A Perfect Balance

A heritage home in Ancaster, Ont., that combines modern style with rural charm.

FOR LAWYERS BRIDGET O’LEARY AND STEPHEN GLEAVE, living on a 40-hectare property in bucolic Ancaster, Ont., gives them the best of two worlds. Bustling Toronto and the couple’s demanding jobs are close enough to commute to a couple of days a week, but they’re also far enough away to feel like they’re getting away from it all when at home. Their 135-year-old Italianate house offers plenty of modern amenities, and the property has enough countryside for the dogs, cats, birds and livestock that live here, too. But in 2014, one thing continued to drive them mad: the home’s dated interior. The problem was that the family didn’t wanted to leave during the makeover. The solution? To renovate in stages.

The couple’s overall design goal was a seamless dovetailing of old and new. “One of the things that was really important to me was to honour and respect the home,” says Bridget. “It’s been here since 1885 and will hopefully remain for many years after we’re gone.” The first phase of the renovation turned their four-bedroom floor plan into three bedrooms with an expanded principal bedroom and ensuite. With only Bridget, Stephen and their 20-year-old daughter, Alexandra, in the house, the new layout would more than accommodate the family. This phase also included adding a butler’s pantry next to the living room and relocating the powder room on the main level.

We didn’t want ultramodern interiors jumping out at you at the expense of the country exterior

— BRIDGET O’LEARY, HOMEOWNER

When phase one was complete, Bridget and Stephen took a year to recharge and ready themselves for phase two, which kicked off in 2016. To the 2,400-square-foot house they added a 1,200-square-foot addition at the back to create a great room, as well as a basement with nine-foot-high ceilings. Bridget hired designer Susan Burns to help get through what would end up being a two-year-long process. “We took it step by step and were always on the same page; I don’t think we disagreed on anything,” says Susan of working with Bridget. “Sometimes, I would show her pictures and she would show me the exact same ones!” Bridget adds: “We both agreed we couldn’t do glitzy — if you made the house too glamorous it wouldn’t suit the country environment. It had to be calm and classic.”

With new windows to match the height of the home’s existing windows, the great room opens up the back of the house with sweeping views of the property. And in the new basement, you’ll find a workout room, a bathroom and a dog shower. (“My husband also uses the shower after going for a run,” says Bridget with a laugh.)

LEFT: Homeowners Stephen Gleave and Bridget O’Leary enjoy a glass of wine on the side porch with their daughter, Alexandra, and Frosty, one of the family’s Kuvasz dogs. OPPOSITE: The home’s original staircase is where their Brittany dog, Ginger, likes to lie and look out the window and the new glass door installed at the side entrance. Wall and ceiling colour, Seapearl (OC-19), trim colour, White Dove (OC-17), Benjamin Moore. BELOW: To look as seamless as possible, the brick used on the home’s addition was closely matched to the original brick that surrounds the bay windows.

LEFT: Marble was nixed for the perimeter counter in favour of dark soapstone, which is less prone to staining. “My husband likes red wine, and he’s not the type that wipes the bottom of his glass,” says Bridget. “I didn’t want to stress about that!” Perimeter counter, Greensville Soapstone Company; counter stools, Design Within Reach; pendants, Cedar & Moss; range by Thermador, refrigerator by Sub-Zero, Goemans Appliances. OPPOSITE: Dark window frames, upper cabinets and sconces are a graphic contrast to the wall of glossy white subway tile. White Bianco tile, Eden Tile-It; sconces, Cedar & Moss; sink, faucet, Taps.