Home of the Week: A designer's home with a cozy feel
Home of the Week, 1097 Birchview Ave., Oakville, Ont. Tracy Ray’s home in Oakville sprawls over 6,399 square feet but has the feel of a much smaller house.Margaret Kodric
Ms. Ray, owner of the interior-design company Unique Ideas, decided to build the two-storey house on Birchview Avenue in Oakville back in 2008. The decision to build new came after touring several resale homes but finding nothing that fit Ms. Ray’s vision. When agent Judith Hanley showed her the lot on Birchview, Ms. Ray immediately pictured her family living there.Maude Leger
Ms. Ray says it’s difficult to choose which room in this house she likes most. She likes them all in different ways. One that stands out is the formal dining room. “I wanted it to be moody,” she says. The walls are a dark, warm brown to match the walnut floors. The intensity of the decor is balanced by the light from the two large front windows and the detailed white-and-walnut ceiling.Maude Leger
Ms. Ray decided to go with walnut floors, but had them hand-distressed on site to give the place a worn feel. ‘Tracy has taken a luxury home and made it so that you’re not afraid to live in it,’ says agent Judith Hanley.Maude Leger
Maude Leger
Just on the other side of the dining room is a small wine bar, built into the main hall, complete with beverage drawers and a mini fridge.Maude Leger
Home of the Week, 1097 Birchview Ave., Oakville, Ont.Maude Leger
Ms. Ray’s office, nestled between the formal living room and the family room/kitchen. ‘I feel comfortable and inspired in there,’ she says. Though it’s one of the smaller rooms in the house, it feels large with many windows and 10-foot-high ceilings. ‘It’s my lady cave,’ Ms. Ray says with a laugh.Maude Leger
The master bedroom.Maude Leger
The master bathroom.Maude Leger
The basement, which has nine-foot ceilings, is basically a guest house within the house. There is a generously sized ‘entertainment room’ that includes a small bar and a separate wine-tasting room. There is also a gym with a rubber-tile floor and a 15-by-14-foot bedroom with a three-piece bathroom.Maude Leger
Maude Leger