The owner’s tour | A pre-war venerable at Notre-Dame-de-Grâce

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

With a strong dose of imagination and good taste, a couple managed to update a venerable house in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce without losing its pre-war charm.

This popular Montreal neighborhood is known for its beautiful semi-detached or row residences. Most of them were mass-produced at the turn of the 20th century.^e century, on agricultural land, by a French-Canadian middle class then in full social ascension.

In Georgian style, the house of Karine Chevrette and Bruno Mäder was built in 1916 for a contractor of the time. The latter quickly sold it to a couple of teachers who owned it for decades before passing it on to their son.

“He practically lived in this house his whole life,” says Mr. Mäder. When he was a child, he slept in the back in a bedroom near the kitchen, originally intended for a servant. During and after World War II, his parents rented the rooms upstairs to refugees. Ukrainians, in particular. »

As the house had virtually never changed hands for almost a century, it had retained much of its original appearance when Mr Mäder purchased it in 2007. “There wasn’t much different layers of paint on the walls,” he slips.

The internal divisions, as unchanged, still reflected the social organization of the time. A back staircase had been built for a possible servant.

“There was even still the call panel in the kitchen and push buttons in every room. A bell rang and a light corresponding to the room came on to call the servant,” Bruno Mäder is still surprised, pointing to the switch still embedded in a molding in the living room.

The house was built using advanced construction techniques, such as concrete foundations and a steel cross beam. It was equipped with modern conveniences for the time, such as a central vacuum cleaner, a laundry chute and a natural fridge in the basement.

“Its door is worthy of a butcher’s shop,” remarks Mr. Mäder, swinging the heavy leaf on its hinges without difficulty.

The independent garage, at the rear, is also designed to withstand the wear and tear of time. “It’s completely made of concrete, even its roof. It’s a bunker! », exclaims Bruno Mäder.

Respect

In a frame hanging on the ground floor, we can read the typewritten description of the house, undoubtedly published when it was first put up for sale. The simple presentation of this document testifies to the love of Karine Chevrette and Bruno Mäder for the history of their century-old house.

Anxious to respect its soul, the couple kept the transformations to a minimum.

The coffered ceilings, mahogany wall panels, hardwood floors, distinguished interior transom doors and extensive woodwork have been preserved – and in some cases even reproduced – with jealous care. Even the beautiful cream color of the plaster of Paris walls has been preserved.

The drilling of the partitions was done with the same concern not to alter the spirit of the house.

“The ground floor was divided into small rooms: a living room, a music room and a dining room,” explains Mr. Mäder in front of a large, sun-filled room. “We knocked down a first partition and we made a large opening in the second. The spirit of each room remains, but enhanced by the addition of light. »

With the idea of ​​combining the past and the present, the country-style kitchen was reconstructed by adding the space of the servant’s bedroom. “We are epicureans, and our four children are too. We love discovering new recipes and making our own marinades. We needed a functional kitchen,” says Bruno Mäder.

A sign of the times, the servant’s staircase has disappeared in favor of a bathroom.

Parental space

The Chevrette-Mäder couple set up their quarters in the former upstairs living room, which has become the master bedroom. He converted an adjacent room into a bathroom and walk-in closet. “It’s our parental space,” says M.^me Chevrette smiling. The wood-burning fireplace, at the foot of the bed, is a vestige of the room’s original function.

“It is functional and complies with municipal regulations. Like those on the ground floor and the basement,” says Mr. Mäder.

The front balcony overlooks the courts of the Westmount tennis club where, by tradition, all members must always dress in white to be able to practice their favorite sport. A terrace could also be created on the roof, accessible directly by an internal staircase.

The three other bedrooms upstairs, sparsely furnished, explain the reasons for the sale. “Now that the children are gone, the house has become too big for just the two of us,” emphasizes Karine Chevrette.

A fifth bedroom has been fitted out in the basement. Its occupant benefits from an adjacent living room and a separate entrance. “Many parties have taken place here,” says Mr. Mäder with a knowing look, tinged with nostalgia, towards his partner. “But life moves on. We need other projects. »

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