Stacked housing houses characterize the Limoilou district in Quebec. The balconies are decorated with wrought iron fences, most of which were produced in the 15e Street, in the old Forge in Bolduc. This workshop still exists, but the building was converted into a single-family home 20 years ago.
From the outside, the large glass doors at the front and back of the building suggest that a garage occupies the ground floor of Patrick Collet’s house. That’s not quite it.
They open onto a huge room furnished with a desk, sofas and tools. The steel beams on the ceiling and the concrete floor, however, remind us that the place already had other functions.
The building was in fact built in the 1930s by the local blacksmith. The chimney of the forge fire, where he hammered its reddened metal for a long time, is still visible inside. A few years later, the craftsman had an apartment built above the forge for his son. When he retired, the building was sold to a body repairer. He transformed the forge into a warehouse and rented the apartment on the second floor.
“There was scrap metal everywhere,” remembers Patrick Collet. To be honest, no one wanted it 20 years ago. »
The place needed a major cleaning, but Mr. Collet saw the potential.
Multiple uses
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESS
Mr. Collet accepted a work contract for several years abroad. “I would never have left here,” he maintains. This is my dream house. »
The laughter of children emerges from the alley, typical of Limoilou. Looking out the window, Mr. Collet remembers that 20 years ago, the happy sounds were those of his children.
When he bought the building, he moved upstairs with his family. It never felt cramped in the 5 1/2, because the large space on the ground floor served as a games room.
We opened the garage door in the back. The children were coming in and out. The parties were also memorable.
Patrick Collet
Now that the children have grown up, the room has new functions. A mechanic in his spare time, Mr. Collet has converted the front of the room into a workshop where he repairs his motorcycles and bicycles sheltered from bad weather. On the garden side, he installed a large office and a living room. The heated floor which covers the entire ground floor gives undeniable comfort to the place.
Mr. Collet has also fitted out a complete bathroom on this floor.
“It’s so convenient to be able to shower after a motorcycle ride without having to go upstairs,” he says.
The steel sink accentuates the industrial look of the bathroom, but above all, it can be cleaned in the blink of an eye after rinsing the brushes and tools.
The owner also installed a staircase to access the upper floor without having to go through the exterior as before.
A nod to the past
Upstairs, the apartment has also undergone a facelift over the years. The kitchen has been renovated. The laundry room has been redesigned. Wardrobes have been maximized. Mr. Collet has, however, retained some elements of the decor of yesteryear.
Thus, the two-tone geometric shapes in the wooden floor, the glass doors with animal engravings and a purple light fixture combine with the more contemporary look of the apartment.
“This is my dream house!” », adds the owner.
Another advantage: it is located in a neighborhood where grocery stores, bakeries, cafes and schools are nearby. A lifestyle that Mr. Collet loves.
“My electric car doesn’t have much range, but I don’t need more,” he explains. I’m always on a bike or on foot. »
As spring sets in, the leaves of the wild vine that trails across the fence will soon create privacy in the yard. Just like mature trees. Neighbors will start going out into the alley again to improvise barbecues. Mr. Collet leaves the country and takes with him happy memories of his life in the old Forge in Bolduc.
Consult the property file
The property in brief
Asking price: $777,000
Municipal assessment: $318,000
Year of construction: 1953 (2e floor)
Main building area: 185.81 m² (2000 ft²2)
Land area: 237.18 m² (2553 ft2)
Property tax: $3,540.23
School tax: $273.74