The Road Away from Rome: A massive renovation on a Springwater bungalow – simcoe.com

Gleaming porcelain tile in the foyer now offsets the black accents delivering a fresh, clean look. Even the doors on the three-car garage were changed. Terry replaced all three with a modern profile with four lights in each door (Protech Overhead Doors.)

The kitchen was the biggest nightmare in the renovation, by far. But it wasnt the structural surprises that caused it. It was a difficult contractor. A buddy had asked Terry if he could throw some work to a friend. Terry was aware of a previous job completed by this contractor and agreed.

He started and everything looked good in the beginning, says Terry. But then he stopped showing up for work. I tried to be patient. Id feed him money to move to the next step, hed come in for a few days then not show up again.

These delays upended Terrys entire timeline. The trim carpenters couldnt get their work done and each delay tumbled on down the line toppling everyones schedule. Electricians, plumbers, and installers all experienced setbacks. A renovation that was scheduled for 12 weeks now stretched into nine months, which meant that Terry had to move into the property mid-renovation, which he had not planned on doing.

Unfortunately, its a common scenario experienced by many homeowners. The difficult decision to cut your losses and move on weighs heavy. But Terry finally made the hard decision to fire him. We didnt even get all the materials we paid for, he says. He left me high and dry. Fortunately, Infinite Designs and Interiors came to the rescue and brought the kitchen renovation spectacularly to the finish line.

The curvy cabinets are now gone and two floor-to-ceiling banks of white and wood accented cabinets and drawers stock everything a gourmet chef could dream of. A four-seater kitchen island with quartz countertop acts as the sole division between the great room and kitchen now. Lit by round glass bowl pendants, the kitchen has become a focal point, not a hidden grotto.

Terry opted for high-end Thermador industrial appliances, with 6 burners on the range, a grill and two ovens, one steam, one convection, plus a warming tray and a 40-inch seamless hood over the range. A Miele built-in coffeemaker and 39 dB silent Bosch dishwasher fill out the equipment. You cant even hear that dishwasher, says Terry. You wouldnt know it was running unless you saw the light indicator on the floor. (TA Appliances sourced the appliances except for the range hood which came from Vancouver.)

With black fixtures and white walls in Sherwin Williams Eider White, using Benjamin Moore paint, the congested look is gone and the contemporary transformation, complete.

The basement, I didnt touch much, says Terry. That level was already an entertainers paradise with a games room with pool and foosball, wine room, lounge, wet bar, fitness area, office and extra bedroom and washroom perfect for teenagers. The only change made here was the addition of a home theatre, which Terry outfitted with lounges on risers for unobstructed viewing.

We had my daughters 25th birthday down there, says Terry. There were easily fifty people. The theme was drinks and food from around the world. We had stations all throughout the basement, the Mexico stand had margaritas and nacho dips. France had champagne and a cheese platter. Spain had tapas and sangria. For USA, it was sliders and beer and so on.

The exterior of the property continues to be party central, with a pool, hot tub, outdoor kitchen, cabana, fire pit and even a standalone fountain. The family has held catered pig roasts there for sixty people with ping pong and horseshoe tournaments followed by bonfires. Its a big property, says Terry, Truly an entertainers dream house. Weve had a great time here.

4 Quinn Street in Springwater is now on the market, represented by Sothebys International Realty Canada.

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The Road Away from Rome: A massive renovation on a Springwater bungalow - simcoe.com