“It needed a lot of love,” says Vanessa Fong, whose studio VFA Architecture + Design was enlisted to renovate an 1880s farmhouse on Long Point, a peninsula in southern Ontario known for its rolling farmland and wineries.

The architect had previously worked with the clients—a lawyer couple with two young children—at their home in Toronto. They now sought a retreat from the city and adored this residence’s off-the-beaten path locale, 900 feet of waterfront access, and windswept landscape—plus, with 2.1 acres, there was plenty of space for the kids to roam.

While the location was ideal, there was plenty of work to be done. More than a century old, the original home had sloping floors and a crumbling chimney stack that let in drafts; nothing was up to code in terms of insulation. The spaces were on slightly different levels, the second floor staircase was incredibly steep, the ceilings were low, and the foundation had sunken down. "In general, older homes are built to a very different standard, which is usually more lax when it comes to structural integrity," she says.

Fong planned a hefty remodel and addition that would create a larger living room, bring an additional bedroom to the first floor, and create an open layout with a screened porch and a better connection to the waterfront. Part of the family’s brief was capturing the context of the landscape and the expansiveness of the views—plus allowing spaces big enough for extended family and entertaining.

“On a property where you have that waterfront right there, the home turned its back on the water,” says Fong. “We thought about how to open it up and capture the Western sunset.”

When construction began in 2019, the architects were shocked to find an 1820 one-room log cabin in the center of the home. “It was such a surprise to everyone,” says Fong. The discovery led to a pivot for the contractors. “In some respects, it could've been easier and faster to just demolish the whole thing, but everyone, especially the clients, wanted to preserve it,” she says.

“It was definitely a big stumbling block,” she adds. “We had to stop and rethink all the assumptions we had made about the structure and design, problem-solve with the structural engineer and contractor, and recalibrate.”

The one-room log cabin now makes up the ground-floor guest room and washroom. The logs, which weren’t in good shape, were cladded over.

While it was a financially smart move to save the original cabin during construction, Fong says it was more about keeping the charm that existing structures add to a remodel.

For the interiors, the family wanted something Scandinavian in tone— clean, light, and airy.

“We took the palette and ran with it,” notes Fong. Overall, the home is now a peaceful retreat with modern, warm interiors, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a screened porch and outdoor deck that helps meld the residence with its verdant surroundings.

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When construction wrapped in March 2020, after a two-year process, Fong came away with new lessons: “I learned to not take any existing structures for granted, or make assumptions, because you can literally open up a wall and find a log cabin.”

She’s also realized how stressful pivoting construction strategies can be, but “when you have clients that really trust you and your design abilities, it makes a huge difference.”

Related Reading:

A Mind-Bending Renovation Brings a Bold, Modern Addition to an Old Farmhouse

This Petite Vermont Farmhouse Is Chock-Full of Scandinavian Charm

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: VFA Architecture + Design / @vfarchitect

Structural Engineer: Blackwell / @blackwellengineers

Interior Designer: Jennifer Giffin Design / @jenniferlgiffin