I WAS HERE
A CHANCE TO MAKE YOUR MARK
JULIE BARNES Photo Credit: Cheryl McDougall
We’ve all heard stories of historical artifacts found within a home’s walls during a renovation or demolition. Old newspapers once used for insulation are revealed, giving a glimpse of what the world looked like when the house was originally built. Layers of aged wallpaper provide a peek at design trends over the decades. An article in a previous issue of HOME magazine shared how coins, letters, ‘adult’ magazines, telegrams, stamps WINTER 2018 Saskatoon HOME
and toy soldiers have all been unearthed in Saskatoon homes in recent years. Some items may have been left behind by accident, or for functional purposes such as the newspaper for insulation, while others may have been purposefully left to create veritable time capsules for future owners to discover. Signing of the Studs Today, homeowners are deliberately making their mark on their new homes
and renovations—each in their own distinctive ways. Cheryl McDougall is one such residential geostasher. As the framing was finalized on her new house two years ago, Cheryl invited her family over for dinner at her home, which was just a block away from her new build. After dinner, they all walked over to the construction site, and each family member had the opportunity to write a message to Cheryl on
the framing that would eventually envelop her new fireplace. “I wanted to invite my family over to sign that area because the fireplace is the heart of the home,” says Cheryl. “We hang out as a family there, and we sit around it at Christmas and open presents there, so it seemed like the perfect spot to do it.” Her parents, her twin sister, her niece, Hannah (then 11), and nephew, Seth (then
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