Piltch House, Adjala

Piltch House, Adjala

This is a house that has been filled with happiness, love and music from the time it was built by the noted jazz musician, Bernie Piltch for his family.  It is also a house where most of the land has remained untouched, and where trees and gardens have been planted to enhance the natural beauty of the setting; engender a sense of calm and happiness; to provide a contrast in rich scents and colours; to encourage local birds and other wildlife to live in peace, and insects to pollinate.

The field has deliberately been left in its natural state, with paths mowed to allow easy access to all points of beauty, including the flowering trees to the west of the field; the crabapple grove at the bottom of the field; the (maybe one day giant) Redwood tree (which marks the border of the land) to the east; and the pond (opposite the “official”) front door of the house.

• Careful planning went into selecting the Ideal placement of the home to reflect the beauty of the property.
• Home built by the same architects as built the McMicheal Gallery in Kleinberg.
• More recently, the property was acquired by the famous Canadian advertising guru, Gary Prouk (responsible for the Cadbury Secret and the launch of numerous Labatt brands)
• Fully renovated and modernized in the 1990s and 2000s
• Custom marble fireplace commissioned and built by Toronto architects Taratuga, who were responsible for the renovation and stonework design of the Windsor Arms Hotel in Toronto
• More than 20,000 daffodils of various varieties, as well as thousands of scilla have been naturalized in the field
• More than 40 flowering trees planted surrounding the field, to separate the forest from the house (including “protection trees” of folklore, such as Rowan and Hawthorne
• Custom gazebo, hot tub and decking
• Stone edged pond
• Paths around the 23+ acre property

The Home

The house was renovated in the 1990’s and 2000’s, to create a hybrid between country and city aesthetics. While the nature of the house has remained intact (massive, old-growth timbers from BC, traditional chinking for insulation), the house currently has a Georgian theme because of the artwork and furnishings but has also had an earlier life as the home of Canadian art and antiques.The owner is down-sizing and may consider selling some furnishings with the home.

One of the main beliefs in decorating and furnishing the house is to encourage as seamless an interaction between outside and in, including ceramic tile floors in the great room (without worrying about difficult-to-clean surfaces); marble floors in the bathrooms; limestone floor in the media room/library/basement; and hardwood floors in the bedrooms.

Marble fireplaces have been installed over the fieldstone that were originally part of the house, and the fireplace aperture in the Great Room has been significantly widened, to allow the entire family, or family and friends to gather in front of it for chat, game-playing or just reading in quiet company.

One bedroom was converted into an office (and could easily be re-converted to its original use), because it is very hard to leave this property once you have experienced the total silence and the unrestricted views of the stars at night,

The theme of seamless living, peace and calm extends to the different seating areas available: in front of the house, by the pond, in the field by the fire pit, on the deck or in the gazebo. The hot tub is a godsend for gardeners, and in winter (when the leaves have fallen), offers an unrestricted view of thousands of stars.

The kitchen, which is an extension of the Great Room, is only separated from the Great Room by a granite bar, making interaction with family and friends easy and hospitable, in keeping with the spirit of the house.

The lower level was designed to house extensive book and record collections and has been used as a recording space, recreation room and provides additional sleeping accommodation, if required. The loft upstairs can also accommodate guests.

The attached garage has been converted into a work room with sink and extensive built-in shelves.

The Land and Gardens

The property spans over 23 acres with a mix of open meadows and rolling forest lands. The home site is accessed via a long drive which winds into the property and up to the home. The home has peaceful views over its own grounds and south to the Caledon Hills.

Both the current and former owners were passionate gardeners, with the beds changing (as plants naturally do) over time to reflect the owners’ desire to push boundaries and keep everything interesting and fresh.

This area is a Zone 5, but there seems to be a beneficial microclimate, allowing for Zone 6 plants to thrive with some care.

The owners plant out various containers of herbs and other small vegetables in the summer, making cooking both fun and convenient.

The naturalization of daffodils, scilla, and snowdrops has been ongoing for over 30 years. The soil in this area is naturally clay heavy, so supplementing the spring bulbs in the field occasionally has proven to add to the beauty of the showing.

All the beds are fertilized in the spring, and mulched. The beds themselves have morphed from many imported plants (such as David Austin English Roses) to native plants wherever possible, for reasons of ease of maintenance as well as scent and the attraction of native pollinators.

• Hellebores (various varieties)
• Ferns (various varieties)
• Roses (including climbing roses) (various varieties)
• Clematis (various varieties)
• Lilies (multiple varieties of day lilies; Oriental lilies; Asian lilies; Trumpet lilies; Turk’s Cap lillies and Orienpet lilies)
• Phlox
• Herbaceous peonies (various varieties)
• Tree peonies (various varieties)
• Lavender (various varieties)
• Catmint
• Babies breath
• Aconitum
• Hostas (various varieties)
• Honeysuckle (two varieties)
• Daisies (various varieties
• Dog’s tooth violet
• Toad lily
• Fritillaria
• Russian Sage
• Camassia
• Snowdrops
• Wood anemones
• Anenomes
• Globe thistles
• Periwinkle
• Sunflowers
• Cosmos (perennial)
• Iris (Bearded, Japanese, Dwarf Siberian)
• Daffodils
• Alliums (various varieties)
• Bee Balm
• Yarrow
• Fleeceflower
• Soapwart
• Wild indigo (blue and white)
• Coneflowers (various varieties)
• Cranesbill (various varieties)
• Climbing Hydrangea
• Mallow
• Perennial Sweet Pea
• Lady’s Mantle

Other Details:

• Woodland pond feature crafted in stone
• Drilled well to south of home
• Septic to southwest of home
• Metal roof (Galvalume)
• Trex decking
• Hot tub
• Large cantilevered screened gazebo with storage