Real Homes

The perfect spot

When Bill and Bonnie purchased their home eight years ago, they knew they had found the perfect retirement spot. With both children out of the house, they were ready to downsize but not wanting to move too far. After years of watching the real estate market, they found their new home. It was the right size and only a few blocks away!

Their Artisan home is located on a river, in a quaint farming community in British Columbia. Bill and Bonnie enjoy the small town attributes of this location, including local foods from the farm, markets in the summer, antique stores, and fresh seafood, all while being within short distance of city amenities.

"We love walking on the dyke and identifying the
variety of birds, trees, and sea life"

Home improvements

Bill is a bit of a handyman and over the past few years he has completed many do-it-yourself renovation projects.

What improvements have you made to your home?

• Replaced all the boards on the deck
• Built storage areas in the crawl space under the house
• Built a laundry area
  
• Put built-in seating and storage in the turret room. See photos of this project.
  
• Built a Japanese bath. See photos of this project.
• Installed mesh see-through blinds on the larger exterior windows to keep the heat out but still allow us to enjoy the view of the river.

Interior Details

It's a smaller space (1,200 square feet), with the majority of the living area on the main floor and a smaller bedroom loft upstairs. The home's open concept plan creates a sense of spaciousness and is very practical for parties and family gatherings.

• All the main walls are painted a mild yellow color from Benjamin Moore. Bathroom is a complementary shade of blue green.
  
• Flooring is cork but they plan on replacing it soon with either more cork or marmolium.
• In the kitchen, the wood cupboards have a whitewashed finish and the counters are laminate. Their favorite appliance is the extra quiet Bosch dishwasher because of the open concept plan.
  
• Special features include the driftwood banisters and large wooden beams that catch your attention as soon as you walk in. Numerous stained glass windows, barn board walls and an interesting front door make the house personal and unique.
  
• Home furnishings are an eclectic mix of things, including Japanese, Country, English antiques, and nautical accents.
  
• Practical organization solutions include built-in seating with ample storage in the turret room and a row of Ikea drawers in the bedroom.
  

Favourite decor item?

Stain glass windows

What do you like best about your home?

We love our views of the river and the sunset, which makes us feel like we're on vacation.

Sources of decorating inspiration?

Just my instinct.

Exterior Details

A beautiful country garden greets visitors at the front of the house and includes an old wicker chair, mosaic tiles, a small wooden barrel and hanging baskets. Other rustic touches include wine barrel planters, old signs and a rusty wagon wheel. Their property also includes a wine making shed, a large compost bin, a dock for their boat, and a smoke house which they use to sell BC Smoked Salmon at Christmas.

Future Plans

Bill and Bonnie plan on adding Japanese Shoji doors to the turret room and they would like to close off the bedroom loft in order to reduce TV noise, which tends to carry throughout the house. Eventually they plan on replacing the flooring, which is going to be a major challenge because the floor is uneven and cannot be leveled out.

Advice on moving to a smaller home

"Downsizing after your kids have moved out is very liberating.
It's not the amount of space that's important but how you use it."

Want to leave a comment or ask this member a question about their project? Click here.

See more photos of this home in the Home Gallery

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