Custom-built retreat ticks all the boxes
Custom home on dream Dunrobin lot ticks all the boxes for family seeking beauty, function
After years of research and planning, a dream rural retreat in Dunrobin “ticks all the boxes” for a family seeking main floor living and lots of room inside and out.
“The process towards the new home in Dunrobin started a number of years ago,” says homeowner David LeBlanc. “We were living in Falcon Ridge in Stittsville; it was great when the kids were young and walking to school, but as they got older, and we got big dogs, we wanted a bit more elbow room.”
Four or five years ago, LeBlanc started looking at what he refers to as “typical rural properties and rural subdivisions.”
The family, however, couldn't find a resale house that “ticked all our boxes,” nor did they want to compromise.
Planning to retire in their new house, they wanted everything on one floor. “We wanted two significant master suites on the main floor, one for us, and one for my wife's parents to be able to stay for more than just overnight. We looked and looked and sort of found that, but we decided we needed to build custom.”
Instead of a home already built, the family looked for a property, finding their dream 25-acre lot with walking trails for the dogs, and decided that was their future.
Deciding to go with Maple Leaf Custom Homes, LeBlanc says: “They have an interesting model. You can buy the plans from them or you can also go with them for construction. We were very happy.”
“He had a vision and he knew what he wanted,” says Brian Saumure, a partner with Maple Leaf. “When we have a client, we don't push them in any direction,” he says, adding the builder has all kinds of designs from modern to traditional to craftsman.
“The land was a horse pasture in the past and there was an orchard and stables in the area. That's where the colours and the mix of materials came from, from those kinds of buildings in the past.”
The property rests on acreage that previously held a horse paddock, small orchard, meadows and a forested area. “The owners were very drawn to Craftsman style architecture but also wanted a rural farm esthetic to the home. The result is a fusion of these influences,” says Saumure.
The family concentrated on the west end in their search for a lot, exploring the Richmond, Almonte and Dunrobin areas. “Basically the Kanata/Dunrobin area had the best location,” says LeBlanc. “I can ride my bike to work. We still have access to health care, shopping. The only negative is the 15 or 20 minutes extra to get to the Queensway.”
They moved in three years ago and are still thrilled and excited about the “main floor living.”
“It's very open and it's what we needed, especially working from home. My office is in the kitchen.”
LeBlanc says the family spent a lot of time thinking about how to use the space. Two adult children are living in the finished basement, with their own ensuites.
“We'd worked with a couple of architects before and what we found was they weren't really listening to what we were saying. We went through a couple of iterations of designers. When we worked with Brian it was like a breath of fresh air!”
As for the one negative, LeBlanc says it's the challenge of wireless internet in rural areas. “People in Ottawa are used to taking it for granted, but where I live here today is very poor internet. I'm lucky I can do some calls if I have to, and do remote teleworking. Many people can't do it period. It's sketchy and expensive. That's a negative people don't think about in these areas.”
The finished house is about
The owners were very drawn to Craftsman style architecture but also wanted a rural farm esthetic. The result is a fusion of these influences.
6,000 square feet of modern vision inspired by the past. For instance, the maintenance-free concrete clad exterior is a compilation of the browns and reds of nearby raw and painted wood barns, plus the lighter tones of painted wood clad homes.
“Shed roofs, gables and exposed rafter tails with painted pine soffits bring both the Craftsman traditions and the exposed framing of these farm structures together,” according to the design summary. “Taller elements with board and batten are a nod to these same two-storey barns. Large pine timbers, which were locally milled, hearken to the structural posts and beams in the barns and sheds of local historical structures.”
The interior of the home features stone and timber elements; while trim, cabinetry and door details have Craftsman inspiration. The kitchen, the great room and the master bedroom all come with great views of the property.