One afternoon three years ago, Jacqui Liberty and her husband, Bruno Roldan, toured a house that was for sale in Caledon, Ont., a 60-minute drive northwest of Toronto. Jacqui, the potter behind Soft Fire Ceramics, and Bruno, an entrepreneur, preferred greenery over the grind, and the large property and country setting captured their imagination as soon as they turned into the driveway. “The house had a beautiful river rock chimney, arched windows and a swoopy roofline,” says Jacqui, describing the roof details characteristic of Craftsman architecture.
After seeing the inside, it didn’t take long before the couple made an offer and bought the place. The two-storey, 3,500-square-foot house had all the space they were after, but the finishes, especially the circa-2008 orange kitchen, needed updating. Jacqui and Bruno weren’t fussed by a big reno project — creating an inviting family home for their twin five-year-old daughters would be well worth it. “We’d been looking for land or a house to renovate,” says Jacqui. “We wanted something we could make our own and had a strong vision for it.”
Having previously renovated Jacqui and Bruno’s basement in their former home, designer Tiffany Leigh was the perfect one to tackle the renovation. Together with Matt King of Kingsgate Construction, Tiffany and her team embarked on a full gut. “We were inspired by the original river rock fireplace and wanted to capture that countryside aesthetic throughout the house,” she says.
Though the general footprint of the house remained the same, the project was down-to-the studs. “We moved walls and doorways, changed windows, made a powder room larger and added a new bathroom by popping out a dormer window,” says the designer. The kitchen was also reconfigured, a new staircase designed and an in-law suite added over the garage.
Scroll down for a look inside this country house!
All products featured on House & Home are independently selected by our editors, however when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices are shown in Canadian dollars and are accurate on the date of publication.