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By Dawn Ritchie | photography by Mike Guibault
The homeowners of this Tollendale Woods property had been eyeing their empty lot for some time. Sandwiched between two homes and secreted away on a quiet street within walking distance of their boat slip, vacant residential land was a rare find in Barrie.
The couple had been mulling building a home from scratch, after a successful gut and renovation of a property in Shanty Bay. Their new dream home would be a bungalow with plenty of room to move and a focus on natural light. They also wanted to be their own designer. Purchasing the land could mean they’d finally get everything they’d ever wanted in a residence. Before breaking ground a big job had to be done, however. It was some serious soul-searching about their family’s needs, lifestyle, and their differing tastes. Both partners admired Frank Lloyd Wright and West Coast designs. They were leaning toward a home with an art gallery sensibility, but it was going to be a merger of traditional and contemporary styles. Design decisions can often reach an impasse in custom builds, especially if partners harbour conflicting tastes. Developers take those decisions out of buyers’ hands, offering cookie
GoodLife | Barrie July - August 2018
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2018-07-06 1:07 PM