AN 'OASIS' IN THE CITY

“The Cottage” - brand new three-season oasis in the city.

AN ‘OASIS’ IN THE CITY:

Family transforms beloved downtown Kitchener heritage home into forever home of their dreams.

They say it's what's on the inside that counts, and that was certainly the case when Robin Boles and her husband decided to purchase their downtown Kitchener home in 2008.

"When I did the initial drive-by of this house when we were looking for a house, it was in such bad shape that I kind of just dismissed the idea of looking at it entirely," she said. Naturally, they opted for a showing and "fell in love with it despite what it looked like from the street." It's been a long and winding journey but about a half-dozen Way-Mar renovations projects later, everything is in place and the family wouldn't change a thing.

They opted for a showing and “fell in love with it despite what it looked like from the street.” That exterior had to go.

Robin sought inspiration by looking at other homes in her neighbourhood. One home, in particular, caught Robin’s eye. A neighbour told her about their experience working with Way-Mar, and that recommendation paved the way for a complete re-do of her home’s exterior in 2010.

By replacing the siding, soffits, fascia, and aluminum, Robin said her house went from being “this sort of ‘drive by and avert your gaze’ to being a really lovely, put-together home.” The basement den and guestroom project followed a year later and the driveway, basement windows, and a full custom bathroom came soon after that.

In 2015, the family once again turned to Way-Mar, this time to address the main floor, including a full kitchen renovation and new flooring. The kitchen was designed by Robin through her design company, Robin Interiors, and executed by Way-Mar.

Custom features were included, a wall was opened up and connectivity was achieved via a beam. The original 1920s flooring, in a state of disrepair, was pulled out and new subflooring was put down along with new “old-looking” hardwood.

Among the highlights of the kitchen design was a new coffee station. “What I’ve really appreciated is being able to have more than one person in the kitchen at once,” Boles said of her family, which has grown to include two children and a puppy. “We didn’t change the square footage in the kitchen. But now we can have all four of us, each doing a different task. When we have family gatherings, we can have three or four people just around the island itself.”

The Boles’ most recent Way-Mar project, is the centrepiece of the home and has reunited the family unit in an idyllic setting. The sunroom has without question become the highlight of the home, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and a wood fireplace to create the ultimate retreat setting. Whether it’s starting the day with a cup of coffee or gathering to watch some sports together, the family gravitates to the warm and inviting space. “We had a deck, but we couldn’t enjoy it for a third of the year,”

The most recent Way-Mar project called the "cottage," is a back-of-house addition giving the family a three-season room in which to bath in sunlight and comfort, chat with neighbours as desired, and do it all without worrying about the mosquito problem that kept them from enjoying what was previously outdoor space.

"When it's quiet and no one's around we can hear the birds," Robin said. "In the summer there's this lovely tree behind me. It really does feel like an oasis as part of the city.

As with any renovation project, there were challenges along the way, including the discovery of sawed-off joists and a wasp nest, but, Robin said, "Way-Mar every time has sort of taken it in stride and walked us through what the options were to address that without derailing the rest of the project."

The fact the Robin have returned to tap Way-Mar for help with projects over the years speaks to the level of trust that has been established.

"Calm," is what Robin said is the first word that comes to mind when she thinks of Way-Mar, adding the employees all regularly display "satisfaction in the work they do and they're willing to put in the extra work to make sure that it's nicely done."

Added Robin: "The history that we have together and knowing that the craftsmanship that they bring to the job is going to be top-notch. We felt like we were able to rely on Way-Mar to do beautiful work for us."