Hydrangea House

WELCOME TO HYDRANGEA HOUSE…

THIS HOUSE STARTED OUT AS “JUST A PROJECT” AND QUICKLY TURNED INTO A “PASSION PROJECT”.

IN THE FALL OF 2020 I PURCHASED A TIRED, RUN DOWN 1937 CHARACTER HOME ON A HUGE LOT,STRANGLED BY WEEDS AND OVERWHELMED BY A GRAVEL “PARKING LOT” IN THE BACK YARD BUT… IT WAS IN A BEAUTIFUL NEIGHBOURHOOD, CLOSE TO THE SEAWALL, B.C FERRIES, FLOAT PLANES AND RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF BEAUTIFUL VANCOUVER ISLAND.

AFTER TWO AND A HALF YEARS OF RENOVATING, LANDSCAPING, CREATING IT IS NOW READY TO SHARE WITH YOU!

TRADITIONAL DETAILS LIKE COVED CEILINGS, INLAID HARDWOOD FLOORS AND LEAD GLASS DOORS HAVE BEEN COMBINED WITH THE ADDITION OF MODERN COMFORTS SUCH AS HEATED FLOORS IN THE MAIN BATH, A COZY GAS FIREPLACE IN THE LIVING ROOM AND A KITCHEN WITH NO SHORTAGE OF CONVENIENCES. THAT’S A GREAT PLACE TO START….BUT THE “HEART” OF THIS HOME IS ACTUALLY A COLLECTION OF FURNISHINGS AND ART LOVINGLY ACQUIRED OVER 35 YEARS OF BEING IN THE INTERIOR DESIGN BUSINESS.

AS A DESIGNER AND AN ARTIST, IMAGINING HOW THIS HOUSE “COULD” LOOK WAS THE EASY PART...IMAGINING HOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE LANDSCAPING/GARDENING, WELL THAT WAS A LITTLE TRICKIER….IT WAS MUCH LIKE LISTENING TO A FOREIGN LANGUAGE WHERE I ONLY KNEW A FEW WORD AND MOST OF THEM FROM TOURS AROUND MY GRANDMA’S GARDEN WHEN I WAS LITTLE. THE ADDITON OF 41 HYDRANGEAS, DOZENS OF ROSES, HUNDREDS OF BOXWOOD AND 1900 DAFFODILS, TULIPS, BLUEBELLS, CROCUSES, SNOWDROP BULBS HAVE ENHANCED THE ESTABLISHED RHODODENDRONS, ARBUTUS TREE, MAPLE TREE, CEDAR AND PRIVACY HEDGING THAT LIVED HERE LONG BEFORE I CAME ALONG.

SO, HERE WE ARE…I NOW HAVE A LOVELY HOME AND GARDEN THAT I’M VERY EXCITED TO SHARE WITH YOU!!

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A HOME BASE TO EXPLORE VANCOUVER ISLAND AND ALL THAT IT HAS TO OFFER, THIS COULD BE YOUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME!

The perks for being part of the Patti Ransom Community is that you can now book directly with the button below and save yourself from paying AIRBNB booking fees!

Interior

IT’S MY HOPE THAT YOU FIND EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED AND MORE THAN YOU EXPECTED WHEN STAYING AT HYDRANGEA HOUSE.

COMFORT, QUALITY, LUXURY….AN EXPERIENCE!

ROOMS THAT INSPIRE MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS, THE SHARING OF GOOD FOOD AND A PLACE TO REST AND REPLENISH, PREPARING YOU FOR THE MANY ADVENTURES AHEAD.

Exterior

A LITTLE BIT OF SPARKLE AND MAGIC….CONSTANTLY EVOLVING, CONSTANTLY GROWING!

