Words Janice Henshaw
Photos Sarah Hartley Photography
An Art-Filled Sidney Home
The exterior siding of the home is stucco, a calm shell for what turns out to be a very lively interior. The walls may be white, but they are simply the backdrop to a life exuberantly full of colour, art and music. At the entrance, an old Underwood typewriter sits as a reminder that words matter here, too. Jude Wheeler and her husband, Jason Bonneau, agree that some things simply cannot be parted with. Their previous home was in Deep Cove, on a large, private lot. Downsizing was both a purge and a relief. The yard work of Deep Cove is gone. In its place is a smaller patio, garden beds along the side of the house for Jason to putter in, and a life where, as Jude says, the car sits more than they move it. They walk everywhere and love the convenience of downtown living in Sidney. Jude walks to work; she is a co-owner of Will + Wheel Hair Salon.
Their home was built by Little Crow Projects, a residential construction company, as one of two side-by-side, identical homes that look modern and welcoming from the street. The interior makes the most of its 1,818 square feet with a clever vertical layout, featuring three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms spread across two floors. The nine-foot ceilings add volume to the relatively narrow footprint. Glass walls and railings are used strategically upstairs, so instead of walking into a tunnel of drywall, you arrive at an open landing where light, art and a multitude of family photographs greet you.
The kitchen is, by Jude’s own declaration: “the heart of our home.” Photos and mementos crowd the fridge doors, a joyful alternative to the plain white or stainless fridges Jude dislikes. The space is bright and modern, with quartz countertops, double sinks and a KitchenAid gas stove. A central island holds a dishwasher, with pendant lights above it. A glass divider to the stairs keeps the space feeling wider and more open. The floors are softened by colourful wool and rag rugs, chosen not only for aesthetics but also for Bishop, who has hip problems and appreciates the extra grip.
Jude gravitates toward handmade objects, folk art and anything she calls “whimsy.” Perfection does not interest her – personality does. The kitchen showcases local and regional artists. There are bowls and mugs that Jude has thrown herself, which she cheerfully labels “wonky” and imperfect, and pieces by her friend Pam Bradley, a North Saanich potter who makes intricately detailed functional ware. Another presence throughout the house is Salt Spring Island potter Kathleen Raven. Her work appears in whimsical sculptural pieces, such as a caterpillar-like creature near the entrance, as well as in smaller vessels and a “little pottery girl” figure in the kitchen. In the dining area, a soft creature portrait by Tracy Nelson, a Vancouver Island artist, hangs.
One wall on the main level reveals another of Jude’s obsessions: Mexican folk art and “Day of the Dead” imagery. Mexican art treats death not as something grim and hidden, but as part of life, full of colour and humour. She has multiple “Day of the Dead” figures and artworks, which cluster together like an exuberant, slightly macabre party. There is a collection of coconut masks, carved from halved coconut shells and painted with animated faces. Jude loves purchasing many of her pieces directly from artists in Mexico.
Nearby, a framed piece from Edward Gorey’s “The Gashlycrumb Tinies” introduces a darker kind of laughter. Jude remembers memorizing the whole alphabet of ghastly fates while nursing her infants, reading the book repeatedly in the small hours of the night. It is gently alarming and very on-brand. Alongside this are icons and saints, including a Scrabble-tile pepper shaker featuring a saintly image. Friends now gift her Catholic imagery and Frida Kahlo items, knowing her fascination with both. She is not religious but she is deeply entertained by saints, icons and the dramatic visuals they evoke.
Most of the finishes were already in place when they bought the home, and Jude is quick to credit Little Crow’s designer for selecting distinctive features and finishes. Once they moved in, Jude and Jason did what they do best: they filled it with art. Jude describes herself as an “art hack,” but the evidence on the walls and shelves suggests a high-functioning one. Jason is also an artist and a musician. He is a drummer who played in a punk band in Victoria in his youth, and he writes and creates visual art. Just off the kitchen is a small patio and Jason’s music studio, a soundproofed room where he records and plays drums, which keeps the peace with the neighbours and the rest of the household.
Jason’s relationship with drums is so committed that when they moved and no longer had room for multiple drum kits, he couldn’t let them go. Instead, his drums have been transformed into functional art pieces. Drum shells become glowing, light-based features and sculptural objects. A drum appears in the “man cave” bathroom. One is turned into a lit display piece in the living room. It is as if the drums negotiated a new contract: they may not all be played, but they will still be seen.
Upstairs, there are three bedrooms – the primary bedroom feels spacious due to its higher ceiling. The ensuite bathroom has heated floors, double sinks, double mirrors and dark cabinets. At one point, the shower wall was made of clear glass, allowing a view into the bedroom. When Jude first viewed the house, she took one look and thought she would never buy a house with such a feature. Fortunately, by the time they moved in, the glass had been treated to become opaque. On the landing, a laundry closet holds the washer and dryer, which the couple appreciate having on the same level as the bedrooms.
Through all of this, the house itself has become a three-dimensional scrapbook of people and places: from Salt Spring to Brooklyn, from Mexico to Montreal and from punk stages to pottery studios. It is a place where a broom is colourful, a pepper shaker is saintly, drums glow and even the dogs and cats come with elaborate names. Their home proves you can downsize your square footage without downsizing your life, especially if you fill the space with colour, curiosity and just the right amount of whimsy.
This is my last home review story for Seaside Magazine. After 10 years of having the wonderful opportunity to write stories for Seaside, I’m now moving on to new endeavours. I’ve loved every minute of meeting so many unique and interesting people and writing about their beautiful homes. Thank you for reading my stories!
