A Place to Hang Their Hats

Back in October 2015, Breanne and Geoffrey Cole were house hunting with two main criteria in mind: their budget, and a location within their limits of how far they were willing to drive to and from Toronto.

While exploring Caledon, they came across a dwelling in the village of Inglewood that flunked the budget category and barely squeaked by on distance (it’s about 42 kilometres, to be exact, about an hour’s commute). But the house made such a strong first impression they were sold.

“We saw the home in October, right around Halloween. It was raining and chilly. But as soon as we walked into the house, it was warm, cozy and inviting,” Breanne says. “It just felt right – like it had been loved for all of its 150-year lifespan.”

The couple learned that when the area was settled in the 1800s, the house had belonged to the local butcher, and the property next door was his shop. This explains why the Coles’ house sits farther back and the former shop is right up against the sidewalk, storefront-style. The antique barn is also original, and the couple would love to restore it one day. For now, it offers a history-drenched focal point for anyone looking out the kitchen sink window.

Geoffrey works from home as a professional photographer, while Breanne works at Humber Polytechnic’s North Campus near Woodbine Mall. Both from Mississauga, the pair had barely heard of Inglewood, save for the fact the keyboardist in Geoffrey’s band lived there. Now Breanne and Geoffrey are the village’s biggest fans and their experience inspired Breanne’s childhood best friend to move to the house across the street.

After big first impressions, it was the upstairs hallway, which is long and wide enough to all but serve as an extra room, that piqued Breanne’s interest. Now the kids, Georgia, six, and Oliver, two, play there – a convenient location just outside their own rooms, which also connects to their parents’ bedroom and the office/sunroom, overlooking the village’s main street. “I’ve always felt that in older houses you have to live downstairs. Upstairs is just a destination to sleep,” Breanne says. “Having both the hallway and the sunroom gives us the option to truly live upstairs, too.” 

Because the office/sunroom also features Geoffrey’s extensive plant collection, a fish tank and a 3D printer, Geoffrey admits that when he needs to truly focus on computer work, such as editing thousands of photos for a brand shoot or wedding, he rarely works there. (With Caledon Hills Cycling just south of the house and Coywolf Coffee directly north, the main street comings and goings are further distractions.)

The office’s 3D printer, which the couple bought for fun, has been used, for instance, to create two-foot-high Super Mario Brothers characters and other, more conventionally beautiful items. Indeed, when combining their off-duty talents, Breanne and Geoffrey can’t be beat – the oval mirror that hangs in the dining room was a thrift store find scored on one of many Value Village hunts with Geoffrey’s mom. Breanne painted it a gorgeous antique blue, but felt it was missing a key element. She had Geoffrey 3D print a fleur-de-lis to affix at the centre top of the mirror, and voila – French élan for less.

Having close friends a few steps away made a huge difference when it came time to renovate in December 2020. “Our friend Roger Landry came to look at the job and estimated a few weeks’ work. Six months later, he was just finishing the job,” Geoffrey says. “That’s the nature of older houses – you don’t always know what you will find once you start moving bathrooms, fixing grading, demoing kitchens and levelling floors.” The couple lived with their across-the-street friends, returning home only to sleep.

The new kitchen features quartz countertops and soft white shaker-style cabinets against soothing white walls. The bold door colour is a kitchen-appropriate Cracked Pepper shade from Sherwin-Williams. The room needed a major glow-up: “We weren’t fans of the previous kitchen, especially as there was no insulation in the back of the house. But now, it’s the central gathering spot. I love to cook and entertain. We have people over all the time and they always end up around the island,” says Geoffrey.

Geoffrey can often be found in the bar area, steps from the front door. The space doubles as a music room, its colour-drenched walls hung with guitars and framed photos of his favourite musicians, including Bob Dylan, Mumford & Sons, John Mayer and other folk rock singers. The room is also the site of his Christmas Eve ritual: wrapping presents, enjoying a few sips a favourite whisky, and watching a recording of the 1992 Royal Rumble, largely considered one of the greatest wrestling events of all time where Ric Flair outlasted 30 men competing for the vacant World Wrestling Federation World Heavyweight Championship. (The organization has since changed its name to World Wrestling Entertainment.)

It is here that Geoffrey also practises for his monthly acoustic guitar set at the bustling Caledon Hills Brewing Company in Palgrave. “When we’re not at home, we’re usually there – we love the people and vibe.” Geoffrey produces videos and photos for the brand, too. “I keep the bar well stocked with their beer,” he laughs, referring to the mini keg in a corner of the room.

Georgia and Oliver spend most of their time in the living room, trying out gymnastic moves, singing songs, and playing with trucks and planes. Their mom says the space bursts with life and is always overflowing with toys.

Breanne is the manager of admissions at Humber Polytechnic (formerly Humber College) and has a background in post-secondary education communications. As a balm to her hectic career, she says she loves stealing a few cuddles with their two cats, tabby Jackie Bauer and black-and-white Bonnie, in the upstairs sunroom.

The Coles have imprinted their personal history on this home. Photos, maps, meaningful artwork, and illustrations of the family fill the space. One is a large floral canvas the couple won at an auction, long before they were even married, that they held on to until they had their own place. As an engagement gift, Geoffrey’s aunt framed a map with pins of their childhood homes and a heart marking their new home. The cats are immortalized in black and white photos in ornate frames. And Breanne points to a cartoon version of their family she received as a gift on her first Mother’s Day, after Georgia was born. 

One of Breanne’s favourite pieces is a land survey from a property her grandfather bought in the 1950s in Muskoka. “My grandmother had to sell it before it could be built on, but I love the history. It reflects my dream to live on the water one day.” 

Bookshelves hold more than the latest bestsellers. “I have my grandmother’s dictionaries and crossword books,” Breanne says. “She loved puzzles and that corner, with a chair and reading lamp perfect for a quiet moment, means a lot to me.”

The mudroom leading to the backyard corrals cowboy boots and hats for every family member, and an extensive sunglasses collection. Geoffrey, a big country music fan, enjoys cowboy attire and fondly recalls childhood memories from his family’s farm in Collingwood. “Breanne got one of these hats made while we were in Denver and got our wedding anniversary date stamped on the inside brim,” Geoffrey says. “She added a flamingo feather we found on our honeymoon in Aruba 10 years ago.”

Passion projects continue outside in the front and side gardens where Breanne experiments with and refines her gardening style. “I plant what I like and think I can manage. I’ll probably move the two ‘Limelight’ hydrangeas in the front and choose something a little less massive, like an ‘Annabelle’ or snowball hydrangea,” she explains. Joining the hydrangeas in the front are phlox, lamb’s-ear and ‘Walker’s Low’ catmint. 

The side garden features a handful of whimsical perennials chosen for their beauty and low maintenance, including coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, ‘Sweet Mademoiselle’ rose, salvia, catmint, hostas and Shasta daisies. “It’s so beautiful in the summer, but every season feels like the best and coziest. I love the feel of our home. It’s like living in a cottage,” Breanne says. 

Gazing around the bustling family home, she puts into words the intangible feeling of comfort and unity the family feels in what they call their humble abode. “Geoffrey and I are very sentimental people. Many of the décor pieces in the house weren’t just purchased with the sole purpose to fill an empty space. Whether they belonged to our family previously, were found during a thrifting adventure or collected throughout our relationship, these pieces are intentional. They tell the story of our lives.”