Clarksburg House

Clarksburg House is a full-scale renovation and addition designed to bring new life to a century-old building. The corner property is well-located, a short walk from the local school and library, village shops, the Beaver River, and the shores of Georgian Bay.

The existing home was a brick Edwardian from the late-1890s, onto which several fragmentary side and rear additions had been built over the years. There were two front doors, two back doors, and what had once been a grand south-facing window had been bisected to accommodate passage into one of the small additions. The basement was a crawl-space accessible only through a floor hatch at the back of the house.

This project consolidated and then expanded anew. The existing house was returned to its original form by removing the ad hoc additions and restoring the grand south window, and a single large addition was built at the back.

The home is now a merger of old and new, with ease of circulation and a variety of spaces to serve a work-from-home couple and their two young children.

In true Solares fashion, the building envelope is super energy-efficient, utilizing a combination of mineral wool and spray-foam insulation, with the Zip Wall sheathing system used for the addition.

The original brick house and modern addition seam together with a straight view from front to back. The addition is distinguished from the original house in both shape and exteriors. In contrast to the traditional forms of the Edwardian brick house, the rear addition is rectilinear and clad in a combination of black metal panels and thermally modified ash. The ash wood siding has been left untreated to weather over time.

Inside, the original brick is exposed where the two portions of the home meet at the main staircase. This represents the rear wall of the original house, and acts as a dividing line between old and new. In the old part of the house, interior finishes give nod to more traditional times, with full trim around windows and doors. In the modern addition, windows and doors are framed with more minimal drywall returns.

There are two entries to the building: a formal entry at the front at the deep covered porch, and a family entry at the back into a practical mud room with cubbies and storage. The back deck is left open to the sky and spans the whole width of the addition. It is adorned with a framework for seasonal sun cover so the family can have shade in summer while allowing sunlight to pour unencumbered into the home during winter.

The kitchen is the heart of this home. The family wanted lots of space for cooking and eating together, and for hosting family and friends. Pantry cupboards line the hall between the mudroom, powder room, and kitchen, and an extra set of cabinets provide a home for schoolwork and art supplies.

The living room is tucked into the middle of the house, as a respite from the more public area of the kitchen. It is designed with two connected zones: a cozy space for reading, playing games, and watching TV; and a music space, with a dedicated spot for an upright piano.

At the front of the house by the formal entrance is a home office, which is shared by the work-from-home couple, with ample storage and plenty of daylight.

On the second floor, the original front half of the home contains the children’s area with two bedrooms and a shared bathroom with double vanity. The end of the hallway opens to a flexible space used as a play space and reading room. In the future, this will be converted to a homework nook with desks and storage.

At the other end of the second floor is the addition, with a small laundry room, and the primary suite. The bedroom looks out over large trees in the backyard, and the ensuite bathroom is flooded with warmth and light from its south-west-facing vantage point. The bathtub is specifically oriented towards the view of an enormous 150-year-old spruce tree in the backyard.

In the basement of the addition is a guest bedroom, guest bathroom, and a family room set up as a home theatre for family movie nights and friend gatherings. This space faces south with light-filled window wells that offer views of the garden and trees along the sidewalk.

Built by Valleyview Construction
Custom kitchen and mudroom cubbies by Cabneato

Photography by Nanne Springer