Monday, January 10, 2011

My Visit to Sarah Richardson's New House

On the weekend Elizabeth, from Blue Clear Sky, and I undertook a secret mission to find the house that Sarah Richardson is transforming for the new Sarah's House 4 show.  This stealth mission started with a tip from a source at work who told me that Sarah Richardson's house was down the street from her new home.  So after our coffee and chat, Elizabeth and I went and searched out the house.  Can you pick it out in the row of houses below?


It is the one that has a 40-foot evergreen in the front yard, garage doors, and shingles on the whole roof when the ones on either side don't yet.  It also has a car parked outside belonging to the painter who we could see through the window painting the front hall. My source had heard that the show was to be wrapped up by January 5th, but obviously they are still working on it.  


The house is looking lovely and Sarah seems to have made several up-grades to the exterior of the house.  When you compare Sarah's house to others on the street, you can see that it had nicer lights over the garage, the windows match the colour of the house and have an interesting modern arrangement of panes and mullions, and it has a lovely front door.


I really need a stalker camera if I'm going to keep doing this kind of work, but here is a close-up down the side of the house into the backyard.  It isn't a very big backyard at all and it has a chain-link fence along the back.  It seems to overlook a ravine as there is a drop-off behind.  I'm really curious to know how she is going to pretty-up the backyard and fence.


Let's have a closer look at some details of different parts of the exteriour of the house.  I love the stone facade that is over the garage and how the paint colour of the gorgeous coach-style garage door matches it perfectly.



 



While the house is amazing, I have a few tips for Sarah.  I think my top grace notes would include replacing the bare lightbulb in the front hall, adding some stairs so it is easier to use the front door, and getting rid of the tarp in the front yard.  I'm just saying ...


I bet you are curious to know what is under that big tarp in the front yard, aren't you -  well never fear - I got a photo of that too.  It looks to me like some stone for a patio. 



 Elizabeth and I noticed a temporary pole across the street from Sarah's house with lots of extra wire at the top and a sort of bird house part way down.  It wasn't until we got closer that we realized the bird house had glass across the door and was, in fact, a security camera.  So I guess Sarah is taking pictures of us too. 


Hi Sarah - we love your shows!  I'm glad I could make it to your lovely new house for a visit.

29 comments:

  1. Wow you had fun!!
    Is this her own home or a flip? I saw her new show last week it was good.
    I enjoyed your last post with Elisabeth that was a great cafe you went to.

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  2. How cool! You got to be a super sleuth!
    It's a nice house. I don't know how she'll top her country house, but it will be fun to see the show.

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  3. I can't wait to see this season and watch the transformation from start to finish. Thanks for sharing, Grace :D

    xoxoxo,
    Ricki Jill

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  4. You could be a great detective. Thanks for sharing!

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  5. The part about the stairs made me laugh! I can't wait to drive by when all the snow melts.

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  6. I love this post, design detectives!

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  7. OMG...this was so cute...and cool...and fun! Of course being Canadian, I love me some Sarah too. I can just picture you lifting up that tarp, snapping pics...:)

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  8. Well thank you so much! That's one TV show I now don't have to watch; you're always thinking of me and trying to save me time, aren't you!

    Now quick! Get outta there before the cops show up!

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  9. Ha ha, she probably will have pictures and talk about you when the show airs!!!! Have to watch just for that!
    Hugs,
    Margaret B

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  10. Wow, it looks like a house that may not be that old. Hopefully that will mean less gut jobs and a more realistic obtainable budget. With the start of Sarah 101, I'm starting to get really disheartened to Sarah's approach. The richer she gets, it's seems she loses perspective on what is and is not "affordable" and accessible to the masses.

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  11. I have actually just been hired to decorate a house in Georgetown and the owner tells me it is right near Sarah's house so you have done a little advanced scouting for me.

    I wonder how she can make money flipping a new build....interesting.

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  12. That would have been fun. Hilarious about the hidden camera. I guess you probably knew there would be one somewhere! It is a lovely house but I am not a fan of that front facade. The large space above the garage doors leave me cold. Especially in stone. And imagine cleaning those windows with all those mullions. At least I hope they are real mullions and not those cheesy things that are between the glass! But how can one not say it is lovely.

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  13. Your photos turned out so well. We had a blast, for sure. I for one am kind of glad that the front steps aren't there yet, 'cause I wouldn't have needed too much encouragement to press my nose to the glass in the door. Then the painter would have thought we were really weird! I walked by with the puppy tonight, and it still looks pretty similar. And no, I didn't pilch that lonely old post.

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  14. Cute post! Stalker camera, ha! How weird to hide a camera in a bird house. This was a fun post to read.

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  15. Haha I love this post! And I think Sarah could use your advice on losing the tarp, etc.! Leave it to Sarah to even pretty up the security camera!!! Wonder how many birds smashing into the lens pics they are getting?!

    Kat :)

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  16. Oh, I miss Canada, we used to live in Oakville and then Toronto. I love Sarah Richardson. Her show which aired in Toronto when we lived there was my favorite show. Now I watch her show Sarah's House on HGTV.

    Karen

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  17. How fun for you two Nancy Drews! I was just giggling with excitement for you two while reading this!! Do you belong to Sarah's facebook page?She has posted some sneak peeks there for the new SH4.

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  18. Shoot! I wish you had a stalker camera, too, so we could see the inside :).

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  19. I couldn't help help but chuckle at the thoughts of stalking Sarah's house. I think any one of us would have done the same thing. Great photos and love those arched dormers.

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  20. Anyone will be able to see the inside when it's done from what I've heard. The builder is using it as a model home, which is different from anything Sarah has done before. I don't think she's actually buying this house, just decorating it. You can buy it for $1.1m when she's done.

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  21. Just drove by this house now, 5:25 pm on Tues, and Sarah is inside filming right now. I saw her with all the lights in the front room. Looks like the first floor is all done.

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  22. The house is now listed on MLS and they are asking over 1 million for it because it was designed by her. Too high for the Gtown area - not one house over that price especially on Eaton street.

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  23. What's the mls number?

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  24. More pics posted on the rehttp://www.dancooper.com/listing_details.php?id=595altor's website-

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  25. There is an open house of this place Sun Feb 27 from noon to 4pm.

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  26. Are you positive that this is her house?...I have watched Sarah for 15 years now, long before people knew who she was (before she got a show!). This reno does not look like "her".

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  27. Just re-reading your post. Love it as always. Laughing out loud though - Just have to comment on Anonymous above. Um. Kind of creepy that you've been watching Sarah for 15 years "before she got a show!" How on earth have you been watching her then, if she hasn't been on TV? YIKES!

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  28. I can't believe I missed this a year ago! sheesh! I love Sarah and her series Sarah's House.
    That is so awesome that you were scoping the house and taking pictures I totally would have done the same thing. lol
    When I got rid of my cable the things I missed the most were Sarah and Candace!

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