HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1980-04-30, Page 17SUPPLEMENT TO
THE HURON EXPOSITOR, MAY 1, 1980 AND
THE BRUSSELS POST AND THE BLYTH STANDARD
APRIL 30, 1980
BY YVONNE REYNOLDS
When Paul Ross pur-
chased a big old house, on
Goderich Street,:.: West , last '
November, he belieVed he
had found an ideal, location
for a law office in Seaforth.
Before the deal was closed;
his wife- Heather went on, a
treasure hunt. Armed with a
hammer and a wrecking bar,
she pried under rugs, poked
into partitions, and Chipped
paint down to the underlying
wood. She could envision not
only office space, but ideal
living quarters as well.
As soon as. the Rosses
decided to combine, two
needs under, one roof, they
started a looseleaf book of
PlaM, ,for ,=,. „mom
brochures .from building
supply companies, pictures
cut'from magazines, notes on
features they had admired• in
other homes, . and creative
ideas from Heather herself.
The old house had been
duplexed and then leased to
tenants. Doors were nailed
shut or hidden behind ply-
wood, transoms were
covered inside and out, floors
were topped with a layer of
nailed-on plyWood over
which linoleum had been
glued. Noticing a water stain
two-thirds of the way down
one bedroom wall, Mrs. Ross
went Outside to check and
immediately spotted the ,
frame of a small window
which has now been restored
to its original function. The
whole house, vas -reWired,
replumbed; and new(duct
work added. •
Mrs. Ross acted as general
contractor during the
renovations. "Never go on
reputation," she advises,
"and get three estimates in
writing before you make a •
decision." She told each
tradesman .that she had X
number of dollars to spend
and "if they wanted the job,
they would negotiate.''' She
also cautions that you should
plan ahead very carefully. If
you get an estimate and then
add extra wall plugs, more
hot "air registers, ;.`'and
additional plumbing, you
may get a rude shock when
you receive your total bill.
Whenever possible, she
contract edfor local men and,
local -materials: First Arnold
Stothers .was, hired to sand-
blast one hundred Years of
paint from doors, mouldings,
and wainscotting. The job
took two-and-a-half days ,and
three-and-one-half tons of
sand. Although Mr. Stothers
wore a gas mask and hood,
he had to stop every hour, go
outside, and breathe in the
open air. "He'd be working
in a room and you couldn't
find him", Mrs. Ross recalls.
A gracefully curved staircase, with cherry bannister, welcomes visitors to
the foyer of the house Heather and Paul Ross have recently renovated in
Seaforth.
(Photos by Yvonne Reynolds)
Couple sanded floors
The Rosses rented a big
belt sander and a small
edger, and sanded the floors
themselves. The floors in the
former kitchen and the
present kitchen are fir, the
foyer is 1%" maple, and the
flooring in the rest of the
house is pine..
Heather Ross has nothing
but praise for Reg and Hary
Construction. "I wanted to
keep the integrity and feel of
the original house", she
said, so all closets arid
cubbyholes added during the
years were torn out, Reg
Badley and Hary Bernard
Worked for almost two
months tearing out walls,
putting up dry wall, patching
and repairing floors,
matching new" mouldings to
old and performing with skill
and efficiency whatever was
asked of them. "Their work
is superb'',', says Heather;
"They have a good partner-
ship, almost like a marriage.
They usually didn't even
have to speak to each other,
they just knew what to do."
With just a few alterations,
the old kitchen became a
reception room and
Heather's office', and the
former living room is now a
spacious, inviting law office.
The present living room was
stripped to the bare walls, a
false ceiling and dark
panelling removed. To obtain
the desired ' 'Country
French" effect, beams were
installed in the replastered
ceiling and an area rug
complements, the mellow
pine flooring. The carpenters
built a floor 0 ceiling
combination bookcase-
entertainment-storage area
along, one wall. The huge
open archway between living
room and dining room was
filled in and equipped with
French doors.
(Continued Oh Page 2' )
The original d law, footed bathtub WAS, Wed by new fixtures in
this upstairs bathroom.