BEFORE AND AFTER | Heidi & Derick Berry

Heidi and Derick Berry have been in the renovation “business” in Fernie for 10 years. Their first project was located in Ridgemont and began soon after the couple was married. The budget was tight, but the Berry’s were armed with drive and talent, and fortunately neither is afraid of getting very dirty and working ridiculous hours. That first Ridgemont home opened a gateway of others, 7 to be exact including a 5 day renovation of 18 hour days in order to make an open house deadline!

The first thing you ask yourself upon meeting the happy and successful couple is, “Where do they find the time?” They own and operate Fernie Central Reserevations, enjoy an active lifestyle and are social within the community. So how do they do it? They just do. They come home from work, sit down for a few minutes and realize that there is something they could be doing at the house. For many of the projects they lived in the renovation so it was easy to become motivated. Think along the lines, “If I want a shower, I better finish building one!”

Heidi and Derick have picked up many skills over the years. Upon entering any one of their projects you are immediately confronted with beautiful carpentry and furniture. Derick has built each piece to fit specifically within the respective space. Hand crafted with attention to detail, these additions definitely provide the home with a certain look and feel. And when it comes to Heidi she is right in there, knocking down walls, sanding wood, staining, painting, and whatever else needs to be done. “People always say that couples that renovate together divorce, but we thrive on it. We both like the same things so it makes it easier,” says Heidi. And she isn’t talking about painting the walls and changing the fixtures. Completely gutting the place to its original form is their idea of renovating.

“Whenever we walk into a house we get so excited about all of the things we can do. People think we’re crazy,” adds Heidi. Currently Heidi and Derick are building a home for themselves in Parkland Terrace. “Normally when we renovate or build we think about the potential buyer and what they might like. Not now! This one is for us.”

One of the most impressive renovations completed by this duo is a heritage house found along the edges of the Historic Downtown of Fernie. Heidi and Derick named the house “Suddaby Manor” after the original owners, whom rebuilt the home after the fire in 1908. While it was a lot of work restoring it to its original state, it is definitely the Berry’s favourite and most rewarding.

When did you purchase the house, and for what price?

We bought it in 2005, July 1st in the mid $200,000’s.

What was your ultimate goal, renovation wise?

I think the main goal was to restore as much of the historical style as possible, while adding all of the modern amenities such as a luxury en-suite, double shower, upstairs laundry, high-end appliances, etc. You walk in and feel the authenticity of 100 years ago, with the comfort of a modern look and feel.

What was the renovation process like, and what was the time frame?

This one was awesome. The renovation went on for a year, working harder at times and less at others. It was so much fun because there were so many variables we couldn’t plan for so we made the commitment to be as creative and flexible as we could. The best part about renovating a heritage house is that you get the free added features, like hard wood floor under carpet or laminate and vaulted ceilings, opposed to renovating a 70’s house and finding laminate.

How would you describe the design style you used?

Historical-modern. We certainly kept the heritage feel, restoring each separate room on the lower level. I don’t know how to quite say it, but definitely the theme was to bring it back to what it was. We even went to the Historical Society to find the original pictures of the house to ensure it was accurate.

Is there anything you would have done differently?

The only thing we might have changed if we planned to live there a long time would have been to lift it and develop a basement. But since the goal was always to sell, we did everything that was planned.

Ultimately, were you pleased with the final result?

Absolutely.

What is the property currently worth?

We don’t know for sure as we sold the property a few years ago, but in today’s market it is probably triple in value.

What is one renovation/design rule you live by?

The “create the triangle” theory, which means that your main living area is connected to the kitchen, which has to be connected to the dining room which is connected to the main living room. When renovating, we blow up walls to allow this, opening it up! Everyone has their own design style and flare, and ours is that we can never go too open.