Full Time Fun

Story Rachael Havens | Photography Sandy MacKay

It was out with the old and in with the new when Jeffrey and Lynne Taylor decided to make Thornbury their permanent home. They’ve moved and renovated a dozen times since marrying. “We’ve renovated just about every house we’ve owned,” Lynne laughs. Their new home, by Andrew Noxon of Upstream Construction, is where they plan to stay for a very long time. 

Jeffrey, a semi-retired owner of a highway transportation leasing company, and Lynne, who retired after a career in IT, met at university and settled in Waterloo region. For 20 years, they spent their winters in the Blue Mountains, where their children, Jackson and Maddy, had great success as ski racers at both Georgian Peaks and Craigleith Ski Club.

Lynne knows all the backroads in the area after years spent driving what she fondly refers to as the “escarpment loop” to drop her kids at winter activities. After renting for a few years – both at Lighthouse Point and in a handful of farmhouses near Thornbury – Jeffrey and Lynne bought at Lora Bay. They sold that home when the kids had finished racing.

Their next move would be a home for all seasons, and Thornbury topped their list of locations. 

After looking at countless houses, their realtor, Ian Hawkins of Royal Lepage Locations North, introduced them to Andrew and the rest, as they say, is history. Andrew showed them a timber frame he built, and Jeffrey and Lynne say they knew right away it was home. “It was a no-brainer,” Lynne reveals. 

The home is unique, Andrew says, because it has “a heavy timber interior with a traditional exterior build.” The timber, supplied by Canadian Timber Frames Inc., gives the whole house a warm feeling, despite its towering 23-foot ceilings.

Andrew purchased six lots on the street, and built this house on spec. His target demographic? Baby boomers living an active lifestyle. He notes this is a smaller part of the market at-large, but a big part of the market in Thornbury. 

Avid skiers, bikers, golfers and tennis enthusiasts, Jeffrey and Lynne were the perfect fit for the home Andrew built. Their well-equipped basement gym adds to their outdoor amenities, including their proximity to the Georgian Trail – where they frequently cycle and walk their new puppy, Huxley. 

Even though the house was a spec home, Lynne points out they were able to make a number of decisions themselves and undertake a few custom projects. For example, they chose the kitchen backsplash at City Stone and the blinds from Blue Mountain Shades & Shutters. 

They also worked with Andrew to finish the basement, which includes guest bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as space for a pool table and shuffleboard. Showcase Interiors, which Jeffrey and Lynne worked with on previous homes, designed the basement bar.

The house is filled with art, all of which depicts the local area. In the master bedroom, the paintings are by Bianca D’Angelo. The large-scale pieces in the living space are by Bruce Herchenrader. Much of the artwork portrays the landscape settling into twilight, adding to the cosy feeling created by the warm wooden beams and fireplace. 

One of the best parts of moving to the 2,400 sq. ft. home, Lynne emphasizes, is that
it inspired her to purge many of their belongings. “It forced us to change our ways and live more cleanly.” Their previous family home was more than twice the size, so many items had to go.

Closets by California Closets now house their pared-down essentials. Mirrors are from Northern Windows and Glass, while all the countertops are by Di Pietra Design. The kitchen, by Perkinsfield Kitchen & Bath Inc., is another standout. Both Andrew and Lynne speak highly of the trades they worked with on the project, which were all local.

Lynne’s favourite room is the great room because “there is nothing better than coming home from the ski hill and lighting a fire.” The wood-burning fireplace has a wide mantel that creates an inviting spot to relax. A showpiece in the great room is the huge white sofa from Restoration Hardware paired with a chandelier from the same retailer.

“Andrew is a master of lighting,” Lynne says. “There is not one place in the house that I wish had better lighting.”

Lynne cannot say enough good things about Andrew. She highlights “he’s creative, he’s passionate and he’s willing to step outside of the box to solve problems.” If she were to build from scratch in the future, she would choose Upstream Construction for the project.

Though Jackson and Maddy are now beginning their careers closer to the city – Jackson in law and Maddy in marketing – they are sure to be tempted back by their parents’ new home, and by the ski hills they grew up on. After all their winters in the area, Jeffrey and Lynne are excited to experience Thornbury in all four seasons.  OH