Written by clients and friends, Beverly MacNeill and Craig Neville whose ideas and values we collaboratively transformed into one-of-a-kind homes.
Our home could best be described as eclectic. Concrete floors covered with colourful woven tribal carpets. White gallery-style walls adorned with travel photography and other mementos. Antique furniture mixed with a high tech sound and security system. A reproduction drafting table in the dining room, next to a gourmet cook’s kitchen. It’s anything but cookie-cutter.
It may appear effortlessly, even careless or thrown together, but in fact the look is the result of hours of collaboration between ourselves and our designer-builder, Mila Djuras. As she got to know us and we her, it became apparent that ours was a match mostly made in heaven. And any conflict that arose only spurred discussion and enhanced the final product.
The original house, built in 1917, was poorly constructed. The root-cellar basement foundation was crumbling, the balloon framing was flimsy, the walls were minimally insulated, the plumbing and electrical were outdated, and the interior was chopped up into three suites. It could have been a tear down except for the fact that the south-facing rear garden was enormous and the only way to maintain the footprint was to “renovate”. What was once the ugliest house in the neighbourhood is now the loveliest.
It is said that home is the story of who we are and a collection of what we love. This could not be truer for our home. It is where we display our travel treasures and entertain friends. It’s where we garden, cook and plan future trips. It is our refuge, where we take shelter and recharge. It is a place of both comfort and stimulation. Truly a place of warmth and joy, it’s our home.
And now, it is sold to new owners who are thrilled to have acquired such a remarkable abode. My husband and I are moving on, to a new property in the Okanagan. As we work to redesign that house, we know that having Mila on our team will make all of the difference and that once again we will be able to create a home that tells the story of who we are.
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