This Airy Country Coach House Has Stunning Windows and a Gorgeous $5 Decorative Centerpiece
Name: Jean Ross, husband, Craig, two boys, Bowie and Rhys, and a Frenchie, Hawkins (aka Toots)
Location: Cobourg, Ontario
Type of home: Coach house
Size: 3,000 square feet
Years lived in: 1 month, owned
Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: We just moved to a small town in Southern Ontario from Toronto a month ago! We had been looking for houses outside the city for years and couldn’t find the right one. We wanted something different and unique. We found this coach house that was built in 1910 and converted to a residential home years ago, and we fell in love with the spread-out layout for our two boys! The house has amazing vibes, and we feel right at home. I have to admit that the windows may have sealed the deal because they are incredible! Every time I look at them I swoon.
I live with my husband, Craig. He’s a camera operator for shows and a builder on the side. We renovated our last place in the city together. We’ve been together for nine years. We used to travel for work together for four plus years before we had our first son. We continued to travel after Bowie was born and spent eight months in New York and then back to Toronto and back to New York for another six months and then to Nashville. As Bowie got older, we realized we needed to SLOW DOWN and plant roots. We had our second, Rhys, and it became very clear that we wanted more backyard space. We love Toronto, and we love to travel and explore new cities, so we definitely struggled with the idea of moving to a small town, but we are finding the pace really nice and adjusting well. (The windows don’t hurt, lol.) Our boys are busy-busy, so this house is perfect for them to spread out.
I need to have my home feel like an extension of myself and my family. I need to feel cozy and be surrounded by things we’ve found while travelling, having a family day, or something we just needed to have. I love layering textures and objects. I love creating fun spaces for my kids and having unique items throughout. I love being around all my art and books.
Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Eclectic, Fun, Unique, Cozy, Colourful
What is your favorite room and why? My favorite room is the family room with the large map, which I found at a yard sale for $5! What?! It’s where my kids play, and we can shut large sliding barn doors, which are original. Side note: We looked behind the doors into the walls and saw straw! There’s 100-year-old straw in the walls. I also love the living room, which is off the kitchen and has the daybed. I am paranoid about having my kids’ often-dirty hands all over the sofas (I should have rethought the light pink sofa in the family room), so this time around I found a daybed so I can wash the mattress cover, and I don’t have to worry about the legs and arms! I also love my gallery wall. I love to stare at the windows and gallery wall while sipping tea. What is happening?! I’ve moved to the country and like to watch the outdoors now.
What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? I found my large plant. Plants are life! I can’t have enough.
Any advice for creating a home you love? Don’t overthink it. Put items in your home that you love, that make you feel something, that remind you of something, that inspire you, give you hope and happiness. Whatever that item or object is … don’t be afraid to express yourself! Don’t follow all the rules … break ’em!
This submission’s responses were edited for length and clarity.
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This post originally appeared on Apartment Therapy. See it there: An Airy Country Coach House Has Some Seriously Stunning Windows