Charmer - Concord Homes

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Country
Charmer
The simple life never looked so good. Here’s
how two globetrotters came home and created
an inviting abode out of a rural farmhouse
by Alena Schram and Virginie Martocq
photography by Roberto Caruso
styling by Malcolm Patterson
energy
boost
Squeeze a lemon wedge into your
water bottle for a vitamin C boost.
chatelaine.com
| august 2011
47
home real-life renos
Writer Alena
Schram and her
husband, John.
“YOU’RE BUYING A WHAT? WHERE?”
yelled my husband, John, on a poor
phone line from South Africa. It was
1992. I was back in Canada briefly and
had just stumbled upon a century-old
clapboard farmhouse — something we’d
never thought of buying, on an island
we’d never even heard of — in Ontario’s
1000 Islands area. After four stressful
years working to support the struggle
against apartheid from the Canadian
embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, we
were finally coming home, and needed
a gentle place to sink into. This small,
unpretentious farmhouse, accessible
only by water, was it. John enthused:
“Get a mortgage!” I obliged.
Add modern drama
with clean white trim.
Accent a dark exterior such as this
slate grey with white. It highlights
architectural details and adds visual
interest to an otherwise plain building.
Paint everything.
Give mismatched chairs
a fresh, cohesive look with
a unifying coat of colour.
Alena’s Reno-Survival Rules
Choose a
contractor who
shares your esthetic.
If you’re modernist,
don’t hire someone who
specializes in traditional
buildings. Flexibility and
open-mindedness are
key too. Be prepared to
change your plan when
things come up. And
avoid contractors who
say things like “This is
how we’ve always done
it!” Don’t just ask the
contractor or builder
for the names of happy
customers. Go to see their
other jobs, and ask lots of
questions.
Budget more for
things you can’t
change. We built rooms
as big as we could
afford at the beginning,
recognizing that once the
foundation was in place,
the rooms could never
grow. You can always
change a countertop or a
light fixture, but it’s harder
to move a bathroom or
add a window where
there wasn’t one. We
took no shortcuts where
the dreaded building
code was concerned. We
also splurged on a good
architect who helped us
make good decisions.
john & alena photo, brian little.
Decide on the things
you can’t live
without. After so many
years in the tropics, we
craved light. Wall space
was critical to display
the art and artifacts we’d
collected. And we wanted
a view over the bay.
energy
boost
Exercise regularly. It ups your metabolism so you have more energy and less fatigue.
In 2005 — after 11 years as
ambassador and appendage in three
African capitals — we returned permanently to Canada, retired, sold our
Ottawa house and moved our chattels
permanently to the island. Two years
later, with architectural drawings
(from James Wright at Young +
Wright / IBI Group Architects), a
builder (Concord Homes) and some
mild apprehension, we started
construction on an extension. We
wanted the inside of the house to
reflect our life abroad, and the
outside to stay in keeping with the
original structures, nearby houses
and the island. We also wanted
something that would offer a seamless
later-life transition: The main floor
was designed to be practical when
mobility became an issue — including
a shower for when we break our hips!
The garden was landscaped for easy
maintenance, with indigenous plants
and shrubs. Now we can’t imagine
living anywhere else.
Turn your porch
into an outdoor room.
Decks and patios are often forgotten
square footage. Choose comfortable
furniture and… ta-dah! The patio is the
new kitchen-party place.
Choose a playful colour
for the front door.
Draw attention to your country home’s
entrance by painting the door a fun, bright
colour. Visit chatelaine.com/curbappeal for
more ways to dress up your exterior.
The colour palette
3 shades to create the perfect historical look
start with a
dark shell
accentuate with
pale details
go bold on the
front door
A great blue-grey that has
enough warmth for winter and
looks cool all summer.
This shade has just the right
amount of yellow to look both
warm and crisp.
A warm brick colour
that’s not too brown and
not too orange.
Behr paint in Skipper.
Behr paint in Divine Pleasure.
Behr paint in Awning Red.
chatelaine.com
| august 2011
49
Choose a playful colour for the front door.
Older country homes don’t always have a well-defined front entrance. Draw attention to yours by painting the door a fun, bright
colour like this cherry red.
Turn your porch into an outdoor room.
Decks and patios are often forgotten square footage, but they can add valuable living space. Choose comfortable furniture and
group it in easy conversation “zones.” Yes — the patio party is the new kitchen party.
Embrace contrast.
Add a sense of modern drama by accenting a dark exterior such as this slate grey with white. It highlights specific architectural
details and adds visual interest to an otherwise plain building.