Linda is a passionate gardener, enthusiastic recycler and reuser.
She just installed a second-hand shower unit in her new ensuite, a used sink and vanity in her new bathroom 鈥� and almost all her furniture is old, with many of the pieces having been refinished by her late husband Stan.
鈥淚 am a second-hand rose,鈥� she said proudly, an attitude that also spurred her recent purchase of a 1970 home on Saltspring, which she plans to share with her family.
鈥淚 believe strongly that in the future, to solve our housing crisis, we must develop ways of sharing what we have. This is a large property, about 1.4 acres, and it used to be occupied by just one couple.
鈥淪o often you see huge houses used by only one or two people, or only on weekends. I cannot wrap my mind around that. There are so many people on this planet who don鈥檛 even have clean water鈥� .
鈥淚 was raised with a different ethic. I鈥檓 not saying it鈥檚 the right one, but I believe some approaches enhance our survival and others do not.鈥�
With that in mind Linda (who prefers to keep her last name private) just finished renovating a legal granny suite for herself in what used to be caretakers quarters attached to a larger home.
Her daughter and son-in-law, Shannon and Alan, plan to renovate and live in the main house when they sell their current home.
Linda, 70, is delighted with the new arrangement and her 968-square-foot space, which includes a small kitchen-living area, bedroom and bathroom on the main floor. Upstairs is another bedroom and ensuite, in a previously unused loft.
鈥淢y husband and I were together 47 years, and he was a passionate collector of Canadian books, so the first thing I told my builder was I needed a full wall to hold them all,鈥� she said.
Derek Sowden of Strait Construction, who enjoyed working on the multi-generational home, said the old caretaker suite was oddly laid out and not well built.
鈥淭he loft floor was quite weak, all right for storage but not for people to live in, so we sistered-up the floor joists [doubled them], removed a post in the middle of the downstairs room and added a hidden beam in the ceiling.鈥�
He also converted an old attached garage into a closet, bathroom and bedroom for the suite, now separated from the living area by glass pocket doors.
鈥淭he suite is now very charming and well appointed,鈥� he said, adding the reno cost 鈥渘orth of $100,000 but it doubled the space and added versatility and value that they will certainly get back if they ever sell.鈥�
A new septic system and heat pump were also added.
Linda said Sowden is a remarkable builder and very receptive to ideas.
鈥淩ecycling is not always the easiest route, but he embraced that and turned some rather strange quarters into an ideal place for me.
鈥淎nd we didn鈥檛 tear the house down,鈥� she said with a chuckle. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very odd to me how people do that these days.鈥�
The home looks like an English cottage, with its steep shake roof, and Linda said she looked at more than 20 homes before settling on this one. 鈥淚 think my realtor wanted to strangle me, but I love history and wanted a house with some soul.鈥�
Her previous home in Saltair, just north of Chemainus, had a 鈥渉eart-throbbingly beautiful view鈥� and after gardening there for 40 years with her late husband it was difficult to leave.
鈥淏ut I wanted to downsize 鈥� and we have a vision here. We have bought potential, and some of it has been realized already.鈥�
Her daughter, an artist and art teacher with experience in palliative care, is grateful her family works together so well.
鈥淎nd I think everyone should have hands-on experience with the elderly, to know what鈥檚 coming down the chute and to learn about compassion,鈥� Shannon said.
鈥淚鈥檝e seen lots of families as they try to transition through this phase. In my experience, it鈥檚 essential for seniors to be able to live on one level. I was adamant about that, and the garden here is flat, too.鈥�
The apartment allows her mother to take advantage of the beautiful new upstairs room and views as long as possible, then move downstairs if necessary.
Each home has a separate entrance, meter and smoke alarm, but the two homes connect through a laundry room, which they share.
Linda plans to put up a clothesline soon. 鈥淚t鈥檚 insane to be using a dryer.鈥�
She also moved the former downstairs shower unit to the new upstairs ensuite, and installed a beautiful old vanity and sink from a Saanich home in the main-floor bathroom.
鈥淭his chest is just dandy and fits perfectly in this small room, where I also needed space for a chair for when I get out of the tub.鈥�
Linda plans to buy a water saving, eco-friendly Caroma toilet next, with a basin at the back that drains into the tank to flush. It uses only 1.28 gallons per flush.
She loves her bright new bedroom upstairs, formerly a loft.
鈥淲hen we first crept up here, it was a dark, decrepit place with a rough plywood floor and patched walls,鈥� said Shannon. The deck was decaying and wooden railings were dilapidated.
The new ensuite has extra storage that Sowden found in the eaves, and plenty of room to navigate in a walker or wheelchair. Shannon said that was critical, 鈥渁s we are walking the line here between access and esthetics.鈥�
Some of the features that immediately appealed to both women were in the main home: a wood-panelled staircase, old fireplace and leaded windows that had been salvaged from an old house in Shaughnessy.
鈥淣ot many people were doing that back in the 1970s,鈥� said Shannon.
But despite these assets, when they first visited the property it was too expensive and too run down, so they left without really looking around thoroughly. When the price came down, they returned for a second look and discovered a large basement and the loft over the caretaker鈥檚 apartment.
鈥淭hat was a tremendous bonus, as my son-in-law plays the bass and my daughter wanted a textile studio,鈥� said Linda. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 when we really began to see the potential.鈥�
Shannon intends to have a studio and perhaps a gallery on site. Alan, who is a science editor, is excited about a new home office and music room. He plays in two jazz bands, and their eight-year-old son is learning violin and piano.
鈥淭his home ticks so many boxes for our two-family home,鈥� said Alan.
Shannon explained her mother has always excelled at her ability and desire to plan ahead, and the multi-generational idea made sense.
And all the hard work ahead doesn鈥檛 deter them.
Having lived in Japan for 10 years, Shannon said whenever a project seems a bit daunting, the family joke is that, at least it鈥檚 not in Japanese.
They will soon fence an area for an ornamental kitchen garden 鈥� a potager, as it鈥檚 called in France 鈥� and they aspire to year-round self-sufficiency in five years.
Shannon adds that the property is a highly suitable canvas for their new designs on life.
鈥淭hings are just working out so well 鈥� we are quite smitten with the place.鈥�
