tThe first time Paul Mitchell stepped inside Highland Manor, he knew that one day he would own it.

Probably not an unusual thought for a young man of vision to have, except that he was there on a call as an ambulance driver. He was just 21 years old when his rig was called to pick up Richard Ivey from the grand home on the hill. “It was spring of 1974 and I said to my partner that someday I’ll own this building,” he explains. “He said, ‘Mitchell you’re crazy! You make $2.84 an hour.’”

Flash forward to 1991, and Paul Mitchell has done well in real estate. Highland Manor – a centre floor plan, Georgian-style home built in 1938 by Richard and Jean Ivey – is for sale, sitting vacant for many years. Paul and Joan Mitchell purchased it for $1.1 million from Sifton Properties, who owned it and the surrounding land. Paul and Joan have lived there since, raising a family while lovingly restoring the home to its former glory, keeping as many of the original features as possible and doing most of the

work themselves. Original features include the hardwood parquet flooring, dentil and crown mouldings and hand-painted murals. Some of the finest details are original to the house, like the curved windows, red velvet banister cover and the crystal and brass finials on the sweeping staircase.

Some rooms have been renovated. The original butler’s kitchen has been enlarged and updated, while the ballroom in the basement now serves as the conference room for Paul’s newest business interest: The Spartans Group, a financial think tank.

The Mitchells have also repainted the entire home, using products from Colour Your World.

Now for sale at $2.7 million, the five-bedroom, nine-bathroom, 17,000 sq. ft. home may have become too large for the couple, as their children have grown and left the nest. “People asked me why I needed such a big house,” Paul says. “I reply that I don’t need it, but I do want it.” Though Joan is ready to downsize, Paul loves the home he now calls Mitchell Manor and is reluctant to leave.

There are also two one-bedroom rental apartments in the home occupying what was once the chauffeur’s quarters over the three-car garage and the servants’ rooms over the kitchen.

WHere history is HOmeb y J i l l E l l i s / / P h o t o g r a P h y b y E r i c M a l E t t E

CloCkWise from top left: The vestibule is dressed in fine Oriental style with murals on the walls and bamboo on the ceiling. Elaborate dentil moulding decorates the living room ceiling. This brass knob is one of the home’s original features. A spiral staircase leads from the first to the second floor. A mural depicting Aztecs worshipping the Sun God highlights the hallway to the dining room and kitchen. The Ivey family’s close association with the Empire Brass Manufacturing Company is well represented throughout the home, with brass door knobs, switch covers and light fixtures. Sasha, a shih tzu, shares this grand house with her masters, Joan and Paul Mitchell. This brass and ivory doorknob graces the inside of the living room door. Attention to detail is one of the hallmarks of this heritage home.opposite: The large foyer provides a grand entrance to this heritage house, built by Richard and Jean Ivey in 1938.

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Paul enjoys a daily swim in the large indoor saltwater pool that the couple added four years ago. Acting as his own contractor, the ardent homeowner wanted to ensure that the pool room addition perfectly blended with the character of the historic manse. “I looked for the right brick for two years,” he says.

Relying on his experience renovating rental properties during his younger years, Paul did a good deal of the work himself. He worked with a framer on the addition, installed the insulation and the in-floor heating, but hired bricklayers to clad the exterior and roofers to finish the job. Lumber and roof trusses were purchased through Copp’s Buildall.

Pioneer Pools installed the 40-foot rectangular pool, while Provincial Glass was the source for the sliding glass doors that serve as windows for this large space. While the in-floor heating keeps things toasty during the colder months, in the spring Paul opens the patio doors that line the three exterior walls and lets the air flow through the screens, giving the pool room a nice outdoor feel.

The pool room’s windows overlook the 2.76 acre yard, affording a panoramic view of north London.

Some renovations have led to surprises. Working in the basement to restore the ballroom to some of its former glory, the Mitchells discovered a period, built-in leather banquet in a recessed area that had been wallpapered over when the home was the focus of Orchestra London’s Interiors fundraising tour in 1987.

Among the many original features that highlight this historic home are three marble fireplaces (updated with inserts from Patio Palace), the toe-activated call button at the head of the dining table and brass fittings on all the door handles, light fixtures and wall plates – a fitting homage to the Ivey family’s ties to Empire Brass Manufacturing Company (now EMCO).

Upon entering the home, one is surrounded by a hand-painted mural in the vestibule, exhibiting rich jade tones and an inlaid bamboo ceiling with gold leaf highlights. The mural is signed by the artist, Elizabeth McCulloch.

The large living room provides a gracious area for entertaining. left: The dining room’s original rounded glass windows afford an excellent view of the large property. One of the home’s original three marble fireplaces is found in this room. aboVe: The small butler’s kitchen was expanded into a family-friendly space.

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485 James Street South, St Mary’s

519-349-2412

Toronto? Montreal? New York?...or Habitat for Humanity London ReStore?Home improvement, renovations, decorating and supplies. NEW products as well!

Everything shown here was found at the London ReStore.Come in for a look! It’s worth your time and costs even less.

Visit us at 45 Pacific Court Unit 6, London ON 519.659.1949The ReStore is open Monday - Friday 9 am to 6 pm, Saturday 9 am to 4 pm and closed Sunday.

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Another large mural covers the wall of the hallway that leads to the kitchen and dining room. It’s an exotic portrait of Aztecs worshipping the Sun God.

The foyer gives an immediate sense of symmetry to the house with its curving walls playing against the rigid lines of the original parquet floor. A domed ceiling above adds to the grandeur of this entrance area.

The living room’s curved bay windows gently hug the baby grand piano that sits across from one of the three original marble fireplaces. This room also boasts a unique dentil moulding reminiscent of Lego blocks. Louise Short, A First Impression, staged this space.

The living room flows into what once was Jean Ivey’s solarium and now serves as Paul’s office. Large windows and doors on each side allow light to stream in, while the original battleship linoleum floor bespeaks the utilitarian nature of this room.

The Mitchells’ family room is to the right of the main hall. Large built-in bookcases tell the tale of this room’s past as Richard Ivey’s library.

The wide, sweeping staircase leads one upstairs and onto a wide landing. The master bedroom was once Jean Ivey’s quarters. It features a grandly recessed wall, which houses the headboard of the king-size bed.

Across the hall, two Juliet balconies frame the queen-size bed in what once was Richard Ivey’s bedroom. The adjoining bathroom was where Paul met Mr. Ivey as he shaved and calmly prepared for his trip to the hospital by ambulance, though he was very ill at the time. “I’ll be with you gentlemen in a moment,” is how Paul remembers Mr. Ivey addressing him.

Life has come full circle for Paul Mitchell. Once a visitor to this regal home, he now is king of the castle. OH

Plants provided by Thames Secondary School Horticulture Program

top: A white vanity is part of the jade green Jack-and-Jill bathroom that opens to two of the bedrooms. aboVe: Truly a master suite, this inset space provides a beautiful frame for the king-size bed. left: Added four years ago, the pool room’s façade blends perfectly with the original house but affords modern families a place for water fun year round.

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