As part of an ongoing renovation/restoration of their 50-year-old Caledon Village home, Brenda and Bill Evans decided that their next project would be a major re-creation of their kitchen.

“I wanted a timeless kitchen,” says Brenda, explaining she wanted a style, a décor, and a look that wouldn’t become dated at some point in the future and possibly turn off potential buyers when they decide to sell.

The person they turned to, to take on that challenging assignment was Premier Home Upgrades president Airik Lenz, as he had worked on their house previously, including finishing their basement. That was five years ago.

“Five years later the kitchen is as beautiful now as it was then.”

The project consisted of more than just a case of some redecorating touches. What Airik recommended, and what she approved, was a renovation/conversion project where a number of rooms were “switched”.

“I gave him carte blanche to carry out his vision,” she says.

That vision included turning the existing small and somewhat inconvenient kitchen into the dining room, while the original family room progressed through a Cinderella-like transformation into the timeless kitchen Brenda had been dreaming of.

Achieving that look required a number of different steps and initiatives including the installation of a chrome sink faucet, which compliments the stainless steel refrigerator and stove that the couple specifically purchased for the new decor, as well as the subway tiles for the backsplash. Subway tiles first originated in the 1920s and have an ageless look, says Brenda.

Highlighted by high end vinyl flooring and new cabinets – “that look like furniture” – the kitchen also features an island which could be considered its centerpiece. It has a quartz countertop which can take plenty of wear and tear, and tucked below is conveniently hidden out-of-sight storage space. “And I use all the space.”

Just steps away is a pair of French glass doors leading to the couple’s backyard and the juxtaposition of the island and the doors allows her to enjoy the outdoor views while preparing meals, she says.

Not everything in the kitchen is new and that is especially true of the fireplace, which was inserted when it was a family room. But by adding a mantle and surrounds, Airik greatly enhanced its appearance, says Brenda.

Another aspect of the project was the installation of a fixture that harkens back to an early age of homebuilding and that is its “shiplap” ceiling. Shiplap is wood paneling that is made of long, usually horizontal panels with a gap between the boards. “The wood had to be specially milled to get the extra-long pieces Airik required.”

“I never thought I would live in a house like this,” says Brenda, in describing the end result.

Like all renovations, however, there was a certain amount of inconvenience. To control dust, Airik had to use a ‘temporary zipper door” for the couple to enter the rooms, as well as fashioning a temporary kitchen in the basement

Of course, the couple has been accustomed to coping with inconvenience. When they purchased the house 30 years ago after moving to the area from Ottawa, it was a “real fixer-upper”. Some of the conditions they had to contend with included squirrels in the attic and broken toilets.

“But it was the only house we could afford at the time and it did get us into the housing market.”

Now empty nesters, they raised their two sons there and continued to restore and improve the home over the years. The culmination of all that effort and money, the kitchen re-creation of five years ago will ensure that the house will sell at full market value as comparable homes are commanding in their estate subdivision, she says.

“We want to stay here as long as possible. But eventually we will have to downsize and move into a new house. When that happens the first thing I am going to do is hire Airik.”

WRITTEN BY: DAN O’REILLY | PHOTOGRAPHY: PAUL SPEARS