COZY CABIN
Laurentians home combines LEED efficiency with retro styling
The environment and family are two causes that are linked and worth nurturing. This fact is what prompted Hershey and Renée Gillman to build their magnificent Laurentian lakeside retreat.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a grading system that rates the environmental performance of a building. It is used to measure whether a house meets the highest international rating standards in construction related to health and the environment. This state-of-the-art home uses less energy, water and natural resources, produces less waste and is healthier and more comfortable for its occupants. The criteria to obtain the LEED certification rating is strict; so is the monitoring.
“Two inspectors visited the site, one during the construction, the other when it was finished,” explains Renée Gillman. “They were obviously satisfied as our house obtained the gold certification, the second-highest rating.”
Maisons Roco, a custom-home builder based in Mont-Tremblant, had the task of following all the LEED requirements, while at the same time fulfilling the wishes of the owners. And these were numerous, as well as specific.
“We’re a small company with a micro-team, so it’s easy for us to be flexible,” says Ronald Cole, coowner of Maisons Roco.
This is the fourth LEED -certified house the company has undertaken, but they have built many Novoclimat houses, another certification for energy-efficient homes administered by the Quebec government. Going LEED was the next logical step. This type of construction is, of course, more costly, but the energy savings and low maintenance make the expenses worthwhile in the long term.
“The ecological aspect and the stimulation of the local economy are also important and not to be overlooked,” Cole said. The materials and labour are locally sourced and various methods are used to reduce costs and waste, such as pre-building insulated wall panels. Though it incorporates the latest technologies and is only two years old, this house has an oldfashioned look, like a chalet that has been expanded over the years.
“It was not easy making a new house look old,” Cole admitted. “But it was one of the Gillmans’ wishes.”
The exterior cladding is a mixture of spruce and shingles of Eastern white cedar. The materials come from Maibec, a Quebec company based in Lévis that exploits its own forest in a sustainable manner, an important aspect in the LEED certification program. The architectural roof shingles in classic brown are BP Mystique 42.
A long and wide veranda extends in the back and offers a spectacular view of the lake.
The Gillmans love to entertain family and friends, so the house was designed accordingly. It includes four bedrooms and the ground floor is divided into several large communal rooms. The two floors total more than 400 square metres. Because the house is close to a lake, which means a high-water table, there is no basement.
Renée took charge of the furnishings and decoration, which she calls eclectic. “It’s a mixture of Victorian, colonial and retro.”
It works, giving the place a homey and laid-back feeling, with amusing details at every corner. In the kitchen, for example, an oldfashioned meat grinder is clamped to the table that serves as an island. An antique bench completes the unusual setup.
The green door might look old, but it is not. Renée painted it to look that way. “Actually, it’s the only new door in the house,” she declared with amusement.
“All the other ones were salvaged from other buildings, bought at garage sales or junk yards.”
This disparate assortment created a few problems for the builders as they had to fit all the openings to the different size doors, an example of the company’s flexibility and willingness to satisfy clients’ requests.
The counter that separates the kitchen from the dining area is stainless steel and stands on reclaimed wood.
Reclaimed wood also covers the walls of the dining room. It was bought by Renée from a lumber yard in Montérégie. The Victoria dining table is 100 years old and was bought through the online site Kijiji.
The 75-year-old carpet (laid upside down) comes from an estate sale and the chandelier belonged to Renée’s late aunt. All the elements combine to make the room quite regal. On the other hand, the living room has a typical chalet atmosphere with deep sofas, a rocking chair and an old bench where firewood is stored underneath. The walls and ceiling are again made of reclaimed wood. Next to the window stands what is called a barrister bookcase and, farther down, an antique blanket holder.
A lovely reading room all in white also doubles as an extra bedroom. The chandelier was fashioned from a genuine wagon wheel. The screened sunroom offers a beautiful view of the lake. It is quite spacious and the wicker furniture gives it a laid-back ambience that invites one to slumber. The master bedroom on the upper floor has a fairy-tale look to it. And, of course, all the furniture is second-hand, which is in keeping with the LEED philosophy of low-environmental impact.
Renée Gillman is quite tenacious when in search of the right item, spending a lot of time online, in antique stores or in more unusual places. For example, the desk next to the bed comes from a jewelry store that was closing its doors. She also has a knack for mixing odd objects, like the wicker fish basket used to hold hand towels in the ensuite. The wood surrounding the oval bathtub comes from the old house that was here before this one was built.
The house gets its water from the lake. It is filtered through a chlorination system with an added reverse osmosis system for the drinking water. The advantage of lake water is that it is soft, meaning low in minerals and leaves no deposits in the plumbing.
Every aspect of the house has been thought out and built with sustainability and efficiency in mind. There is one more advantage to the LEED certification and it is the increased resale value of the property. Yet, this was the least important aspect for the Gillmans. “We built this house for our retirement, but also for our children and the future generations to come. It’s our legacy.”