Sanctuary

Story Rick Shurman  |  Photography Sandy MacKay

Derrick and Wendy Frook grew up in Bruce County – Wendy in Eden Grove and Derrick in Chesley. They purchased two acres near Elmwood – a stone’s throw from where they were raised – to build their forever home. “We love the country, we love the rural life and it made no sense to leave,” explains Derrick. “We needed to slow down, take a breath and really start to enjoy each and every day,” says Wendy.

Their sanctuary is nestled in a wooded grove, bordered by pastures with a full complement of cows. 

 “We’re in the Pioneer Settlement of Lamlash, a hop, skip and a jump from Elmwood,” declares Derrick. This is a quiet pastoral setting that speaks to a low-key, laid-back kind of lifestyle. “We love it here,” says Wendy. “It gives us the peace and quiet we enjoy, but it’s only eight minutes from Hanover, so we get the best of both worlds. We can get whatever we need just down the road, but we get to enjoy our solitude in a setting we chose and we designed.” 

Adds Derrick, “We are, by design, a little isolated and independent, but we still have a real sense of community and have established good friendships along the way.”

The Frooks bought the land in 2004. They had to clear some acreage to create an access road and a proper location for the home’s footprint. They built a charming, comfortable house with everything they needed at the time, but left plenty of room for a renovation when the time was right. Four years after the house was finished, they enlisted Wendy’s high school friend, Heidi Schaus of Heidesigns, to help finish their lower level – the final step to complete their home. 

At the time they were thinking about a recreational space, where family and friends could gather around a card table, a board game or watch television. Those drawings and their plans gathered dust for the next 10 years as their careers took front and centre. 

In 2017 their priorities shifted, purse strings loosened and their path to the home and space they had always envisioned took a leap forward. They again reached out to Heidi and her partner Kevin Schaus, who revisited the design for the lower level. “We just loved the new plan and renderings Heidi and Kevin delivered,” says Derrick. “It was our mission to nail the execution of the renderings as closely as possible. We hired Jared Rahn of Rahn Bros. Contracting to handle the job and he was absolutely meticulous in his performance in every respect.” Sunset Carpentry installed a new roof.

Derrick is a homegrown musician and has an impressive guitar collection. The new plans included a raised, soundproof and wired platform for Derrick to play music with his friends. “We get together once in a while to jam or rehearse,” says Derrick. “It’s exactly what I wanted.” 

Wendy researched and found just the right red cabinet for the bar adjacent to the stage and it quickly became the focal point of the room. She made sure that the hand-tooled drawers were designed specifically to hold Derrick’s extensive collection of Canadian Whiskey. “It was a must and I was determined to make sure his bottles all fit comfortably,” she says.

A newly-built bar has a live-edge top from Wood Is Good and metal supports from Mighton Welding. Sliding barn doors nearby complement the bar. A cosy sitting area includes Derrick’s grandmother’s vintage, tucked-and-buttoned leather-like chair, passed on through three generations. The space includes a lounge for watching television and relaxing with family and friends. 

“Of course,” says Derrick, “we had to make the changes seamless throughout the rest of the house, so we continued the colour and textures all the way upstairs.” 

Reclaimed wood was used upstairs for table bases, a fireplace mantel and an exterior bar, dubbed the “Live Edge” bar by the couple. Rugs and paint were sourced at Cuneo Interiors Carpet One Floor & Home. Wendy found accessories at RustWorthy Home Decor and her landscape photography is featured throughout the home.  

“When we sit out on our back deck for a morning coffee or an early evening glass of whiskey or wine, glance out at the pasture next to us and take in the quiet, we switch off,” says Derrick. “It really has become the sanctuary we imagined it could be.”  OH