HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-05-06, Page 14PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2010.Attention to detail makes all the difference
As the spring days lengthen and
summer approaches we enjoy, even
more than normal, the pleasure
brought to us by the addition we
made to our house six years ago.
The addition was designed with
the help of an architect, even though
it’s somewhat simple and most
people would just have a contractor
rough-out and build. Despite the
extra cost, we’re glad we spent the
money.
We met with Goderich architect
(and Brussels native) John Rutledge
in late 2002 for the initial
discussions on our plans. I’d worked
with John in various capacities over
the years, including interviewing
him about respecting our traditional
Huron County architecture in
making additions, so he was an
obvious choice when we wanted to
add to our turn-of-the-century
farmhouse.
We’d lived in the house for nearly
30 years. On the back (south) of the
two-storey house was a one-storey
summer kitchen and woodshed.
We’d tried to renovate the summer
kitchen to make it useable but it was
always cold so didn’t get much use.
The woodshed was a place for junk
and wildlife. After all the years, its
foundation of wooden sleepers on
top of field stones, was crumbing.
Not only was the summer
kitchen/woodshed a waste of space,
but it blocked off the south and west
views from the house. We lived in
the country but couldn’t really
appreciate the setting. In 2002 an
inheritance allowed us to think about
finally doing something about
replacing the ugly addition.
When we met, my wishes
expressed to John were to more or
less keep the same footprint as the
existing building, but find a way to
bring the outside in. I also wanted a
building that looked as if it belonged
with the century-old main house.
Jill, being more practical, worried
about having a large hall for people
arriving and lots of closet space. She
also wanted a mudroom where I
could leave my boots and work
clothes so they didn’t have to come
into the house.
After looking around and writing
down our wish list, John went away
to think. Later he sent out a young
assistant to measure the old building,
the width to the lot-line, etc. Early in 2003 John came backwith preliminary plans for a 500-
square-foot addition, almost exactly
the footprint of the old building.
There were many things we
immediately liked.
He’d heard my plea for a bright
room to connect the outdoors with
the indoors and created a room with
three sets of double-hung windows
on both the east and south sides of
the room. Along the west side of the
new building he’d designed an old-fashioned porch. This was excitingbecause the west side of our
property had been pretty-much a
blind-spot from the house.
Jill got her entry hall and a huge
closet (it’s the envy of relatives who
just don’t have as much space
despite having large new homes ).
That closet created a thick double-
walled divider between the entry hall
and the large light-filled, south-
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While the perfect addition, that both met the needs of the Roulstons and maintained the
historical integrity of their home, didn’t come overnight, it did exactly what the pair was hoping
it would, bring the outside, into the home. (Keith Roulston photo)
By Keith Roulston
The Citizen
Continued on page 15