Mike Holmes Liked This Riverside Property Reno So Much, He’s Keeping It!

Mike Holmes Sr. knew he had stumbled onto something special when he bought this combined commercial/residential property in Ontario’s Thousand Islands for $570,000.

With a separate rentable commercial space on the ground floor, the upper floor was transformed into a show-stopping apartment just waiting for the right person to walk in and pay $2,000 a month to live there.

To highlight the amazing river view, the Holmes team installed a set of 12-foot sliding glass doors behind the dining table, which open up directly onto a new elevated balcony.

Rather than going with glass panels, Mike Holmes Jr. opted for black picket railing for the second-floor balcony. Since there are a lot of insects by the water, keeping a glass railing clean would be a constant hassle.

The tray ceiling above the dining table is accented with large hemlock beams – not only is hemlock a more economical choice than pine but its grain really stands out, giving the formal dining space extra texture and interest.

White textured plate sets, rough natural linen pillows and sea-green blown-glass vases bring the natural soft shades found along the riverside inside.

Not wanting to overdo the marine theme, there are subtle accents found throughout the apartment – such as the telescope, harpoon bookends and engine-spoke mirror – that give a nod to the nautical.

The lower blue-grey kitchen cabinets mimic the colour of the river just outside the window, creating a seamless flow from the kitchen out to the water. It’s details like this that have pushed the value of this property up over $1.5 million.

To keep the kitchen feeling fresh and contemporary, a trendy white hexagon tile with light-grey grout was used for the kitchen backsplash.

Dark engineered-wood floors and muted-blue lower cabinets reflect the muted colours found out in nature and ground the open-concept kitchen/dining space.

This sweet work desk makes use of a small awkward wall by turning it into a handy place to send emails, organize receipts or work on a writing project…while being monitored by a pack of cute, curious farm animals.

The large vaulted ceiling – installed with pot lights and a sleek wooden fan – and natural-stone floor-to-ceiling fireplace draw the eye upwards, making this contemporary living room feel expansive and open.

For the first time on one of their renovation projects, the Holmeses decided to hire an interior designer to deliver on their vision of a calm, comfortable urban Zen-inspired space – and she did just that.

To bring the feeling of the water inside, various shades of blue are used as accents. This colour play is seen in the chic pillows, cozy throws and worldly artwork expertly placed around this comfortable, contemporary living room.

The master bedroom features an illuminated tray ceiling, which makes the room feel big and airy, as well as craftsman-style window trim – both of which infuse a sense of heritage to this newly renovated apartment.

The custom white floating vanity makes the most out of a small alcove in the master ensuite, providing much needed cabinet storage while not taking up valuable floor space.

The guest bedroom uses a neutral palette of greys and whites, letting the textures of the upholstered headboard, rattan mat and thick drapes do the heavy lifting in the visual-interest department.

A dark grey wall colour brings a sense of calm and sophistication to the main bathroom, while the attractive herringbone patterned floor tile is right on trend.

As this is a mixed commercial/residential property, ideal for boating enthusiast or businesses, the Holmeses had to put their signature stamp on the garage workspace… literally.

Mike Holmes Sr. says that every time he comes to this property, he feel a sense of calm. That might have something to do with its ideal riverside location and recreation-in-mind design.