Guests gather for breakfast in the dining room where comforts
include window seats and a sitting area by the fireplace.
A round window tucked under the eaves adds surprise to the home's visual appeal and the ornate woodwork, such as that surrounding the front entrance.
AGING gracefully
HERITAGE HOME HAS BEEN LOVINGLY RESTORED
The Hamilton Spectator
One of the treasured old homes in the Durand neighbourhood has received the three Rs of heritage treatment -- restoration, rejuvenation and renewal -- and a rewarding ride to contemporary living.
Renovating Rutherford House, built in the mid-1880s by druggist Andrew Rutherford, has brought David and Janis Topp great satisfaction. The guests they welcome to their bed and breakfast also enjoy the redo. (Rutherford used it as an income property, too.)
The foyer
The couple bought the home seven years ago and worked on it for two years. They always knew what they wanted: a heritage home with two guest rooms with ensuites and space for themselves and guests. It's the fourth heritage-home restoration for the couple, who did most of the work themselves.
Big double doors separate the foyer from the living room and provide privacy for the Topps. The former dining room in the middle of the house is a clubby kind of room, with big leather wingback chairs and chocolate-brown walls.
Janis is an interior designer who instinctively knows how to dress a room. Corners each take on their own personality with plants, tables and artwork. A living-room corner is positively Victorian, with potted plant, lamp and trio of art.
Janis is happy to share what she has learned from rehabilitating old homes. Location is the first consideration, she says. Then be sure the house fits your space needs.
"Architectural features of an old home are worth their weight in gold -- crown moulding, deep baseboards, hardwood floors, wonderful medallions, the unbeatable spaciousness of high ceilings and mature trees outside."
bathroom
The Topps wanted to keep the flavour of the Victorian-Italianate-style home, in a restrained way, to create a welcoming home and bed and breakfast. They successfully blended comfortable elegance with all their favourite pieces.
A pair of wingback chairs near the fireplace makes a cosy sitting area in the living room.The use of animal pattern is both Victorian and a timeless classic.
Gleaming wood floors and Shaker-style cabinetry create a warm atmosphere in the country kitchen.Two newly built cherry cabinets complement the 100-year-old cabinets. A harvest table was made from reclaimed wood to fit the kitchen, and antique chairs are in the same honey shade as the table and original cabinets.
The Topps use back stairs to reach their large master bedroom and ensuite, which has a charming window covered with lace fastened with four nails topped with white buttons. A tiny bedroom has become their dressing room.
A sweeping staircase takes guests to their luxurious rooms. In one, walls are covered in black and white toile edged with black cording, and tassels hang elegantly in the corners. In the other, comfy wing chairs bask in natural light from east- and south-facing windows.
MAIN FLOOR
* The foyer's historical-look wallpaper is in smudged brown, red and yellow tones.
* Typically, the dining room is in the middle of the house, but using it as a living room better suits the bed and breakfast operation. Chocolate brown walls in the living room are stencilled with high gloss to create a tone-on-tone Victorian look.
* The front room now serves as the dining and sitting room for guests. Windows have side drapes and new glass panels with Russian lace in a documentary pattern.
* Flat black fireplace surround tiles in the guest dining room were restored to original deep red.
* Shelves over high windows display an antique teapot collection.
SECOND LEVEL
* Wooden shutter above the stairs is an old piece from Indonesia that Janis found in a Stratford shop.
* Vintage pictures and artwork make fascinating visuals in the hallway.
* Janis Topp designed a vertical vanity in the master bedroom ensuite to hold plastic storage containers. It is more efficient storage than a vanity/sink combination and everything is hidden from view.
* Details such as a window seat blend high-end hotel chic with a homey atmosphere in the Park Room.
* The Durand guest room has a collection of vintage suitcases in the bathroom.
a painted rooster decorates the dishwasher's
modern front.
historical-look wallpaper
Janis Topp spent six days stencilling the walls using flat and semi-glass chocolate-coloured paint inspired by the original fireplace tiles.
The living room has a men's club look with leather wingback chairs around a Victorian fireplace.
Rutherford House was built in the mid-1880s in the Victorian-Italianate
style and now welcomes guests to the Durand neighbourhood.
front entrance, evokes the charm of another century.
master bedroom
Wicker furniture is in keeping with the Victorian look in a guest room while providing homey comfort.