Because of it’s size, the lot had been considered to be “unbuildable.” The company invested in slope stability tests – a requirement for securing a building permit. As a result of the tests a new tertiary septic system that required less land, it became possible to build the home there.
City dwellers who vacation in northern Ontario appreciate the sense of tranquillity a lakeside setting instills in them. One London couple decided they wanted to capture that feeling year-round.
Oke Woodsmith designed the home for privacy, which was a challenge on a relatively small lot in a subdivision. They situated the functional areas – the elevator, pantry, laundry room, two-piece bathroom and a walk-in closet – at the front of the home. A hallway separates those rooms from the main living area, which faces the lake and stretches the full width of the home. It incorporates a master bedroom retreat, a two-storey great room and a kitchen-dining area.
Take a simple design and create a masterpeice, this home was popular as one of the dream homes in the London Hospital Lotteries.
The exterior of the home resembles a one-floor plan, inspired by Craftsman design. It features a combination of natural Owen Sound ledgerock, quarried in the Wiarton area, and cedar shingle siding, both chosen for their low-maintenance qualities. Two stone piers at the front entry anchor massive timber frame posts joined by an arch. Copper rain chains hang from the corners of the eaves, giving the home a distinctly Asian appearance. The rain chains act as an alternative to downspouts by breaking the fall of the water and guiding it downward, preventing ice from forming in the eavestroughs.
Because the kit allowed for flexibility in the layout of the interior walls, Oke designed the rooms to take advantage of the beauty of the structural logs. They face all of the exterior perimeter walls and are also used as ceiling beams and massive structural supports. Concrete floors throughout the home are warmed with radiant in-floor heat and finished with engineered maple flooring, which decreases the possibility of shrinkage inherent in natural hardwoods. Radiant in-floor heat also heats the home through a boiler system.
Constructed of textured grey stone, the front of the home features a recessed entry flanked by a round Victorian-style covered porch supported by four columns. A side entry connects the home with a two-car garage faced in pine board-and-batten siding.
Oke spent a year with the couple planning their home, which is constructed of Insulated Concrete Forms and heated with radiant in-floor heat. The result is a stunning lakeside residence that features large, airy rooms within a surprisingly small square footage. Square-cut limestone tiles in shades of tan and stone, used throughout both levels, convey the sense of a tropical retreat. The tiles provide a neutral contrast to the vibrant walls, rich woods and wrought iron that form a consistent theme throughout the home.
An innovative floorplan ensures this home’s relevance for years to come When homeowners intend to remain in a house indefinitely, the stakes are much higher during the design process. They want to ensure the floorplan and the features they incorporate will see them through several stages of life. That was the situation that faced David […]
Oke’s aim in designing the exterior was to evoke the spirit of a well-built 50- or 60-year-old cottage. He chose natural materials suited to that era, including Owen Sound ledge rock paired with maintenance-free B.C. red cedar shingles and a steeply pitched cedar shingle roof.
