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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1999-10-20, Page 25THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1999. PAGE 25. Jlome Improvement Making new from old takes time, patience That was then.......this is now The McKillop Twp. home owned by Shelley and Brian McGavin, like many of its kind had an old back kitchen. Once the couple talked about tearing it down it didn’t take long for Shelley to get a crew together to do the job. A new addition has created not just an attractive living space and extra bed­ rooms for the young family of four, but is a much more welcoming entrance to the house. By Bonnie Gropp Citizen staff All good things are worth waiting for. And while Brian and Shelley McGavin of RR4, Walton still have work ahead of them in renovating their two-storey farmhouse, they have made some marvelous trans­ formations over their 11 years there. The McGavins purchased the Lot 24, Cone. 3 home from Brian’s par­ ents, Neil and Marie, in 1990, hav­ ing rented it since their marriage two years earlier. Work began even before they moved in says Shelley primarily out of necessity. “We re-did windows and insulation and drywalled the outside walls in the rooms. We stripped the woodwork in the old back kitchen. Basically, we just did what we had to do as cheaply as pos­ sible at that moment.” Upstairs, the couple took a wall out between two small bedrooms to create a spacious master bedroom. The conversion of another small bedroom into a bathroom left them with one small bedroom. In 1990 they decided to dress up the front of the house with a new porch. As the cement steps and pad had been there, they simply added a roof and spindles. With their family growing, how­ ever, they soon realized that the With the gazebo nearing completion, the pool area completes the landscaping of the proper­ ty around the new addition. The patio was done to resemble flagstone. Colour is dumped into the cement truck, then the cement is laid. A charcoal release is used, which sprays a fine dust over top, then a mold is stamped over the top. There wasn’t much left after the removal of the back kitchen. The 20’x20’ house had a downstairs bathroom four small bedrooms, kitchen and living area. house was going to have to grow with them. They began talking about tearing down the back kitchen and building an addition. Brian didn’t need to ask Shelley twice. “Basically I came home one day and the back kitchen was coming down,” he recalls. Designed by Bert Dennis and built by D&J Construction, the new struc­ ture offers an additional 32’x32’ to the existing 20’x20’ home. Thb cathedral ceilings offer an open, ele­ gant look. In addition to adding a greatroom', there are now two more bedrooms upstairs. The addition also created a 20’x25’ single-vehicle garage. In order to try and keep the conti­ nuity of the house, the shingles were taken off and new ones tied into the addition. Finding brick to match was a chal­ lenge, but during a trip to Stratford, the couple thought they spied some that looked fairly close to those of the McGavin home. “I grabbed a couple of bricks to bring them home A new perspective Shown from the west side before the construction of the deck and pool area, the McGavin home shows a substan­ tial increase in living space for the family. and see. They matched so I went back and asked where to get them.” After completing the major proj­ ect, Shelley says they “laid low” for awhile. Then in 1998 they decided to finish off the landscaping with a deck, gazebo, patio and pool. Though work was still in progress this past summer, the family hopes to have everything in shape in time for the Walton Christmas Home Tour, sponsored by Duff’s United Church on Nov. 13 and 14. Warm addition Richard Horst, who also did the brick work, created the stone fireplace. Though a love­ ly focal point for the greatroom it did create its problems — because of the weight the floor had to be strengthened. “We’re’ready now for the decorat­ ing and furnishings,” says Shelley. “A long way down the road will be the kitchen.” Throughout the transformation the family, which includes children Brandon, 7 and Abby, four, have continued to live in the home. It has been a project of love, exciting at times, exhausting at others. “But with time and patience, you can live up to the dream,” says Shelley. Space for living Durable hardwood floors create a warm look to the spacious greatroom. To the right is the open stairway, to the left is the stone fireplace.