A few years ago, Susan and Bram Kaufman transformed their nondescript suburban Montreal house into an English rose (see “The Great Pretender,” Canadian Home & Country's Winter 2003 issue), complete with a stone exterior and an interior brimming with English Country style. Sounds like a happy ending to a renovation story, but there was one more chapter to write. “We wanted a fourth bedroom upstairs,” says Susan, and the deck over the garage seemed the perfect spot. Back came the workmen to bring Susan's vision of a dreamy white aerie to light. Here's how she did it.
CHC: How did the work on the addition compare to the whole home reno?
Susan Kaufman: When you're renovating there's only so much you can do, but with the new addition I had this vision, from the weather vane and windows to the floors and balcony, so I worked closely with both Westgrove Contracting, and the architect, Fred Weiser, to get exactly what I wanted.
CHC: Did you ever ignore the advice of the experts?
SK: The mason's son didn't want to face the addition with stone because the rest of the facade had been completed a few years prior and he was afraid they wouldn't match. But I really wanted to have all stone in front. I took the chance, and we were lucky. The masons did a beautiful job.
CHC: Did you ever compromise on your vision?
SK: At one point we considered putting a loft in, which would have been really nice, but it was too expensive. Now, I love the cathedral ceiling, but even that got costly. We could have done a flat ceiling that would have cost a fraction of the price, but all those details are what really makes this room.
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