News

7150 Middle Rd., Bowmanville, Ont.

What: Okemere, a country estate with many eco-friendly features spread out over 30 acres. The estate includes formal gardens, woods, meadows and a heritage apple orchard. The grey stone house has four bedrooms and approximately 6,000 square feet of above-ground living space.

Asking price: $2.35 million

Taxes: $10,278.62 (2009)

Agent: Chestnut Park Real Estate Ltd. (Joan Costa and Dee McGee)

***

When Donna and William Oke looked at a flat expanse of property 22 years ago, they envisioned an English country manor, surrounded by gardens and orchards in a gently undulating landscape.

At the time, the mirage took some strong powers of imagination. "It was a cornfield when we bought it," says Ms. Oke.

The couple owned the land for three years before constructing a house that reminds them of the stately homes they have visited in England.

Mr. Oke's mother suggested the name Okemere, which means "oak by the water" in Irish.

When the couple started out there was just a rushing stream that wound its way through the woods. Now the property also includes a 3-acre pond with a small island, a fountain and a dock. But the stream, under the cover of cedar trees, is still one of Ms. Oke's favourite places. "It's so relaxing and beautiful," she says.

As the Okes planned the new house, they drew inspiration from some of their favourite places in Devon and Cornwall. They even sought out the ancestral home of family members in England and discovered "Oke cottage" still appeared on a plaque attached to the house.

Visitors to 7150 Middle Road arrive to a grand entrance hall, with ceilings 19 feet high. Mr. Oke wanted a welcoming feel to the baronial hall, which is trimmed in oak, in deference to his surname.

The living room has traditional plaster moulding and a two-way fireplace shared with the dining room. But the standout feature of the dining room is a built-in china cabinet, which Ms. Oke says was inspired by a display she saw at a restaurant located in an antique building. To construct the special cabinet, the space between the walls had to be made especially deep.

The dining room also features large picture windows. Ms. Oke says many people think of the summer and the fall when they think of the appeal of the countryside. But she points out that it is especially beautiful in winter when the dining room is warm and bright while, outside, the grounds and trees are covered in snow. The bright red of the high-bush cranberries outside provides a vivid contrast.

"Especially when it's all white outside, it's lovely when we have dinner."

The kitchen is slightly elevated above the great room and casual dining area so that it overlooks the back gardens, pond and orchard.

The open vistas also mean that when Ms. Oke is minding the stove, she can still be involved in family life: "I never wanted to be stuck in a kitchen again where I can't see anybody."

The kitchen has lots of cupboards to contain the couple's kitchenware. Ms. Oke had a glass-fronted cabinet built in to resemble the one that she remembered from her grandmother's kitchen in England.

The great room has double doors opening to the patio. A Rumford fireplace in the room is made from bricks reclaimed from a former piano factory in nearby Bowmanville.

"I went down with the builder and picked out the bricks," says Ms. Oke.

One of her favourite spots is the sitting area at the front of the house, which has a built-in window seat.

"That's a lovely place to sit in the winter and watch the birds," says Ms. Oke.

Upstairs, a large master bedroom contains another sitting area with a wall of windows overlooking the backyard and orchard. An ensuite bathroom has a soaker tub and walk-in shower.

The second floor has three additional bedrooms and a study. Real estate agent Joan Costa of Chestnut Park Real Estate Ltd. points out that a corner bedroom has a view of the pond and countryside.

"You've got light from two sides which is really nice and bright."

Down the hall, a games room above the garage has a cathedral ceiling clad in pine.

The floor had to be specially reinforced, Ms. Oke says, to accommodate an antique oak snooker table. The games room takes the place of a basement recreation room and has become a gathering spot on family occasions. "We don't really like basements," she adds.

The Okes have designed the house and grounds to be low-maintenance, says Ms. Costa. At the same time, they have built in features which help the property to be more "green." For example, all of the in-ground watering systems which surround the house are fed by water from the pond. There are also two geothermal furnaces which connect to artesian wells to power heating and cooling.

In summer, water from the artesian well enters the house at about 50 degrees and circulates through. It removes heat from the house and returns to the pond at about 60 degrees.

Outside, the Okes are growing fruits and vegetables without the use of pesticides.

Mr. Oke, who's grandfather exported apples from the Port Hope area to England, planted the apple orchard using whips that he collected from growers of heritage cultivars.

Behind the house, a screened gazebo beside the pond provides a tranquil escape.

"This is our cottage," says Ms. Oke.

The surrounding hillocks were built from earth that was excavated to dig the pond. A small island has become a favourite sanctuary for birds ("That's where the ducks hide," says Ms. Oke), and in the winter the family skates on the frozen pond around the island.

The house is just a few minutes' drive from Bowmanville. Cross-country ski and conservation areas are located nearby.