Dutch home cute on outside, cosy on inside
Though close to all services, the spot is secluded and peaceful, with a wooded area in the back of the home that has mature pine trees.
The Dutch Colonial Revival style is typified by a very steep roof, called gambrel or bell, with flared eaves. In the front, a gallery runs the length of the house protected by the large overhang decorated with pretty hanging baskets of colourful flowers.
Counting the small extension on the right, the house measures 17.68 m x 11 m (58 feet x 36 feet).
The clapboard of the outer walls is cedar and the roof covering is light brown asphalt shingles.
Some renovations to the home were made by the couple — plumbing, electricity, etc. — but Jackman-Wallis’s father had already done much of the work himself to remodel the interior.
The living room has a cosy atmosphere with a ceiling criss-crossed by painted wooden beams and an imposing fieldstone fireplace with a propane firebox.
The birch floorboards date from the original construction and so does the wrought-iron chandelier. The flowery quilt hanging on the right of the fireplace was made by Jackman-Wallis.
Now retired, she used to be a seamstress, specializing in drapes, beddings and such for an upscale clientele. The Persian rug in the middle of the room is one of five she bought for $1,500 from a boutique going out of business. Besides being a shrewd buyer, she is also great at salvaging furniture to decorate her home with.
The kitchen is small, with an old-fashioned charm coming from the curtains hiding the storage space under the countertop, the decorative plates on the shelves and the vintage-style electric cooking range. It was manufactured by the company Elmira Stove Works, which specializes in antique and retro looking appliances. The countertop and backsplash are covered with red arborite.
The island was made by a local cabinetmaker and is painted to match the curtains.
Maple wood was chosen for the top because of its hardness, durability and resistance to abrasions.
In the dining room, there is yet another Persian rug, an oval table flanked by two upholstered chairs and four pressback chairs. The china cabinet is a century-old antique, while the one in the corner was made by Jackman-Wallis’s father.
He also made the small stepstool under the mirror. Its tall handle allows one to pick it up without bending down. Clever!
Though not a professional cabinetmaker, the man had quite a talent for woodworking, as seen in the powder room downstairs.
Here, another china cabinet made by him shows delicate swirls separating the two sections.
The wood is walnut. The stylish wash basin and light fixture above it were salvaged by JackmanWallis when a friend of hers was remodelling her bathroom.
A small room on the ground floor has a dual purpose. It is JackmanWallis’s workroom, but can become a guest room when necessary. The bedcover, quilt and drapery were, of course, made by her. The beautiful dresser is an antique bought many years ago.
The hallway next to the staircase is panelled with gleaming pinewood. In front of the window, the antique sewing machine table with a wrought-iron stand was salvaged from the trash by Jackman-Wallis.
The wide staircase and balustrade leading to the second floor were made by her father. The wall offers plenty of space for family photographs and other objects. Painting the risers white brightens the space. The pendulum clock comes from France and “is very loud,” says Jackman-Wallis.
The upstairs master bedroom is quite big, measuring 17.5 feet by 10 feet. The flowery headboard and valence of the queen-size bed were, you guessed it, made by Jackman-Wallis.
The antique spinning wheel between the bed and the white cupboard is an heirloom.
It comes from Ireland and was brought over by Jackman-Wallis’s ancestors when they immigrated to Canada in the early 1800s.
The ceiling and part of the wall above the bed are composed of large sheets of wood with batten mouldings to hide the seams. Large French doors give access to the guest bedroom with a warm yellow theme. The top half of the walls are wallpapered and the bottom half panelled with painted PVC.
Jackman-Wallis found the frame of the double bed abandoned on a street corner. She upholstered the headboard, footboard and decorated the wood frame with stencil.
The chest of drawers on the left of the bed is an apothecary cabinet. It is a reproduction from Pulaski Furniture and made of burled wood, which is characterized by rounded tree growths (called burls or burrs) on the trunk or branch of a tree that gives the wood a highly patterned grain finish, prized by furniture makers and artists alike for the beauty and rarity it gives to a furniture piece or sculpture.
After almost a decade in the family home, Jackman-Wallis, who is now a widow, has decided the time has come to move on and find a smaller house closer to her family. So reluctantly, she has put the house up for sale. Prospective buyers can contact Pierre-Émile Richer from Sutton Realty at pricher@sutton.com.