Heritage Restoration
Integrating Rich History and Modern Lifestyle
Background
Originally known as Norfolk Lodge, this 7,200 square foot home was built in 1908 to showcase good, modern and affluent British taste and used to have eight bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms.
Later, the house underwent two substantial renovations by renowned BC architect Samuel MacClure in 1911 and 1914. These changes shifted the home into the Arts & Crafts style, which was popular in the United Kingdom and the United States at the time.
Despite its magnificent classic architecture, the home wasn’t always so cohesive and underwent some unusual renovations over the last 109 years, changing owners more than five times and sometimes even leased as a rental home.
Our scope of work included thorough interior and exterior restoration, basement revitalization, significant floorpan revisions and rejuvenation of the earlier Tudor and Art & Crafts features.
Features
The raw stone fireplace is the original item, stripped down to offer a rough contrast with the fine artwork highlighted in this room. During the Arts and Crafts period, high-quality and one-of-a-kind work was displayed prominently.
The pot lighting and coiffured ceilings in the master bedroom are new additions, but the refurbished white oak flooring and cream shades tie this room in with the rest of the home.
The bathroom cabinets are kept within the style of those in the kitchen, while the heated porcelain tile flooring mimics that in the sunroom. The stylized tub was originally found in another bathroom in the house and was paired with the modern glass-wall shower.
Sunrooms were popular additions to houses of the Arts and Crafts period and the homeowners wanted this room to be an internal reflection of the beauty of the grounds. With two walls made entirely of windows, this bright area captures views of the gardens, bridge and surrounding forests and fields, making it the perfect location for morning coffee or evening wine.
The flooring is a heated porcelain tile from Island Floor Centre, made to look like textured wood in keeping with the rest of the home.
“There was no point trying to perfectly conserve the outmoded kitchen just as it was, but we never want to overdo things. Our aim has been to retain the timeless qualities we love, while creating a home that functions well and matches how we live today.”–Homeowner
From its revitalized stone-clad basement and rose-themed stained-glass motifs to its modern heated tile flooring, the home today feels like it’s truly ready for another century.
There’s a lot of history in buildings like this, and each one tells a story—bringing these homes back to life preserves the heritage of Victoria.