchen glow in the golden light. It’s breathtakingly beautiful.
With its striated grain pattern and wide range of colours, the tigerwood floor provides a rich depth to the natural cherry wood cabinetry built by Manfred’s Custom Woodwork of North Saanich. Manfred summed up the project: “It was a great house to work in and Linda knew exactly what she wanted … She followed her dream and we made it happen.”
The dramatic 27-foot-long curved cherry wood cabinet unit topped in black galaxy granite delineates the outer perimeter of the kitchen area. Looking at the stunning sparkles in the black granite makes one feel drawn in; it’s like looking at faraway stars.
Vasile Matei created the exquisite tile backsplashes that offer a visual contrast to the luxurious wood. Three oil-rubbed bronze sinks provide convenience and striking colour in separate work areas.
Family treasures are on display in every room, and Linda says she can tell the story behind each one. Her extensive art collection includes paintings from Island artists Jill Louise Campbell, Robert Bateman, Roy Henry Vickers, Michaela Davidson and Malcolm Armstrong.
The home contains 2 ½ bedrooms and five bathrooms. Heat is provided by fireplaces and in-floor heating throughout. All windows are triple glazed with a specialized warm edge spacer that offers sound and warmth insulation and they have wood frames on the inside and metal on the outside. Walls are painted in 22 shades of earth tones.
A two-sided propane fireplace highlighted by golden edge-grain fir warms both the sitting and dining rooms. In the sitting room, the linen couches and travertine coffee table are from Luxe. French doors open out from the dining room onto a patio and a sunken garden.
Glass and delicately patterned wrought iron French doors open from the hall into a vestibule that leads to the master bedroom. A Swarovski chandelier sparkles from the dropped ceiling and an electric fireplace and paintings adorn subtle green walls. There is a sweeping view, southeast to Mt. Baker and north to the family farm.
As we move through the room, Linda points out her most famous original artwork, an orange-toned gremlin painted by her grandson when he was four years old. It’s mounted on an antique painting stand. Little black boots peek out from the bottom of the stand to hold the painting.
“My home has to have character; it has to include my old stuff,” says Linda. She didn’t want it to look like a stage set. “It’s not junk to me!”
Elaborately designed, the ensuite bathroom includes a toilet room, shower room, tub room, sitting room, and walk-in closet. Some of the beautiful features include white marble countertops, a roomy, tiled steam shower, and a Maax jetted air bubble tub. Wall lights reflect off the multitude of dark earth tone tiles inlaid in the ceiling. The walk-in closet is organized with natural cherry wood cabinetry and light streams in from the east-facing view window.
Downstairs in the full basement Linda laughs as she pulls out a set of keys to open her wine cellar. “This room was fun to plan,” she says. Extraordinary details make the room seem as though it is hundreds of years old. Her builders reluctantly used a chain to distress what was a finely constructed, unblemished wooden entry door. One wall is a deep red and adds vibrancy, while the stone-faced walls keep the cellar cool. As a final touch, a little mouse hole is carved into an inner wooden door.
It’s a pleasure to slide a hand along the edge-grain fir banister that leads back to the upper floor. A beautiful bookcase and sitting area are built in at the top of the stairs. From the guest bedroom, the view opens to huge cornfields, grazing cows, and alpacas.
“It’s gorgeous,” agrees Linda, “but it’s a family home, for my children and especially my grandchildren. They know where their dishes are.They know where their toys are. They are welcome anytime. David would have been proud of it.”
To view all the photos from this shoot, visit http://preview.tinyurl.com/gv3bfyu.
