A cottage with a breathtaking view of time

After 30 years of crisscrossing studios from Montreal to Cannes as a star makeup artist, Eddie Maleterre imagined himself becoming the owner of a cottage in the countryside. A few months later, he crossed paths with a house built in 1910 in Saint-Irénée, in Charlevoix. A home where he is living his dream.

Samuel Larochelle
special collaboration

Even if the make-up artist saw himself at the head of a bed and breakfast, his spouse, Carl Fournier, and he were far from peeling the properties for sale. “We came for a walk in Saint-Irénée to visit friends, we passed in front of the house and I like to say that it jumped on us. »

Indeed, how can one remain indifferent to this two-storey red and white ancestral residence, with a phantasmagoric view of the river, a huge green lot and a vast gallery to relax? “When we saw the sign for sale, we looked at the Centris ad, we visited the next day and we submitted an offer without thinking too much about whether we were ready to leave Montreal. A few days later, their offer was accepted. They put their large Montreal apartment up for sale, which sold out in eight days. “Things lined up. »

So much so that they bought the house fully furnished. “We wouldn’t have done better if we had bought everything ourselves. The furniture is old. There is a real harmony in the decor. » Preserved antique furniture, wooden floors and moldings with a real personality, a happy mix of audacity and old-fashioned: they fell in love. Moreover, the idea of ​​a turnkey house seduced them to the point where they offered the same thing to their Montreal buyers. “We leave everything behind to completely change the universe. »

From Cannes to Saint-Irénée

A choice in the image of the professional transition of Mr. Maleterre, who was national spokesperson for L’Oréal Paris in Canada, make-up artist at Cannes, at TIFF, at the Grammys and in several parades and fashion weeks. After three decades, he had had enough. “Without denigrating the environment that I adored and that I still respect, I got tired of the ephemeral. When you beautify a star, she erases everything afterwards. When you go to a festival, they put up a set that is taken down afterwards. I wanted something more durable. »

If his departure from the middle glamourfive years ago, was followed by his beginnings in painting, his first exhibitions and given workshops on retail sales and customer service, he especially took time for himself, in order to practice mindfulness meditation and creative visualization.

So we come back to the images of his new life.

History and modernity

While the new owners live in the portion built 10 years ago, like a large luxury hotel suite, guests stay in the section built 112 years ago. “The house was built by the butler of the founder of Domaine Forget as a summer residence. Then it was sold and resold, used as a gite and resold to our buyers who turned it into a single family home. »

The summer house has been isolated. The floors and the roof have been redone. For the rest, very little has changed. That said, the owners aren’t afraid of its historic character. “The house has always been well maintained, and the work has respected the image of its origin. The ex-owner was meticulous and respectful of beautiful things. »

Since the lodge opened in November 2021, several guests have told Eddie Maleterre about the effect the house has had on them. “You feel the vibrations of the property. When you sit in the Adirondack chairs and look at the river, it’s disturbing because it’s so relaxing. »

When asked if he misses the metropolis, he quickly answers in the negative. “I think it’s the meditation that does that. I am in the present moment. Living in Montreal has been a great experience. Before that, I was in Paris and I left the city overnight to settle in Quebec. I have a capacity for renewal. »

His new life as a lodge owner is exactly what he imagined. “I do the rooms. I maintain the huge garden. I prepare breakfasts by making as many homemade things as possible (bread, yogurt, jams, etc.) with regional products. I love that ! »