Hearth& heritage
La Maison Toussaint-Legault dit Deslauriers, an elegant 1839 home in Pierrefonds, retains unique features, pastoral character
Forty-eight years ago, when Joel and Yvette Gerber were touring the West Island with dreams of leaving the hustle and bustle of the city for more peaceful surroundings, some parts of the area were still considered the country.
But even as motivated as they were, when they spotted what would become their new home in a then-rural section of Pierrefonds, it required a second visit.
“It wasn’t love at first sight,” Yvette admitted.
But when this house captures a heart, it’s for keeps. Now, nearing 50 years in the old farm home, the couple is one of only four owners since its construction almost 180 years ago.
What they bought was actually a remarkable property. Though the house was already 130 years old, it had been thoroughly renovated and, most importantly, with good taste. Regular maintenance was all it needed from then on.
Dating from 1839, La Maison Toussaint-Legault dit Deslauriers is named for the man who had it built and is listed as an exceptional heritage building by the municipality. It is situated not far from the Rivière des Prairies.
The transition from the city was hard, Yvette concedes.
“There were no buses or even sidewalks to walk on. I had a small child and I couldn’t go anywhere,” she says.
With her husband away at work all day, she felt lonely at the beginning, but it also brought them much joy along with some welldeserved peace and quiet.
Since those days, new housing developments have mushroomed all around them, yet the house has retained a certain pastoral character because of its exceptional location.
There are no nearby neighbours on either side, and in the back, a wide expanse of wood and grass land extends all the way to the river on a lot that measures 33.5 metres x 33.5 metres or 1,122 square metres.
Built of fieldstones, the house is in the French colonial architectural style, featuring a raised basement and dormers set in a steep roof that extends over the full-length veranda. Blue and grey asphalt shingles cover the roof. The walls are approximately one metre thick.
The original, square house, which is 9x9 metres, was extended byadouble-cargarage, theflatroof of which serves as a deck.
Inside, the renovations made by previous owners respected the overall architecture and style of the house, while adding comfort, including insulation and doubleglazed windows.
Luxury touches were also introduced, like oak floors, and certain elegant details, as illustrated in the living room, where wood casings cover the horizontal beams supporting the upper floor.
Though the ceiling is rather low at just 2.1 metres (seven feet), the room is spacious enough. Occupying half of the ground floor, it is well lit by five windows.
The impressive wood-burning fireplace, with its fieldstone mantel, was a real lifesaver during the 1998 Ice Storm, and is now the gathering place during the cold winter months. In front of it, under an ornate antique wooden coffee table, lies a seal skin from the Magdalen Islands.
The only renovation the couple needed to undertake in almost five decades was the kitchen floor, where the vinyl covering was replaced by ceramic tiles. The space is small with its quirky old-fashioned look, but very bright, thanks to windows on two walls.
In the dining room, the table takes up most of the area. It was made by a Quebec craftsman in the Victorian style of the early 1900s.
The walnut table is so heavy and bulky it couldn’t fit through the doorway and had to be hoisted through the window.
The corner china cabinet is by the same craftsman. The chairs were originally covered with leather, but were reupholstered in a chic classic fabric.
Two doors between the two windows permit access to a cupboard built into the thick stone wall. The inside stays naturally cool year round, and the couple uses it to store beverages. The staircase leading to the second floor is made of oak, as are all the wooden floors in the house. The white walls are a showcase of paintings dear to the couple, produced by artist friends.
The master bedroom might not be stylish by today’s trends, but it is certainly cosy. Above the double bed with its intricate forged aluminum headboard and footboard hangs a landscape scene painted by Joel’s uncle.
Next to the window stands a heavy dresser made of solid ash. It is another piece of furniture that gave the movers a headache and backaches. Likethepainting, itwas brought back from Jura, France, where Joel is from, along with the beautiful tall armoire opposite the foot of the bed. It is a reproduction of the Louis XV style, and just like the delicate chair beside it, built by a craftsman from Jura.
Down the hall, the guest bedroom has a totally different atmosphere, with furniture and objects showing influences from around the world. The black wooden mask next to the window could be guessed to have anAfricanorigin, butitwasbought in Charlevoix. The magnificently sculpted dresser could have come from India, but it, too, was bought in Quebec. As for the ¾ cast-iron sleigh bed, it was made some 250 years ago in France. The Gerbers bought it in Sherbrooke from a man who refused to sell it to a museum, because, in his own words, he wanted it to keep living.
A fairy with butterfly wings overlooks this eclectic combination of furnishings that make for a remarkable decor.
In the hallway facing the master bedroom hangs a small light fixture made of four frosted white glass panels decorated with handpainted figurines, among them an amorous couple in brightly coloured 18th-century costumes.