The owner’s tour | Living in the calendar house

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

Christine Desjardins
special cooperation

Each month has its image, that’s how paper calendars work. This one showed houses. With its haughty Victorian bearing and its dapper yellow, the one for the month of May was very popular with Linda Laliberté. To the point where her spouse and she decided to make her live for real, at the edge of the water, in Auteuil.

That’s how our house this week was born, 20 years ago. From a calendar sheet. The architect retained by the couple drew the plans inspired by this image, while taking into account innumerable instructions. The path of the sun during the day was one of them, says M^me Laliberté, so that each part makes the most of natural light. Lunch with the rising sun, swimming under the ardent rays, supper with the setting sun, to sum up the idea.

It also needed space, and a judicious use of it, since Pierre Corbeil, electrical contractor, was going to set up his offices in part of the house. There were also two growing children to accommodate, grandparents to welcome for more or less long stays, a lot of visitors, and a lot of things to put away, for this couple who are keen on cycling and skiing. This gave rise to this spacious and warm house, largely windowed and surrounded by a large gallery, as the beauties of yesteryear often adorned.

From yesterday to today

The resemblance to the image of the calendar, which M^me Laliberté has moreover preserved, is striking. But if the appearance of the house is inspired by another era, its construction and its mechanics are based on the most modern technology: heated floors for those in ceramic – the others are in hardwood -, gas fireplaces, system of intercom, apartment on the ground floor perfect for bigeneration, socket for Tesla cars in the garage, as well as another for standard electric cars, complete and covered outdoor kitchen area, with electric system to raise and lower the mosquito nets… Speaking of the exterior, it’s time to linger there, since it is the backbone of the property.

Nature and tranquility

The most important thing when it comes to real estate is location, they say. This one is of rare quality. The property sits on a 50,000 sq.^⁠2, which the couple acquired plot by plot, at the turn of the 2000s. This land, provided with mature trees and well landscaped, is bordered by the Rivière des Mille Îles, while being far from the boulevard of the same name. Well done, since the latter has become a bit passing at peak times. It is besides him that we skirt to start, before branching off on the small path Terrasse Delaroche, which descends towards the river. This path serves only a few properties, including this one.

Although we are close to the city and services, we find ourselves here in peace, space and nature, with a beautiful body of water for having fun, fishing and sailing. These are advantages that encourage you to save on a chalet and the travel time that comes with it.

Accountant in the business of her spouse, Mr.^me Laliberté was working from home long before COVID-19. “I remember the times, when the kids were young, I would have my glass of wine on Friday, after a big week, and I would say to myself: “Ayoye, I am at the chalet!” I had friends who had to drive an hour and a half to get to their chalet, to enjoy it for two days. Here, we see beauty all week long. »

M^me Laliberté admits that she and her family have been privileged to live here. But there it is, things are happening in 20 years. The company has grown and has been established elsewhere for quite some time. The children have left the nest. M’s mother^me Laliberté, who came to spend at least three days a week at home before, now only comes rarely. The house, which made its designers happy, has become a little too big for their needs. The time has come to turn the page of the calendar.