Grand gestures

"My husband took me out of the country and then he took me back," chuckles Sharon O'Shea, who lived in rural Greenwood, Ontario, until her marriage to Dennis O'Shea in 1963. Years later, when the couple was looking for a home that could take them into retirement, they never imagined the purchase of Valley Stream Farm, a picturesque 83-acre property complete with an Ontario-style farmhouse, two board-and-batten barns, a silo and shed.

The O'Sheas weren't only buying the majestic property overlooking 1,800 feet of the heritage-designated Grand River, they were buying an opportunity to embrace the rural life they yearned for.
"We were living in Toronto at the time," says Sharon. Dennis, who was born and raised in the city, was selling his share in his customs brokerage business, and since their children had recently left home, "the timing was right" for the couple to enjoy a simpler life. As real estate prices soared in the city, the O'Sheas decided to leave behind the bottleneck of city highways and pursue their "ultimate dream" of buying and restoring a heritage home.

That dream came true in 1988 - the century-old farm they purchased had been owned by only two generations of the Newson family, who had left many of the major components in place, such as wainscotting, trim and plaster. The property's builder hewed all the lumber used in the construction of the home and barns on the premises, where he also operated a sawmill. The sawmill was later dismantled, and eventually was sold off in 1901.

During the 12 years Sharon and Dennis owned Valley Stream, they carefully removed the renovations of the '60s and '70s and restored the buildings to their original state with vintage materials. At every opportunity, the couple added their own personal designs. For example, bargeboard (gingerbread), which was added to decorate the front gable, incorporated trilliums into its design. So did the Victorian-style screen door that replaced the aluminum storm door. And the wood railing enclosing the top balcony was embedded with shamrock cutouts to reflect the couple's Irish heritage.

Top image - Before: The farmhouse's exterior is worn with age - the original stucco is a brownish tinge. The now airy front porch was once enclosed and painted black and white.