winter
feature
WHITES
BY ADRIENNE BROWN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON HARTOG
FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS BY PINK POPPI
F
From the outside, this
French country manor
has always looked like it
belongs in Cambridge’s
historic Blair Village.
The interior, on the other
hand, is a different story.
When Debra Desforges and her
husband Roger purchased the home,
the interior was outdated, dark and
disjointed. However, Debra, a designer,
saw its potential. She transformed the
interior to fit the home’s exterior design
and her family’s needs.
Now, after a top-to-bottom redesign,
the house is for sale once again. This
time around, the chic home, in this
historic neighbourhood with ties to
Langdon Hall, has a more cohesive feel
– all thanks to Debra making it more
romantic and functional. “Now it feels
like a destination home,” she says.
Continued on page 38
“I believe in investing in good pieces,”
says Debra, who pulls together her shabby
chic style with lots of whites and creams.
OPPOSITE TOP: Debra’s angled desk adds
interest to her bright and clean main-level
office. BOTTOM LEFT: Debra painted all
the colourful abstract canvases that line
the dining room wall behind the long table.
BOTTOM RIGHT: Debra re-discovered
these mirrors in the basement and now
they’re a perfect entryway accent.
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Although the home is for sale because Debra and Roger are drawn to
a new property and project, Debra says it will be hard to leave this space
behind. “I designed it to be timeless,” she says. “It’s open but not too open
concept. I think it’s great for family entertaining and friends.”
After gutting every room and sanding all the ceilings and floors,
Debra changed all the trim in the house. With the help of Denis McEwan
and Jerry Ramseyer from Renown Cabinet Systems Inc. (her go-to
contractors for a variety of projects), she upgraded narrow, ineffective trim
to bold, replica French design edging around every doorframe. “Jerry and
I design and Denis and Jerry build anything we come up with. Everything
is custom,” says Debra. She has worked with Denis for the past five years
and with Jerry for about 17 years.
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Regardless of what other projects she has on the go, Debra insists that
working on your own home is the ultimate labour of love. “I like that you
can go into one of my homes 20 years later and it’s actually better,” she
says. This home is proof her work not only stands the test of time, but
overcomes it.
Early in the renovation process, Debra had all the floors replaced.
Len Koebel Flooring Ltd. finished all the four-inch plank wood floors,
except in the kitchen where Debra had pre-finished flooring installed.
All the walls are white or very light in colour, painted by Daryl Longre.
The bright whites and natural light create a space that is airy, open
and soft. When daylight just won’t do, beautiful light fixtures from The
Lighting Shoppe in Cambridge illuminate the interior. Continued on page 40
ABOVE: The home’s huge kitchen
opens into the breakfast and dining
rooms and heavy oak doors lead
out to the foyer and to the mainfloor laundry. TOP RIGHT: Debra
Desforges serves up croissants and
coffee in her casual breakfast room.
RIGHT: The dark wood island is
flanked by white cabinets and two tall
chalkboards display the Desforges’
most-loved recipes.
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LEFT: Debra’s
French country
style is carried into
the master bedroom.
BOTTOM LEFT:
The romantic en
suite features a
soaker tub, hisand-hers sinks and
plenty more storage.
BOTTOM RIGHT:
The bookcase at
the top of the stairs
only comes out a few
inches from the wall.
“I injected it into
a small space,”
says Debra.
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Beautiful floors for the real world
In the kitchen, the main hub of the home, Debra added quartz
countertops and topped the large island with marble. Two tall chalkboards
cover one end wall, which leads to a powder room and main-floor laundry.
All appliances came from Appliance Plus.
The dining room is f lanked by tall windows looking out on a
beautiful, established yard. The dining space is large enough to seat 20
people comfortably.
When they’re not hosting, the Desforges eat their more intimate meals in
the breakfast room. This space used to be a sunroom, but Debra wanted to
convert it to an all-weather room and an easygoing, bright dining space. She
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painted all the walls white and had the original Terracotta floors sandblasted.
About her décor style, Debra says, “most people like matchy-matchy,
but I don’t. I went for elements that are similar but not the same. Most
people are so afraid to experiment.”
The sunken living room on the left of the foyer features comfortable
furniture, including a weathered coffee table from Cornerstone
Home Interiors and handmade wood furniture from Gibsons Home
Furnishings. While the fireplace may look like it burns wood, it’s
actually gas without the glass. “You can only install one like it if you have
a real fireplace to begin with,” says Debra. Continued on page 42
feature
The Desforges’ four children love to come home
and stay in these beautifully-decorated spare
bedrooms, each with its own en suite. Pale paint
and French country furniture and décor make
them feel like a bed and breakfast retreat.
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To the right of the foyer is Debra’s home office, which has its own
fireplace, plus a large desk where she can spread out her latest project.
At the top of the stairs, double-wide doors open to the master
bedroom. Debra designed a small candle-lit fireplace for the far side of the
room and added plenty of shelving and cupboard space, which the master
originally lacked. “I’m all about storage,” she laughs.
Each of the other bedrooms and bathrooms is slightly different, too.
One spare bedroom carries the French country theme from top to bottom,
including an en suite with a white clawfoot tub. At the opposite end of
the hall, there’s a more contemporary room. While it has similar colours,
it’s set up as a secondary office and a sitting room and has a more modern
bathroom. Regardless of the style, when she’s redoing a bathroom, Debra
does not scrimp on fixtures.
As for the exterior, Debra left most elements as they were, except for
the roof. Thomson Roofing Inc. replaced the existing roof with a charcoal
timber design. She wanted the landscaping to be as relaxed as the décor inside,
so she had Elmira’s Earthscape help her design gardens that mimic those
at Langdon Hall, a historic country house hotel. Everything is intentionally
low-maintenance and natural. “There’s always something blooming,” says
Debra, who loves to clip her flowers and bring them inside for hits of colour.
The Desforges are selling their home through Kevin L. Haight
from Royal LePage Action Realty. Because of the neighbourhood’s
connection to Langdon Hall, the purchase of the home includes a two-year
special Langdon Hall package. OH
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