The spaciousness offered by the 18-foot-high ceilings and windows is a perfect backdrop for the home’s rustic decorating scheme, reminiscent of a woodsy summer camp. “All colours and materials come from the land,” Gagnon says. On the walls, for instance, a pale straw yellow paint mixes and matches with a contrasting ochre shade around the fireplace and trim in a mossy green.
Furniture and draperies in warm tones of primary colours add a cozy touch in the winter months, as do the muted wood tones of the original staircase, floors and window frames. “We loved creating the look of the place — like a grand old summer house,” Gagnon adds. The palette is especially effective this time of year, when the oranges, yellows and reds of autumn bring on nostalgic back-to-school feelings.
To create the fireplace surround for one of the original fireplaces, Gagnon and Leblond collected stones from the rocky shore. A flat piece of driftwood — a favourite textural material for Leblond — tops the mantelpiece, while more driftwood has been used for banisters and fences. Leblond has even adapted a piece of driftwood to anchor the sailboat lamp that hangs above the refectory dining table.
Vintage finds that add to the time-worn ambiance from flea markets or small antique shops, as well as visits to garage sales or roadside vendors complete the picture. Sometimes they’ve found pieces in other houses; they’re now so well known in the area that they might even get a call about an old chair or antique birdhouse. In the evolution of a building that helped nurture the hands-on development of the community, it seems Gagnon and Leblond are fitting caretakers.
See more photos from this stunning reno: Check out our vintage schoolhouse reno slideshow!
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