It Only Took the Homeowner 15 Minutes to Decide to Buy This 52-Year-Old Montréal Bungalow

However, fate — or the housing market — would have other plans for the couple. “It was after the [COVID-19] pandemic, and the market was so hot that all of the houses we visited were immediately sold in a bidding war, and our budget was constantly shrinking as the interest rates kept rising,” Joanna says. “We were starting to get so desperate.”

But after nine months of searching, Joanna’s real estate agent sent her a listing of a 52-year-old, four-bedroom bungalow. Even though the home had mid-century modern charm (vastly different from her cottage visions) and was in a different town, the couple was enchanted by the space. 

“We had literally 15 minutes to visit it and decide if it was worth getting into a 25-year mortgage,” Joanna explains. “But stepping into that house made us feel instantly at home. It was as if the house had chosen us!” 

Joanna saw the potential the home had and appreciated the original details, including the vaulted ceilings, a basement blissfully stuck in the 1970s, and a gorgeous maple tree in the backyard. That day, she crafted a letter to the homeowners expressing her admiration for the home and desire to retain its charming details. Their offer was accepted, and the home was theirs. 

That was three years ago, and since buying the bungalow Joanna and Michel have made considerable renovations — mostly on their own. They transformed each room one-by-one until it was OK to move in after a year. There’s still work to be done, but they (including their cat, Tataki, who is the “true owner of the house”) have somehow managed to maintain the original mid-century modern charm while adding eclectic and maximalist details. 

• Kitchen — Sico’s Nairobi Clouds (6197-11)
• Living Room — Custom Color (close equivalent is Farrow & Ball Setting Plaster (No. 231) 20% lighter)
• Bedroom — I mixed 2 tones for a limewash effect using Behr’s Clear Vista (PPU13-11) and Behr’s Seafoam
• Home Office Stripes — Behr’s Portuguese Dawn (S160-4)

• Couch — Vintage
• Coffee Table — Aimable Désordre (I made it myself)
• Nile Rug — RugsUSA
• L’Union Floor Lamp — Crate & Barrel
• “Posé” TV — LG
• Accent Cabinet — Aimable Désordre (I made it myself)

• Oval Tulip Table — Rove Concept
• Chairs — Must
• Wall Art — Slow Down Studio
• Vase — Vintage

• Light Pendants — The Home Depot
• Courbe Table Lamp  — Crate & Barrel
• Wood Hutch — Vintage
• Faucet — Kohler
• Appliances — Fisher & Paykel

• Bedframe — Wayfair
• Sideboard — Vintage
• Rug — Etsy
• Table Lamps “Laguna” — Artemide
• Night Tables — West Elm
• Frame TV — Samsung

• Rattan Light Fixtures — The Home Depot
• Mirrors — Urban Outfitters
• Bingo stool — EQ3

Thanks, Joanna and Michel!

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.

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