Scott Mathison and Rebecca Verstraete bought their home at 13825 8th Concession, King Township, Ont., in 2020, anxious to find the peace and tranquility of the countryside – with room for a horse.Mitchell Hubble/Mitchell Hubble/Modern Movement Creative
13825 8th Concession, King Township, Ont.
Asking Price: $5,995,000
Taxes: $11,041.48 (2024)
Lot Size: 5.1 acres
Agent: Carolyn Scime, Chestnut Park Real Estate
The backstory
When many urban dwellers were craving outdoor space in 2020, Scott Mathison and Rebecca Verstraete had more incentive than most to seek fresh air and verdant fields.
Ms. Verstraete already had her own horse, which she was boarding at a farm north of Toronto.
“Would you ever consider living on a property where we could have horses?” she asked her husband.
Dr. Mathison, a veterinarian, was soon persuaded to trade their Victorian-era house in the city for a home in the countryside.
“We kind of pulled the COVID move,” says Dr. Mathison.
The couple narrowed their search to areas within commuting distance of Toronto while Dr. Mathison and Ms. Verstraete, a veterinary technician, still worked downtown.
They soon found a five-acre property with a backyard swimming pool in the rolling landscape of the Oak Ridges Moraine. The equine community in King Township includes many large horse farms, stables and riding schools.
The bungalow on the 8th Concession dates to the 1940s, says Ms. Verstraete, adding that the parcel was likely carved from one of the large farms created by the area’s settlers.
“The property was quite beautifully landscaped when we came in,” Dr. Mathison says of the mature trees and gardens, with a small orchard at the rear.
The equestrian amenities included a barn, paddocks and an indoor arena with additional stalls and a viewing lounge.
The owners at the time did not have horses, but the couple figured they could refurbish the facilities over time.
They purchased the property and soon moved Ms. Verstraete’s horse Pippa to her new home.
The house today
A four-bedroom bungalow when they bought it, the home was in need of renovation. The couple began with the kitchen and bathrooms.Mitchell Hubble/Mitchell Hubble/Modern Movement Creative
The four-bedroom bungalow needed updating, so the couple began planning for a new kitchen and bathrooms.
As with many projects, the work expanded.
“It started out small,” says Dr. Mathison. “We ended up doing a major renovation.”
Ms. Verstraete is a keen cook, so the couple opened up the kitchen with a vaulted ceiling and a glass solarium addition with views over the grounds.
The English country-style kitchen is centred around a 55-inch Lacanche range, which does the heavy lifting during holiday gatherings. Ms. Verstraete also enjoys baking homemade bread and other confections.
There’s a large island, marble countertops and a coffee nook.
Dr. Mathison mixes the cocktails when the couple entertains, so he had a brass bar sink installed. One of the first items he sourced was a custom-made brass rinser for glasses.
“It’s one of the things I show off to everyone,” he says. “I’ve never seen one in anyone’s home.”
The existing primary bedroom was cramped, so the couple extended the space and added a new ensuite bathroom.
Today, the bedroom has a vaulted and beamed ceiling, a gas fireplace, walk-in closets and doors opening to the pool area.
The bathroom has a double-sink vanity, a soaker tub overlooking the greenhouse, a walk-in shower and a steam shower.
The house has two additional bedrooms and a playroom with a Murphy bed, which can serve as the fourth bedroom. There are three bathrooms.
There’s a large living room and dining room with a wood-burning fieldstone fireplace, a family room and a library with built-in bookshelves.
Throughout much of the house, the couple replaced windows and added new oak flooring.
The addition also includes a new mud room with a heated slate floor and dog wash station.
“Working in the vet industry, we just collect dogs,” Dr. Mathison says with a laugh.
He now practices at clinics in the King City area. Ms. Verstraete is taking parental leave to look after the couple’s 16-month-old son Noah.
During the renovation, the couple lived in the one-bedroom guest cottage on the property.
Outside, the couple rebuilt the existing circular drive with cobblestones torn from the streets of Toronto as new asphalt was laid for streetcar tracks.
“There are stone places near here with fields of this stuff. It’s quite incredible,” Dr. Mathison says of the reclaimed stone. The driveway is heated, so there is no need for snow plowing.
The couple, who are moving to British Columbia, had planned to make renovating the indoor arena their last project.
The previous owners removed the footings and used the building for indoor ice skating.
“It makes a pretty incredible hockey rink,” says Dr. Mathison.
A new heated greenhouse has double-paned thermal glass windows.Mitchell Hubble/Mitchell Hubble/Modern Movement Creative
The best feature
The couple upgraded the landscaping with granite fountains, flagstone paths, gardens and a new stone patio at one end of the swimming pool, which is surrounded by grass.
A new heated greenhouse has double-paned thermal glass windows.
They installed new fences and spruced up the amenities in the stalls, tack room and other areas.
Dr. Mathison now has his own horse named Ned to share the updated barn with Pippa.
“It’s pretty much the perfect size for two or three horses,” Ms. Verstraete says of the property.