42.9486° N · 81.4256° W

Kilworth · On the Thames

Built from the landon which it sits.

A custom riverfront estate of nine-plus acres on the Thames — constructed from reclaimed timber, stone, and ash milled from the property, creating a timeless residence that lives in harmony with its surroundings.

Komoka, OntarioEst. 2011Designed by Barry Wade

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Chapter One

The Land

Nine-plus acres above the Thames — six wooded, three of parkland with a pond. A private stretch of river to fish, kayak and walk. Deer, wild turkey, eagles and red-tailed hawks are common sightings, and the home is surrounded by majestic century-old trees. A one-of-a-kind setting that cannot be reproduced.

Acreage

Wooded

6 ac

Parkland

3 ac

Frontage

Thames

Six wooded acres · three of parkland

Chapter Two

The Arrival

The craftsmanship is evident before you reach the door.

Two laneways welcome you between armour-stone walls to a facade of natural stone, copper eaves and downspouts that will weather for a century, and an Enviroshake roof projected to stand a hundred years. Wide covered porches wrap the house — front and side — anchored by stone columns under solid ash soffits.

Oversized Loewen windows and nine-foot doors bring the natural beauty of the outdoors in. The main drive is partially heated concrete. Nothing is standard issue.

II · The Arrival

Stone steps · armour-stone walls

Covered porch · stone & timber

On the Thames

Nine acres along the river.

Private frontage on the Thames is rarely offered — most of the river is public land, or glimpsed from a road. At 10955 Old River Road, more than nine acres of it are yours: a long, quiet run of moving water embraced by your own tree-line.

Eighteen-foot barrel-vaulted great room

Ash ceilings, milled on the property

Walnut island · Viking suite

Italian travertine & plank oak

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III

The House

The structure

Beams that carried a city.

The timber overhead was reclaimed from the Toronto subway and a British Columbia railway trestle, sourced and built by The Great Lakes Frame Company. An eighteen-foot barrel vault crowns the great room.

The ceilings

Cut from the ground.

The ash ceilings were milled from trees that grew on the property, finished to a timeless feel and meticulously installed by the builder's own carpenter — a house quite literally made from its own land.

The kitchen

A walnut centre of gravity.

An island of solid walnut from the property anchors the gourmet kitchen — a full Viking suite with a forty-eight-inch double-oven dual-fuel range, custom cabinetry, granite countertops and Italian travertine tile. A walk-through butler's pantry and laundry adjoin the kitchen; a custom eight-foot freshwater aquarium is built into the great-room cabinetry.

The finishes

Travertine, oak, and stone underfoot.

Italian Ocean Silver travertine, five-inch plank oak and ceramic tile run underfoot with radiant in-floor heat throughout. Solid eight-foot wood doors, extensive crown moulding, and a custom faux-beam ceiling in the lower level. A home detailed to the millimetre.

Beyond the great room

An office amongst the trees, a lower level for gathering.

Office with forest views — The office, amidst the trees

Lower level billiards — Lower level — billiards

Hydraulic elevator — Federal Panorama hydraulic elevator

Built-in aquarium — Custom eight-foot freshwater aquarium, built into the great-room cabinetry

The Materials

Materials with a history.

Timber

Reclaimed

The beams overhead carried the Toronto subway and a railway trestle before The Great Lakes Frame Company re-milled them for this house — a century of grain no order form can reproduce.

Stone

Natural

Natural stone adorns the facade. Hand-built oversized fireplaces anchor the great room and the front terrace.

Ash

From the land

The ceilings in the foyer, great room and kitchen were milled from ash that grew on the property, carried through to the soffits in the overhangs that wrap the front and sides of the house.

Chapter Four

The Life

Mornings begin with sunlight streaming through the front door and filling the house with light. Hawks and eagles soar above; deer and wildlife roam the grounds. Indoors, the house affords a luxurious space to unwind and enjoy the natural splendour. With four bedrooms, a study, a finished lower level for entertaining, five fireplaces, geothermal warmth underfoot, a hydraulic elevator, and a Crestron Home automation system, the home gives a sense of cottage and custom home — one address for every season.

Your own river · five fireplaces