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HomeMy WebLinkAbout404"Article copied from The Globe and Mail, Saturday, Feb.5, 1972, page 13. Illustration: Les Parker reads in his 110-year-old stone house in Pickering Township. The living room, color scheme is sage green, burnt orange, gold and tangerine. Big windows bring the countryside indoors Sky High Farm: the view's the thing By EILEEN MACRAE The first things you notice about Kay and Les Parker's 110-year-old stone house are the windows. A purist might regret the passing of the traditional 12-paned sash. But the sash has been replaced with large single panes for a reason: the surrounding views are magnificent ones. Sky High Farm, as the Parkers call their 34-acre property, sits on an elevation of land in Pickering Township. The house itself banks neatly into a hill. The land (really one large ravine) slopes into Duffin's Creek. Cherry Downs Golf Course provides rolling vistas and, beyond that stretches the Claremont Conservation Area, Luckily, these views will stay that way. Two floor-length windows, on the south side of the house, provide a splendid view of Lake Ontario. ""Our windows bring the countryside right into our house—and we do love the country,"" Kay Parker said. ""We must have looked at a million houses before we found this one,"" her husband added. The present house, grand as it is, was not the original homestead. The original Russell farmhouse was situated to the west and south of the present house. Apparently it was gutted with fire one night. The old house stood on an elaborate three-tiered lawn. The stonework buttressing the terraced land is still in excellent condition. The present house, a big rambling building of gable and stone, was originally an implement shed, with 1860 carved into the stonework, which is beautifully executed. The Parkers, who bought the property six years ago, have added a pleasant two-room wing at the north end of the house. ""It was planned as a small apartment for my father."" Kay Parker said. ""But it has turned into a popular family room."" Warm tones of orange, lemon and highlights of black make a happy color scheme. An L-shaped bathroom and a spacious hall complete the new wing. ""When we added on, we left the exterior wall exposed,"" said Mrs. Parker, an artist with a feeling for texture. She prefers natural surfaces. The original beams are now exposed and frame the doorway into the kitchen. The living room (approximately 38 feet long) is the largest room, running the full length of the house. The color scheme of sage greens, burnt oranges, golds and tangerines is carried throughout by broadloom and repeated in opulent fabrics of silk and velvet. A ceiling-high stone fireplace and warm wood panelling add richness. The door into the living room, a quaint one with a tiny transom, is thought to be the original front door. A patio now gives direct access to the living room. ""I didn't feel this was a 'pine' house somehow,"" Mrs. Parker explained. ""And I don't really think it ever was. It seemed to call for a little elegance."" She decided to antique her whole dining room. Now, in fern green with gold accents, the dining set blends perfectly with the dado. The effect is refreshingly pleasant. In the kitchen Mrs. Parker has chosen a peppery green and white striped wallpaper. The kitchen was enlarged to enclose a cupboard area. A built-in counter adds needed eating space. A quaint highchair (a gift from Mrs. Parker's great-grandmother) has been cut down and refinished. It seems to catch the spirit of a house where old treasures are adapted to modern living. A steep narrow box staircase leads up to four bedrooms and a bathroom. Here the ceilings are delightfully low, seven feet at the most. Dormers, therefore, are steep. The upstairs windows are the original ones, but will shortly have to be replaced because of age. One window, in the master bedroom, opens into the stairwell and provides additional light and air. ""There's is not one room in this house,"" Mrs. Parker said, "" that doesn't have cross-ventilation."" Mr. Parker was business manager of farm magazines for Southam Business Publications. In his retirement he keeps a stable of horses. The Parkers have two grown daughters, Wendy and Dawn Jo. ""The country's a grand place for children,"" Mr. Parker said. On the property is an enchanting barn of board and batten. It has its three cupolas intact and sports a fringe of weathered gingerbread. Much of the landscaping, which is particularly attractive, was done by a former owner. Flagstone walks, rock gardens and mature evergreens make an attractive backdrop for the eight-room house. [Added handwritten note] This property is probably the north half of Con.9, Lot 19 or 20 in Pickering Township; based on the fact that in 1967, Con. 9, Lots 19 and 20 comprising 147 acres, were owned by Parker and Hayward (Centinal Map - Pickering Township, 1967) "