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My Houzz: A Country-Style Loft Comes Alive With DIY
Perched cozily above their shop, an Ontario couple's home brims with lovingly handmade and repurposed pieces
Salvaged materials, handmade furniture and beautifully restored antiques adorn this charming Canadian home, the upper floor of a historic building that Gillian Mitchell and Paul LeClair have spent the past two years converting. Their retail store, The Pine Sampler, occupies the lower level.
An idyllic backyard garden and pine furniture built and designed by local Mennonites and LeClair himself add unparalleled warmth to this couple's house. With a design mantra that dictated repurposing, reusing, restoring and reinventing old items, the pair has created a special space that highlights their artistic talents.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Gillian Mitchell and Paul LeClair, and their Westie, Maude
Location: Hensall, Ontario, Canada
Size: 1,400 square feet; 1 bedroom, 1 bath
That's interesting: The couple's peaceful, lush backyard was once a parking lot.
An idyllic backyard garden and pine furniture built and designed by local Mennonites and LeClair himself add unparalleled warmth to this couple's house. With a design mantra that dictated repurposing, reusing, restoring and reinventing old items, the pair has created a special space that highlights their artistic talents.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Gillian Mitchell and Paul LeClair, and their Westie, Maude
Location: Hensall, Ontario, Canada
Size: 1,400 square feet; 1 bedroom, 1 bath
That's interesting: The couple's peaceful, lush backyard was once a parking lot.
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| LeClair built and installed the sliding barn door to separate the bathroom from the bedroom. He also created this charming headboard using an old architectural peak and a pair of columns. Mitchell dressed the bed with an assortment of French-style linens. |
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| LeClair is particularly proud of the stone wall they created in the bedroom addition. The couple and a friend installed plywood on the wall and adhered stones (flat on the back) to the plywood. Stone: Rustic Rubble, Tri-County Brick |
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A cozy reading nook in the corner of the bedroom displays Mennonite children's clothing and signs with the names of cows from Mitchell's childhood farm.
The antique pine armoire was built into a wall in their former 1867 heritage home.
The antique pine armoire was built into a wall in their former 1867 heritage home.
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| French doors to the left of the bed bring in morning light and a fresh breeze. A blue finish brightens an antique desk by the bed. |
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| A gas fireplace at the foot of the bed has space on both sides for narrow built-in storage. The decorative piece above the mantel is an antique wooden apple dryer. |
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The French doors open onto a romantic balcony with bistro chairs overlooking the garden.
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| The entry to the loft is visible to the right of the blue armoire. A timber post-and-beam structure separates the kitchen from the dining area. Mitchell's son, Alex Oke, of Okewood Timberworks in Brussels, built the post-and-beam unit without nails or screws — using only mortise and tenon joinery techniques. To the left of the blue armoire, a salvaged door with a transom and its original hardware leads to the bathroom. Mitchell attached a hemp curtain fastened with vintage clothespins to the inside. |
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An interior window — which was originally on an outside wall — brings light and a cross breeze into this upper landing. Mitchell displays a stacked collection of vintage suitcases and old pilasters here.
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| Mitchell and LeClair wanted to create spaces in this room for lounging, eating and cooking without putting up walls. The timber frame post and beam dividers define each portion of this great room. "Our proudest homeowner moment came when the beams were up. We absolutely loved the effect," Mitchell says. On the far right, a fireplace is nestled between the two original windows overlooking the street. The blue-gray dining storage cupboard is another one of LeClair's original pieces. Leaning against the corner is a vintage apple orchard ladder that comes in handy when lightbulbs need to be changed. |
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The homeowners created a welcoming entry area by placing an old arched window mirror above a table. Old books cradled by corbels as well as a bust formed by LeClair's mother sit on top. Mitchell's son built the wooden chair as a teenager.
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| The couple enjoys drawing and painting together. Mitchell draws her own ideas, and LeClair puts them in proper perspective. The couple once bought a pair of incredible antique doors, with no idea of how they'd use them. They simply waited for inspiration, and then LeClair completed this watercolor painting of their plan. |
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| LeClair installed the antique doors on this kitchen pantry cupboard. The doors retain their original paint, old screens and even a bell. The cupboard is flanked by a new fridge from Elmira Stoveworks and an old but functional electric stove. The antique doors open to reveal a carefully curated display of collectible dishes and serving pieces. |
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| The island was constructed from old house doors. LeClair added a glossy pine top and a stainless sink. A pair of industrial-style stools from Pine Sampler complete the picture. To the left of the kitchen area, Mitchell created a vignette using a rustic settee decorated with pillows in vintage fabrics. Old architectural pieces and wooden signs hang as wall art, and a new lampshade was softened with Rit dye. (Click photo to see full view.) |
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| Once they removed the plaster, the couple decided to retain the lath on this wall because they liked the color and texture. Mitchell's brother found the old blanket box, now used as a coffee table, in a Toronto ravine. "It's my favorite piece, and it got me hooked on antiques," she says. A wing chair with ticking and linen cushions sits comfortably in front of the old cupboard, painted by Mitchell. Both of the homeowners have mastered effective techniques for applying soft, distressed finishes to wooden pieces. |
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| Above the bathroom's new claw-foot tub, Mitchell decorated a shelf supported by antique corbels using various collected items. |
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Beadboard partitions are used to separate the bathroom into zones for a tub, a shower, a commode and a sink. Here, an antique hanger creatively holds the hand towel.
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| LeClair was hesitant to share his drawings for the design of the great room and the garden. But it's clear that the couple turned both these sketches to reality. |
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| This former parking lot has been converted into a restful retreat. The timber frame post-and-beam construction by Okewood Timberworks is repeated in the garden's pergola. The homeowners laid the stone border donated by a friend, installed the pebble path and planted the trees, shrubbery and flowers. |
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The bedroom balcony overlooks the now-completed garden. LeClaire and Mitchell are patiently waiting for the timber on the addition to weather and soften to gray.
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This historic Odd Fellows Hall has housed this couple's thriving business for the past eight years. More recently, it has provided an opportunity for LeClair and Mitchell to create a workshop, a garden and a home.
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LeClair and Mitchell with their Westie, Maude. The couple's next project is to design and decorate a holiday retreat with period furniture for a friend.
Houzz call: Share your country-style home with us. It could be featured on Houzz!
Houzz call: Share your country-style home with us. It could be featured on Houzz!
Ideabook published on Aug. 1, 2012.
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My husband and I also purchased a historic building and are renovating the upper level while the downstairs is an antique store.
You have given me a burst of excitement and knowing a beautiful end result is waiting for us. We have 6000 sq feet to redo but are taking it one step at a time and were glad to hear yours was a two year adventure as we plan to do as much as possible ourselves. I love your style and thank you for sharing your home diary. Absolutely beautiful.