ON TOUR I FEATURE
Gracious homes welcome visitors for symphony fundraiser.
EACH YEAR the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Volunteer Committee organizes the Tour of Note, a chance for the public to peek inside beautiful homes and gardens while also raising funds for the symphony orchestra. This year’s tour is June 14. Here is a sneak preview of the properties that will be on display at this year’s event. 1 An 11-year-old home in the Deer Ridge neighbourhood was designed by the owners, in collaboration with an architect friend.
Oversized windows and transom glass bring in light while also offering views of a secluded garden, where winding paths and metal sculptures set off perennial beds, trees and shrubs.
Of special interest in the home is an elaborate hanging French clock and a dining room table made from 200-year-old barn boards.
The upstairs includes an elegant main bedroom and ensuite as well as two guest rooms featuring vintage furniture and floral quilts from the owners’ collecton.
2 Modern design is inspired by the past in a home near Kitchener’s Pioneer Tower. Massive reclaimed beams and wooden connector pegs extend above the main living area and adjoining balcony. Much of the furniture and flooring is also reclaimed and repurposed. The exterior of the timber frame house, built by Timeless Timbers, is French country style.
The home’s design also accommodates the owners’ love for entertaining. There is a rambling basement with a Manitoulin limestone fireplace, bar, pool table and theatre area. Outside there is an extensive patio and adjoining garden. 3 Well-planned spaces make this “downsizer” in Waterloo’s Bauer Lofts seem larger than its 900 square feet.
Colours are tastefully chosen, whether the white walls that set off Canadian art and photographs or the rich espresso tones of the kitchen cabinets that are repeated in the modern furniture. Meanwhile, lime green touches in pillows and other décor set off the master bedroom and the multipurpose room, which converts into a dining room, sitting room, study or bedroom, depending on the needs of the moment.
4 This 2,715-square-foot penthouse in Waterloo’s Bauer Lofts blends two units into one. Large windows brighten the long living space, which stretches from the living room, through the dining room and kitchen.
A monochromatic theme of soft whites, yellows, greys and browns bonds the space while a two-sided, stacked limestone fireplace and a gun-stock grey dining room set provide accents.
A covered stone terrace featuring outdoor seating and planters offers a view of the city and beyond. 5 Built in 1913 as a wedding gift for Thomas W. Seagram, the 8,200-sq.-ft. Seagram House was a private home for almost a century until its diligent restoration by Sorbara Law.
The exterior has been retained, along with much of the interior floor plan and the original woodwork, flooring and windows on the main level.
As well as wandering through the restored rooms, guests can enjoy refreshments and bid on the sealed bid auction while visiting this stop.
6 A modest Westmount bungalow, built in 1951, grew and then grew again, with additions in 1974 and 1982. The living room, in soft greys and white, features a two-sided window showcasing a collection of colourful antique crystal stemware. The kitchen has been updated and there is an elegant dining room. A glass-topped millwheel table complements warm pine woodwork and soft grey walls in the family room; a cosy entertainment loft above provides a favourite spot to relax. Floor-to-ceiling windows line a hexagonal dining area opening to a garden patio. 7 A 1940s Westmount bungalow has had attractive renovations. Comfortable furniture and unusual pottery sculptures set off the sunken living room, where light pours in from uncurtained windows. White columns frame the entrance to the adjacent dining room, where silver candlesticks of all shapes and sizes set off a massive dining table with claw-footed pedestals and chair legs. A narrow music room with piano and antique record player leads to the master bedroom, decorated in hot pink and fuchsia. Outdoors, the corner garden, which won an award in the 2013 Kitchener in Bloom contest, is accented by quirky figurines, evergreens and perennials.