My Houzz: Living and Painting in a Converted 1870 Woolen Mill
With a gallery, an art studio and river views, this industrial-style home in Canada is just right for its forward-thinking owners
“A lot of people have trouble envisioning what something can be," says George Shafer. He and his artist wife, Jean, looked at a dark unit full of woodworking equipment inside an old woolen mill in Almonte, Ontario, and saw potential in its exposed brick walls, original beams, Mississippi River views and artist culture.
Seeking a slower pace than the one of their high-rise condo in downtown Ottawa, the Shafers moved to Almonte and spent a year in one of the mill units while working closely with architect Peter Mansfield to transform their space into a creative retreat.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: George and Jean Shafer
Location: Almonte, Ontario
Size: 1,100 square feet; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, with an art gallery space in the entry
Seeking a slower pace than the one of their high-rise condo in downtown Ottawa, the Shafers moved to Almonte and spent a year in one of the mill units while working closely with architect Peter Mansfield to transform their space into a creative retreat.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: George and Jean Shafer
Location: Almonte, Ontario
Size: 1,100 square feet; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, with an art gallery space in the entry
An extendable glass table defines the dining room space. George enlarged a photograph he took of the mill and hung it on the brick wall to remind the couple of their building's heritage.
Floor-to-ceiling windows replaced previously small ones. "We wanted it completely to the floor so we would be really able to see the water," says George.
The Shafers then used leftover concrete from the project to create an L-shaped bench topped with reclaimed barn wood.
The Shafers then used leftover concrete from the project to create an L-shaped bench topped with reclaimed barn wood.
The Shafers are avid cooks and wanted a kitchen that would be functional and modern. They added solid maple wood countertops to standard glossy Akurum cabinets from Ikea.
AFTER: The couple removed the Gyproc from the back wall to cut and install new windows, and were happily surprised to find exposed brick. They asked the builders to leave it as is.
Just outside the windows on the patio is fresh water that still comes out of the original mill. There's also a functional wheel that came from the Mississippi River.
Just outside the windows on the patio is fresh water that still comes out of the original mill. There's also a functional wheel that came from the Mississippi River.
The homeowners in the building share a canoe. From their building, the couple can row up the Mississippi River to the small nearby town of Appleton.
A Jotul gas fireplace adds heat during frigid winters.
The Shafers sold almost all of their furniture along with their previous downtown Ottawa condo and had to start from scratch. They purchased an oversize couch and placed it asymmetrically in their living room space. A giant barcode decal adorns the wall.
With only one side of their condo having windows, the couple wanted to add as much natural light as possible. It was architect Mansfield's idea to extend the bedroom walls and put in full glass panels.
Jean especially likes it that when you walk into their unit, you can see straight through to the Mississippi River.
Jean especially likes it that when you walk into their unit, you can see straight through to the Mississippi River.
AFTER: A horizontal glass panel between the bedroom and the kitchen brings light into the space.
Closet: Pax wardrobe with Uggdal doors, Ikea
Closet: Pax wardrobe with Uggdal doors, Ikea
The Shafers moved from a 700-square-foot condo and wanted a large bathtub in their new home. It's now set against glossy black ceramic tiles and joins heated floors. The couple saved money by purchasing all their fixtures from eBay.
They also added a strip of interchangeable colored LED lights inside a wall-mounted vanity from Home Depot.
Wall tiles: Delfos Grafito
They also added a strip of interchangeable colored LED lights inside a wall-mounted vanity from Home Depot.
Wall tiles: Delfos Grafito
Maple flooring runs throughout the unit. The wine cellar is built in, and a workspace runs along the side of the hallway.
Developer Stephen Brathwaite of Almonte Heritage Development Group, who is also a local glass artist, made the sliding barn door that separates the living space from a semiprivate art gallery located in the entryway. The door is made from hand-blown pieces of glass that change color at night depending on the light filtering through.
Jean's art studio doubles as a gallery and workspace with views into the building, which houses other galleries and commercial spaces. "We did not have an art gallery at our old location," says George. "Jean wanted a place to paint where she could leave all of her stuff set up — the art gallery grew from that requirement, and it seemed like a natural for the space."
George and Jean Shafer, show here, feel completely at home right off the main avenue in their small town.
See more photos of this loft
See more photos of this loft