150 Years New

STORY DEE WILSON
PHOTOGRAPHY KELLY HORKOFF

Star and Sean Lippay, looking to move from Oakville to Dundas, found a 150-year-old cottage beneath the fauna and limestone of the Hamilton escarpment and knew it was right.

The property’s old-world charm was just waiting to be rejuvenated, and even though they were renovation newbies, they had no doubt they were the couple to do it. “We knew it felt like home as soon as we pulled into the driveway,” says Star. “We were blown away by the view of Dundas Peak, the escarpment, and when we walked in the door, a feeling hit us, an energy, like the house had been waiting for us. It needed a lot of work, but we immediately found ourselves talking like it was ours.”

The couple purchased the home in January of 2017, but it would be August of that same year before the couple moved in, and September before renovations on the 2,000 sq. ft. house could start. “Permits took a long time,” says Star, “Longer than expected.” For the better part of a year, the couple lived and worked in a makeshift apartment constructed upstairs. “The tight quarters were rough but being in the house during the renovation gave us a feel for how we live and work in it.”

The couple put their faith in their contractor, Russ Woodward of Crodon Kitchen and Bath Centre. “Russ could see our vision, but he also had amazing ideas,” Star says. “Like us, he was excited about the house’s potential.” His design maintains the cottage curb appeal she and Sean fell for, accomplishing the biggest transition – raising the roof out of sight in the rear of the structure. They also hired Brad Paton of Shades of Summer Landscaping and Maintenance to transform the land around the home.

The house, deceptively small from the front, now boasts two bedrooms, two offices and a music room where Sean can enjoy his vinyl collection. Every room in the house got a facelift, often with repurposed items. “I’ve used everything from the house. I loved the feeling of the house and I didn’t want anything going in the dumpster,” Star says.

A new kitchen was added to the back. It’s open and airy, thanks to large windows and warm-white Shaker-style cabinetry by Miralis. Textured subway tiles from Factory Tile Depot were used for the backsplash, and creamy white Cambria countertops provide a durable yet elegant touch. The large kitchen island – one of the homeowners’ must-haves – is the hub of the house. “We’re a family of vegetarians who love to cook,” says Star, who works alongside Sean in their food industry consulting business. Another favourite feature is the walk-in pantry off the kitchen. Retro light fixtures were found at Aberfoyle Antique Market and Robert’s Gallery Furniture & Antiques, while Grohmann Electrical Services completed the electrical throughout.

Crodon’s Vanessa Bell (and her eye for detail) was key to the success of the redesign. Vanessa found 1840s pine flooring at The Timeless Material co. to match the original floors. “It came from the Caledonia Mill, off the walls,” Vanessa says. “This has not been re-milled. We sanded it and laid it. I knew it was going to make
the addition feel like the old part of the house.”

Turkstra Lumber provided trim and moulding, and solid wood interior doors were found at Artefacts Salvage & Design. The interior was painted various shades of white to provide a simple backdrop for the home’s unique accents – many cherished décor elements that display the home’s heritage, as well as unique accessories from Graham & Brooks and The Kitchen Witch.

Russ and his team transformed the cellar into a cosy rec room, in the process unearthing and making a showcase of a stone wall buried for 150 years. “I fought for that wall!” Russ says. “The wall survived even though everybody told me it would not survive.” It took a tremendous amount of work, and Star and Sean couldn’t be happier with the outcome.

The home’s unique touches don’t end inside. An eclectic two-storey shed is tucked into a corner of the backyard. “Everyone assumed the old shed would be torn out,” says Star, laughing. “But we would never get rid of it. We love it!” Thanks to Shades of Summer Landscaping and Maintenance, the back and front gardens are as impressive as the home. “This yard experienced an unrecognizable transformation,” says Brad, owner of Shades of Summer. The backyard consisted of a dramatic slope and a four-foot drop- off that rendered the space almost useless. “Major grading was needed,” says Brad, “Which wasn’t easy since the land was mostly escarpment rock. More than 90 yards of soil was trucked in to bring life to the yard.”

Mossy rocks form natural yet discreet retaining walls
that support the house and yard while controlling erosion. Rob Higgins of Higgins Hardsacape built and supplied the materials for the fence and privacy screens in the backyard. Scattered throughout are Japanese maples and low- maintenance trees and shrubs that bloom throughout the seasons. “The team at Shades of Summer speaks our language,” says Star. “We let Brad go nuts with the plantings and have no regrets.”

“We’ll be here forever,” says Star, smiling. The couple are self- proclaimed lifers. “We gave this old home a new life, and we plan to enjoy it for years to come.