Doc Bonnell's on Riverbank

We purchased the Doctor's House in 1999 from a family who had owned it for over 40 years. Our home inspector told us that the previous tenants and home maintenance had not living on the same street for quite some time. He was not joking!

When the house was for sale, many people from town went to see it but thought it was just too big a job and at the time, I luckily someone didn't think it would be worth buying it simply to tear it down, although it was suggested to us on many occassions.

We, however, recognized the house for waht it was...a beautiful that was well built one hundred years early but needed extensive mechanical and cosmetic fixes to restore it to original beauty.

At the time, we thought this would be a ten year project and I often joke that we are seven years into a ten year plan and we have eight years of renovations left!

The following pages document the restoration / renovation process. I hope that a tour of where the house has been will help you to appreciate your stay here even more.

Exterior

Back Deck

Front Porch

Gardens

Front Hall

We have been noticing in the Calgary real estate market that front halls sell! The vastness, the spiraling staircase. The collasal waste of money! Half the images of some properties seem to be focused on the "grand" entrance.

But perhaps there is something to this obsession with the entrance to a home...its ability to set the tone as guests enter into your environment...it's ability to reflect the true nature of the house.

When we moved into the Doctor's House, the entrance was less than impressive. The tone was a dull orange glow and true nature was a tacky amber ceiling light and a multi-depressing coloured rug.

When we first moved in, we did an initial overhaul on the entranceway ripping out the depressing carpeting and the amber orb which cast a hideous glow on the monochrome mint green walls.

In the spring of 2006, we began work on the front hall as well as the study and the floor of the west bedroom (check out those links for more). The following images say it all...except for perhaps the time it takes to restore a property with so much detail.

Living Room / Den

In 2005, we started the Living Room and Den renovation. When we purchased the house this space was less than impressive. A light green dirty paint covered the walls and trim. Under the green paint were alternating layers of wallpaper and paint. A real nightmare to strip.

A cheap tile drop ceiling at 8' hid the hole in the original 10' ceiling caused by a blown radiator in the upstairs radiator during the 1960's (George at the local plumbing hardware store remembers the day well as it was the day his daughter was born).

The maple floors in the Living Room had lost their shine and the original windows were drafty. There were no light fixtures and the room was dark and dinghy to say the least.

The Den, however, was much worse. Dark brown panelling adorned the walls, a dirty brown carpet covered the floors and the fireplace looked cheap and tacky.

During a 12 week period, the two rooms were restored to their original beauty. The floors, walls and ceilings were redone. Under that ugly carpeting in the den and two more layers of tile was the same maple flooring found in the Living Room. Electrical was upgraded including ceiling light fixtures in the living room and a ceiling fan in the den.

The fireplace and mantle were replaced and perhaps the most impressive part of the renovation was the trim. Baseboards in the Living Room which were covered with at least eight layers of paint were stripped to reveal beautiful 8" oak with ornate cap moldings.

Windows in the Living Room were restored rather than replaced. These single pane / double hung windows are not the most energy efficient but their 100+ year old leaded glass, which slightly distorts your view as you look out, adds a lot of character to the room. Weatherstripping was added and the windows are now quite comfortable with no drafts during cold winter nights.

We hope you have many enjoyable times in these rooms, watching the TV, listening to music (an audio input jack allows you to plug in your MP3 player to the stereo system), watching the latest movie on DVD or curling up in front of the fireplace to read a book.

Kitchen

Dining Room

Downstairs Bathroom / Laundry Room

South Bedroom

North Bedroom

East Bedroom

West Bedroom

Upper Deck

Study

Back Hall

Upstairs Bathroom

Basement

Garage

Miscellaneous