A Thousand Dollar Cross

A Thousand Dollar Cross On a beautiful site looking out over Sturgeon Lake, somewhat North of Peterborough, we were just finishing up the work of the Graham’s period log house. Though not overly large, it was a beauty, just the size for a cozy cottage. We had designed all the amenities cottagers would ever [...]

By |2023-07-18T10:28:25-04:00July 18th, 2023|Vintage Homes|Comments Off on A Thousand Dollar Cross

A Deerfield Forum

A Deerfield Forum There was so much to learn about antiques and early architectural building methods. The Old Deerfield Forums were a great way to study both aspects. Jean and I had visited Old Deerfield many times but it was their forums that we found particularly exciting. You had to book in early to [...]

By |2023-07-18T10:22:27-04:00July 18th, 2023|Vintage Homes|Comments Off on A Deerfield Forum

Wrap it Up

Wrap it Up The stones in this house near Nobleton Ontario had to be the nicest I’d come across. They were fashioned ever-so-carefully into various sizes of wide rectangles. And they came in so many lovely colors. I thought quite a bit about coming up with a way to have them taken down and [...]

By |2023-07-18T10:18:57-04:00July 18th, 2023|stone houses, Vintage Homes|Comments Off on Wrap it Up

The House of Six Sallys

The House of Six Sallys The Thibideau stone house north of Cobourg was one of our more ambitious projects. This classic five-bay Georgian house was resurrected from Forfar, a small village in eastern Ontario. It took me years of search and then negotiation to finally purchase the building that, although built solidly of the [...]

By |2023-07-18T10:16:10-04:00July 18th, 2023|stone houses, Vintage Homes|Comments Off on The House of Six Sallys

A Nice Farm Relic

One of my craftsmen, who has developed a fair eye for spotting an ancient building, tipped me off to a house not too far from his own near Tweed Ontario. It sounded promising so we drove to its nearest driveway for a closer look. Clomping over an overgrown roadway and up a hill, there [...]

By |2020-10-05T14:26:30-04:00August 24th, 2020|post & beam house, Vintage Homes|Comments Off on A Nice Farm Relic

A Post & Beam Hidden Treasure

Southern Ontario is a treasure trove of early architecture for those inclined to history. And it is the abundance of its various histories represented in visual architectural form that adds to its interest and beauty. In my expeditions through the countryside and towns I always spare an eye for the homes of our past. [...]

By |2018-01-26T13:42:32-05:00August 21st, 2017|post & beam house, Vintage Homes|Comments Off on A Post & Beam Hidden Treasure

Restoring an 1840 Tavern/Inn

“There’s a house I think you’d better look at west of town.” This from a realtor friend who knew the kind of place that might interest me. I’d been looking around Port Hope, Ontario for about seven years for something worth restoring. When I saw the house, such as it was, set well back [...]

By |2018-01-26T13:38:19-05:00August 20th, 2017|post & beam house, Vintage Homes|Comments Off on Restoring an 1840 Tavern/Inn

A Successful House

A successful house, particularly one that has survived centuries of living will be invested with soul. How did it come to inhabit the house? Perhaps it was passed on by the original builder that sought shelter for his brood who put his heart into every stroke of the broadaxe. Perhaps the first tree that offered [...]

By |2017-08-28T09:20:18-04:00August 18th, 2017|Vintage Homes|Comments Off on A Successful House

Stone “L’Atelier”

If you were to look for Canada’s earliest tradition other than the aboriginal you must start with the French style. I’ve always been intrigued and beguiled by it, particularly those field stone cottages often whitewashed over with their multi-paned casements and colourful shutters. I think of the habitants themselves, who have shown us their strength [...]

By |2017-08-28T09:21:05-04:00August 18th, 2017|stone houses, Vintage Homes|Comments Off on Stone “L’Atelier”

Tradition Home Builds a Log House in Montana

Montana. The word evoked the old west for me. Winchesters, Colts, Buffalo, Antelope, vast hills and plains, mountain streams full of trout.  When a client with a small ranch of 1500 acres (yes, the neighbour’s was rumoured to be 50,000 acres) called me for a design for a ranch near Big Timber, I couldn’t wait [...]

By |2017-08-28T09:21:59-04:00August 18th, 2017|log homes, Vintage Homes|Comments Off on Tradition Home Builds a Log House in Montana
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