HOT PROPERTIES COVER STORY
A MODERN ENGLISH TREASURE FLAWLESS AESTHETICS, COZY COMFORT AND LUXE AMENITIES IN A SAXE POINT HOME BY ANGELA COWAN PHOTOS BY VINCE KLASSEN
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F YOU TAKE A STROLL down to Saxe Point this fall, you’ll see myriad golds and crimsons as the trees don their autumn dress, and the steely grey that takes over the ocean as the days grow colder. Let your feet take you exploring through this tight-knit Esquimalt neighbourhood, and you’ll find one of the community’s newest additions — an English Arts and Crafts house nestled right up against the park. Home to Kelly and Jennifer Hawes, the three-bedroom, 3,000-square-foot house exudes warmth from every corner, outside and in. From the heritage blue exterior to the meandering cobblestone path leading to the front entrance, to the glimpse of its charming dining room — lit with a Tiffany-styled chandelier throwing soft light from its larger-than-life glass shade — it’s the Hawes’ dream home, the culmination of nearly three years work from conception to completion. The project was initially planned as an overhaul renovation of their existing 1949 wartime bungalow — their home for the past 11 years — but as the list of necessary, major fixes grew ever longer, the Hawes decided to take the leap and start over from the ground up. They brought in Mike Dunsmuir of Step One Design, who took their wish list and began brainstorming with the couple.
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