Terry and Colleen Hughes are enjoying the warm sun and the mesmerizing flow of the Beaver River. They watch as a couple paddles by in a canoe. They wave, and take a deep breath. This is the life!

The view from the Hugheses’ home is never boring and changes each day in every season. It is a favourite stop for artists who sketch or paint the landscape

The couple have 2,000 feet of river access at their front door, as well as the constant sound of the river in all of its natural spendour – good for the mind and soul.

“Nature is our neighbour,” says Terry.

The Hugheses have lived in the area since 1982 and owned a number of farms in Duncan. They enlisted the professional expertise of Timberlane Construction to build this breathtaking riverside home. The couple knew that they could get everything they wanted, and more, from Timberlane principle Dave McCombe and his tradespeople, who built an addition on the Hugheses’ previous home.

McCombe, who has been building quality custom homes and working from his Thornbury office for 10 years, says this home is perfectly located for someone who wants to be on the river.

“It’s five minutes from Thornbury, which is ideal.”

The project was a major renovation. The entire home had to be gutted and rebuilt. “It was a lot of work, ripping this thing up board by board and putting it all back together,” says McCombe. “We used a lot of spray foam and new technology.” He adds that in-floor heating and 50-year roof shingles are a few examples of the technology needed to bring the outdated home up to today’s standards.

Every room of the comfortable home has a view outside. The whole place was gutted and rebuilt after Terry and Colleen purchased the home. The renovation took nine months.

The retreat took nine months to create, from demolition to move-in date. Terry did a lot of the demolition himself. “He recently retired, so this was kind of a fun project for him,” says McCombe, with a chuckle. “I let him pretty much dictate what he wanted.”

Terry and Colleen met in high school, and have been married for 44 years. They bought the home – a simple brick bungalow with an unbeatable footprint – in 2003. They lived there for almost two years, feeling out the space and lushly-bushed property.

In the end, they decided to keep part of the original house, using the unusually close riverside footprint – a mere 25 feet from the bank – in their new design. (With today’s building regulations, any dwelling has to be at least 100 feet from the riverbank.)

The setting is peaceful. The sound of the river running just feet away from the home creates an atmosphere of calm. Terry spent hours thinning the bush to optimize the view throughout the 24 acres. In the distance sits his 19-year-old Ford tractor. “I spend about six hours a day in the bush,” says Terry. “We just opened it up. We wanted to see it, to subjugate the structure to nature.”

The Hugheses have 15 sliding glass doors in their home – you can walk outside from any room. None of the windows are covered, and the view outside is spectacular in every season.

This couple’s connection to nature has not been compromised in any way.

The large custom kitchen features granite countertops, a built-in stainless top compressor fridge, two dishwashers, a refrigerator with two full-extension slide-out drawers, a trash compactor and built-in microwave.

The exterior of the home is a well-managed wilderness. Ferns creep up to the walls of the master bedroom, growing waist-high and giving the homeowners the feeling of waking up in the forest.

The seamless, overall space is enhanced with potted ferns, brought into the home and placed in the abundance of light flooding through the glass walls.

There is no such thing as indoor or outdoor here, just one large living space. The Cape Cod Lodge pine siding assists in the blending of structure and nature.

“We wanted to be able to walk out any door at ground level,” says Terry. “Every window’s a different picture in the house.” This way, each picture is accessible as a separate outdoor space for the Hugheses to enjoy daily or seasonally. The sun deck, barbecue deck and two covered porches allow for multiple escapes into the accessible property of this beautiful home, while other doors open to pure forest and lush green surroundings.

The Hugheses’ home was designed by the Lloyd Hunt Architectural Firm and structural engineering was conducted by R.J. Burnside Professional Engineering.

The large dining room is a perfect place to gather for a special meal. The large wood-burning fireplace makes this room a favourite on a cold night.

The great room was designed to fit where the original garage once stood. This room features an impressive, vaulted timberframe-style roof structure with accent lighting. The direct-view fireplace, with remote thermostat, slate hearth, custom craftsman-style surround and mantle, and plasma screen make the indoors as enjoyable as the outdoors in this riverside paradise.

Surrounded by natural light, this grand space features nine sliding glass entryways, drawing all eyes to the great outdoors – to gaze into the forest or watch the water sashay downriver. In addition, a portico entry to the backyard, with its slate base, creates the perfect reading oasis for cool summer nights. The Hugheses have definitely optimized the therapeutic potential of this beautiful piece of countryside.

As part of the open concept interior, the large custom kitchen features granite countertops, a built-in stainless top compressor fridge, two dishwashers, a refrigerator with two full-extension slide-out drawers, a trash compactor and built-in microwave. The gourmet space also boasts a shiny professional range with high output gas burners, barbecue, flat-top and two convection ovens, as well as a ventilation hood complete with back guard. In addition, a plate warming rack, utensil rack, infrared warming lamps, and warming drawer (with racks and dividers), make meals more of an experience than a necessity. The pull-out pantry drawers allow this deluxe kitchen to act as a clutter-free area of activity.

Upstairs, a guest room has its own balcony.

The dining room’s massive wood-burning fireplace, with floor-to-ceiling stone surround, slate hearth, log storage area, built-in cabinets and large timber mantel, encourage a meal time that’s about more than just eating. The Hugheses can often be found lingering at the table, warmed by the fire and a glass of red wine from the built-in wine rack, with a designer wrought-iron locking door.

Beside the fireplace sits a bookshelf holding the Hugheses’ collection of literature. Hidden behind this swing-style shelf is their secret access to the basement. “No one wants to look down the stairs,” says Terry, who thought the feature was an obvious addition, and loves to show it off to his guests.

Around the corner, the master suite mimics the impressive vaulted timberframe roof structure of the great room. A built-in headboard makes clutter a non-issue, with front and rear storage. An attached en suite features a large vanity, heated tile floors, an all-glass shower and a large spa tub with a view of the great green outdoors. With no window coverings to compromise the view, Colleen is not concerned about onlookers. In this setting, she’s more likely to have a deer peer in on her in the tub.

The separate, main-floor laundry area is a convenient place to tackle the inevitable. This room features under-counter, front-load appliances, storage cabinetry for clean towels and detergent, a folding counter and electric clothes dryer.

The master bathroom has his-and-her sinks. It is an amazing place to soak in the tub and watch the stars at night.

A solid ash staircase leads to the guest suite, complete with two guest bedrooms. Each room features French doors that open to Juliet-style balconies overlooking the river and open space. The suite also includes loft storage, a den, as well as a bathroom with heated floors – a bonus for visitors. Slippers aren’t necessary.

The Hugheses aren’t done yet. They just purchased their dream property – a parcel of land Terry has been eyeing for eight years. He points across the river to his new project – 25 acres of riverfront property, with a magnificent view of the valley and an old pine forest. The Hugheses have put the Beaver River retreat on the market, as they design their ultimate dream home. Practise makes perfect!