The owner’s tour | The spirit of the place

Owners open the doors of their exceptional home to us, offered on the resale market

Marianne Boulay and Louis-Philippe Rochefort discovered this house in the sought-after area of ​​Glenmount by chance, while visiting friends. From the broker’s unexpected comment to the astonishment of an entrepreneur, they tell us their story.

Back in Montreal in 2015 after living in Toronto for a few years, Marianne Boulay and Louis-Philippe Rochefort fell in love when they passed by a small house for sale on Churchill Road, in Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame- de-Grâce, where they went to visit friends. “We found it really charming, so we called the broker to visit it and I was a little surprised that she told me straight away that the kitchen was small and impossible to expand,” says Ms.^me Boulay.

This remark does not dissuade either Marianne Boulay or her spouse from going to see on the spot. “I understood why she had talked about it when she saw it, because indeed, it was tiny and there was nothing to do to modify it. In addition to this negative point, both notice the detail of the woodwork, the fireplace surrounded by arched niches in the living room, the beautiful maple floors… In short, they are under the spell and are thinking about possibilities for expansion.

The large size of the land also appeals to them, especially since Marianne Boulay loves to garden. So they buy it and contact the architect Krystel Flamand to guide them in their project.

The architect thus kept a portion of the roof and the structure of the old residence, then created a very harmonious extension. The surface has almost tripled, but it is visually imperceptible. “We went from around 1,000 square feet to 2,645 square feet without the basement,” informs Louis-Philippe Rochefort. The basement was dug to support the main extension and to accommodate a fourth bedroom, a third bathroom, the family room and the laundry room. The floors are radiant to maximize comfort and there is plenty of light, thanks to the enlarged windows. All the windows in the house have also been changed. They are aluminum on the outside for a modern look, and wood on the inside for a more natural side.

Preserve the elements of yesteryear

On the ground floor, the staircase has been moved and a boudoir serving as a TV area and library replaces the mini-kitchen. The large formal living room overlooks the dining room and the new kitchen. The masters of the place like to receive there and enjoy the fireplace. “The first thing we did in the house was to put in a wood-burning insert that met Montreal standards, because we didn’t want to convert it to a gas appliance,” continues Mr. Rochefort.

The couple pleasantly surprised one of the contractors, who thought that the fireplace and its coat were destined to disappear in favor of a contemporary hearth, which is frequently asked of them on their renovation sites. The niches equipped with shelves framing the fireplace are also original and the whole brings a lot of character to the room. The maple floor has regained its former glory and Marianne Boulay removed each nail from that of an upstairs bedroom and recovered it to dress the floor of the new boudoir, in order to create a beautiful effect of continuity. “We worked with a contractor [Charles Barrière, de Pareco] and other professionals because unfortunately we don’t have that expertise, but we got involved as much as we could. Above all, we were present to ensure that everything went well, ”adds Louis-Philippe Rochefort.

The bright, contemporary new kitchen features a large granite island, the rich pattern of which brings texture and life to the room.

A modern ambience also reigns upstairs, but nothing is sterile, thanks to warm material choices, lovely wave-patterned ceramics and cabochons in the two bathrooms, as well as new wood floors to match the those on the ground floor.

Passionate about gardening, Marianne Boulay wanted elaborate landscaping. “I created it so that I could always cut flowers to make bouquets every season. »

A country house occupying…

The small dwelling, which has become very large, requires a lot of maintenance and the purchase of another property in the Laurentians doubles the work. “We were thinking of renting it when we bought it last year, but in the end, we really like being there,” notes Louis-Philippe Rochefort.

The couple therefore decided not to rent it to enjoy it often, and to sell their beautiful house on Churchill Road to live in a smaller place in town. They will have more time to pamper their country house, another witness to their love for old homes since it dates from 1903.