I’M HOPING THAT WHEN YOU ARRIVE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’VE STEPPED BACK IN TIME…A TIME WHEN A PERSON’S HOME WAS THEIR CASTLE! A TIME WHEN THE OUTSIDE WAS EVERY BIT AS IMPORTANT AS THE INSIDE, WHEN PLAYING IN THE YARD, SURROUNDED BY TREES, FLOWERS, BIRDS, BEES (AND THE OCCASIONAL DEER, BUNNY OR RACCOON) MADE EVERYDAY FEEL LIKE A LUCKY DAY.

A SITTING AREA THAT INVITES YOU OUT FOR MORNING COFFEE, AN AFTERNOON OF READING OR NIGHTCAP AND A CHAT ABOUT THE DAY’S ADVENTURE.

Surrounding Nature

WITH EACH AND EVERY SEASON HYDRANGEA HOUSE HAS A NEW TREASURE TO BE FOUND. SPRING IN THIS GARDEN IS AN ABUNDANCE OF BULBS (1900 AND COUNTING) THAT HAVE BEEN PLANTED OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARSF, POPPIES, AZALEAS, FOLIAGE OF VARIOUS TYPES BURSTING FORTH, SOME FLOWERING, SOME WITH BRILLIANT GREEN LEAVES. THE SHOWSTOPPER BEING A COUPLE OF MAGNIFICENT RED AND PURPLE RHODODENDRONS THAT ARE LIKE HAVING GIANT FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS IN THE FRONT YARD.

SUMMER TIME WE WELCOME THE WHITE, YELLOW AND RED ROSES, OVER 40 WHITE HYDRANGEAS ( SYMBOLIZING GRATITUDE, GRACE AND BEAUTY) VARIOUS VARIETIES OF LAVENDAR (THE BUMBLE BEES ARE PRETTY HAPPY HERE), AS WELL AS FLAT AFTER FLAT OF PERENNIALS (THE LOCAL NURSERIES LOVE US TOO!)

SO…PLEASE, WANDER, EXPLORE, INHALE, EXHALE AND IF YOU COME ACROSS ANY WEEDS, PLUCK THEM ….MY GRANDMA WOULD PULL WEEDS EVERYWHERE SHE WENT, DOING HER BEST TO CREATE A BIT OF ORDER AMONGST THE CHAOS OF THE WORLD.

Local Area

IF YOU’VE DECIDED TO VISIT VANCOUVER ISLAND THEN YOU’RE PROBABLY ALREADY AWARE OF ALL IT’S NATURAL BEAUTY, BUT THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF HIDDEN GEMS THAT YOU MAY NOT NOTICE ON FIRST BLUSH!

FROM HYDRANGEA HOUSE YOU ARE JUST A FEW MINUTES AWAY FROM BC FERRIES MAIN TERMINAL, FLOAT PLANES, AS WELL AS THE FERRY TERMINAL TO GABRIOLA ISLAND, THE WATER TAXI TO PROTECTION ISLAND WHERE YOU CAN HAVE A BITE TO EAT AT DINGHY DOCK PUB OR A PICNIC AT NEW CASTLE ISLAND.

OR… TAKE A STROLL JUST DOWN THE ROAD TO NANAIMO’S SEAWALL WHERE YOU’LL FIND A NUMBER OF MARINAS WITH AN ABUNDANCE OF WATER SPORTS, BOAT TOURS , WHALE WATCHING AND OF COURSE A LOVELY WALK TO SWY-A-LANA/ MAFFEO SUTTON PARK.

IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO GO A LITTLE FURTHER AFIELD….CHEMAINUS, LADYSMITH, DUNCAN ARE LESS THAN AN HOUR SOUTH, RATHTREVOR BEACH PARKSVILLE, QUALICUM LESS THAN AN HOUR NORTH, AND OF COURSE, HEAD WEST TO COOMBS COUNTRY MARKET WITH THE GOATS ON THE ROOF, CATHEDRAL GROVE TO EXPERIENCE THE WONDERS OF AN OLD GROWTH FORREST…NO MATTER WHICH DIRECTION YOU CHOOSE YOU’RE BOUND TO FIND TREASURES ALL OVER THE ISLAND.