As soon as he took one look through the living room window, he was hooked.
The panoramic view of rolling fields with horses and cows gives way to the sight of some urban development before unfolding all the way to Shuswap Lake.
Louis-Marc Simard viewed the dilapidated Foothills Road home at 9 a.m. and it was his by 2 p.m.
“I knew it needed work and I was prepared to renovate, but I didn’t realize the scale of the renovation, that really everything was going to have to be redone,” says the artist and house painter of his purchase.
“There were some people who just said level it down and build a new house. In some ways it was a little foolish to renovate the way I did, with all new foundation, electrical, plumbing, but it was kind of in keeping with recycling as much as possible.”
Indeed, Simard’s home reflects his desire to live with less.
“It seems like whatever space you have, it is always full, and usually full of junk. With this house, I can not just buy more, more, more. There is no place to put it.”
The home, which was originally built in 1920 and had two more additions before Simard purchased it, is 800 square feet. In many cases, the small size allowed him to choose quality materials like wooden floors, window frames and doors, high end bathroom fixtures and a beautiful woodstove for the cozy heat, as well as a high efficiency furnace and water heater.
It also fit with his desire to live close to downtown so he could use his bike as much as possible.
“To me, there is just something about an old house. They have a quaintness about them that a new house just does not have.”
Simard invested money, but more so, he invested time in doing the renovation work almost entirely by himself, living in the home while working away and learning many aspects as he went. Having purchased the home in 2004, it was nearly three years before the renovations were entirely complete.
To accommodate his tools and provide a place for him to work on his art, Simard built a second studio and garage structure, which is actually larger in size than his home. The airy studio filled with Simard’s colourful sculptures and paintings, boasts cathedral ceilings, and a huge window to let in light and views of the large trees on the property.
Rather than the typical large home on a small lot, Simard enjoys his small home on the large 3/4-acre lot.
“I have a garden, and in the summer, the willow is so large, I sit in my hammock underneath and it is so closed in, it is like a complete environment.”
Asked if he would do it all again, Simard smiles.
“It was mind-boggling at times. But I’ve always loved old houses. I’m glad I rescued it.”
