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Home Sweet Home

As CBC television director Sandra Kennedy and her partner CTV photographer Gord Danielson neared retirement age, they began a quest to find the perfect retirement retreat. After considering the options of new developments (they found often devoid of character) and lakeside cottages (too remote in the dead of winter), they realized that what they really wanted was an established neighbourhood, shaded by mature, leafy, green trees; to enjoy a broad range of neighbours; and to be within walking distance of downtown amenities. Then it dawned upon them that with a few minor adjustments, they could have all of this in the very house that had been their home for the last 14 years.

A decision was made to stay in their home and the couple sold a set of rental flats to finance a renovation to their existing space. A rush of adrenaline kicked in and Kennedy and Danielson began researching what they wanted to include in their addition.

“One of the best pieces of advice I got was from a girlfriend who suggested I go out and buy $100 worth of magazines so that I could pour through them to see what other people were doing and what appealed to me,” reveals Kennedy, “and what a fun thing that was!”

Countless trips to bookstores, local libraries, and real estate open houses provided more opportunities for research and inspiration. The couple kept detailed files for every room and every aspect of the project.

“I think it’s really important to let ideas percolate for awhile before making any big decisions. You can draw your inspiration from any number of things. You really have to do your research or you’ll end up spending a fortune on a renovation you don’t love,” says Kennedy.

One of Sandra’s greatest passions is gardening and she often finds herself in the garden from sunup to sundown. In renovating the house, one of her priorities was to capitalize on the views of the backyard so that she could easily enjoy her garden from inside the house as well. Inspiration for a garden room came in part from a trip to the UK. Prior to the renovation, the couple had the good fortune to travel to London with Danielson’s work to cover the royal wedding of Prince Charles to Lady Camilla Parker Bowles, and while they were there, the couple was completely captivated by Windsor Village, next to Windsor Castle.

“Every home had gorgeous little gardens and these incredibly quaint, yet functional, garden rooms protruding out into a profusion of blossoms,” Kennedy remembers.

Once the general wish list was established, the well-prepared couple called upon Bungay Construction and Norman Flynn Design to help out with the particulars. The couple came up against a minor obstacle when the contractors didn’t really want to work with designers as they felt it might impede the process. But Kennedy and Danielson were committed to having both Bungay Construction as their contractors and design consultants Bruce Norman and Blair Flynn of Norman Flynn Design.

“The funny thing is,” Kennedy confides, “that I went ahead and choreographed my meetings in such a way that the designers and the contractors would never end up in the house at the same time. That way I was able to get the best of both worlds—a couple of amazing designers to help me plan and a group of master craftsmen to complete the work on our home. I worked with Bruce on site and then passed the ideas along to the carpenters as if they were my own. Bruce would notice any little details that might need to be addressed and then Bungay Construction worked efficiently and effectively to create this wonderful space.”


“We are in love with our designers—Bruce is a genius with space planning, and Blair, who works as the office manager is such a smart man and good with design details as well!” she says.

The talented design duo came up with plenty of ingenious ideas for creating extra space without increasing the budget.

“They were able to steal space from the bathroom and add it to the kitchen area in order to give me this fabulous pantry—and we don’t miss the extra foot in the bathroom at all!”

High ceilings in the entryway give a sense of spaciousness without increasing the square footage of the house.

“In the end, our designers actually saved us a lot of money while giving us features that we never thought we could afford,” says Kennedy.

As luck would have it, the couple broke ground on their project the day after Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana and Danielson was called away to cover the hurricane for CTV. When he returned, he began to look at life in a whole new way.

“Before the hurricane, Gordie was fairly conservative in his spending habits and wasn’t sure that he wanted to go all out with the renovation,” Kennedy recalls, “but when he came back, he was really changed by what he saw in Louisiana. He realized that all we really have is this moment and while it’s wise to save for retirement, it’s also important to enjoy every moment, because we never know when our time may be up.”

Kennedy is quick to add, “It’s not about being materialistic though, it’s about living in the moment and really enjoying life. It’s about creating memorable experiences for friends and family and creating an environment which really supports you so that you can make your own contributions to your community.”

From that point forward the couple was less hesitant to spend on ‘little luxuries’ that would really enhance their every day life. Some of those luxuries include granite and soapstone counters and extra large sinks in the kitchen and bathroom.

“We were a bit naïve about the costs of a renovation at first,” admits Kennedy. “In the end we doubled our expected budget, which was a little painful, but at the same time we are glad to have added these little luxuries to our everyday life.”

Granite countertops are virtually carefree and the extra-large sinks make cleanup, and gardening, a whole lot easier.

“Our main floor bathroom is right next to the rear entry and thanks to Bruce’s forethought we have a great farm-style sink in there which is perfect for little garden related chores.”

It was also great to have designers as a handy resource.

“One day I had about an hour to decide what windows I wanted to order for the addition so I went flying to Bruce and in a matter of minutes he had it all figured out and the contractor was able to order the windows over the phone that day. You just can’t put a value on that kind of peace of mind,” Kennedy observes.

Norman Flynn also helped to preserve the character of the house and ensured that the addition and the new windows that went in the entire house were a good fit with the original 1950s’ structure.

And the neighbourhood, also developed in the 1950s, is quickly changing with the times.

“When we first moved here the neighbourhood was very quiet and populated mostly by seniors whose children had grown up and left the nest, and now it’s becoming a much more diverse group of people. A young family of two mothers and their new baby just moved in up the street, and we couldn’t be happier to be part of this vibrant neighbourhood.”

The couple is also delighted to have realized their goal of creating a cottage-like atmosphere right at home. By removing the walls in the original kitchen and dining areas, and adding a box bay addition, they have created a bright open space, which is perfect for reading, relaxing and enjoying summer barbeques. And by staying in the neighbourhood they know and love, they are able to easily walk to yoga and art classes, and enjoy daily walks along Halifax’s Northwest Arm and Point Pleasant Park.

In the end Sandra Kennedy and Gord Danielson have ended up with more than just an addition to their home.

“It may sound silly, but this addition has not only opened up our home, but also opened us up to our own potential. It’s revitalized us both. We’re healthier because we started cooking healthier meals, and we are generally more cheerful and optimistic. It’s just one of those things that you don’t realize is missing until you experience it.”•

Stuart Swing has worked with some of the top design firms in the country and is a regularly featured guest designer on HGTV’s “Home to Go.” He lives in Halifax and is Homes Editor of Lifestyle Maritimes Magazine.