Home & Garden 2025: Hopfs go full DIY on heritage Belgrave home

BY SCOTT STEPHENSON

When The Citizen first interviewed Emily, Trevor, and Sophia Hopf in December last year, the paper was seeking the straight scoop on what it’s really like for a young family to celebrate Christmas in Belgrave. Our shocking conclusion: it’s quite a lovely time for all involved.

 

But what readers don’t know is that there’s more to the story. Upon arriving at the Hopf house, The Citizen found itself to be extremely impressed with the family’s tasteful renovations to the historic home. From the thoughtful layout that puts visitors at ease to the myriad little touches that make the phrase “why didn’t I think of that?!” echo forever in the corner of your mind, it’s a home that practically demands a follow-up interview. And here it is.

 

When Emily and Trevor think of what a home is, the phrase that comes to their minds is “cosy and comfortable.” And, while the space they decided on in Belgrave had certainly been all those things for various families over the years, by the time they took over, the old building was in need of a little bit of TLC. “It was a well-loved family home with all your classic farmhouse characteristics - it just needed to be brought into this century,” Emily recalled. “We knew it needed an upgrade,” Trevor added. This was before Sophia’s time, so she refrained from comment, instead choosing to eat cheese slices while perusing her copy of The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck.

 

By their best guess, the Hopfs bought their home at least 10 years ago as first-time homeowners with zero experience in home repair or construction. The first thing that required their attention: the electrical system. And the plumbing. And the insulation. The pair had already moved into the house, so they had to get creative. “It was fun,” Emily began. “When we did the upstairs and everything, we lived downstairs, and when we did the downstairs, everything was upstairs,” Trevor added. “Our whole kitchen was in our bedroom, and our dishes were done in the bathroom sink!” Emily exclaimed.

 

As he worked his way through his new home, Trevor encountered a number of electrical oddities, including live wires in the walls and floors. They also found layers of newspapers  under the old linoleum floor. And horsehair. And bits of construction materials from years long past. Local experts were brought in to evaluate the risks and make a plan of action.

 

When the pandemic hit, the DIY element of the renovation project kicked into high gear. Emily took a sledgehammer to the kitchen, and asked questions later. “The renovations were planned, but not planned,” she said.  “The downstairs renovations started one night. COVID was happening, and I wasn’t working, and I didn’t have anything to do. I picked up a sledgehammer because we were just going to put in internet. And then I just took the wall down to the floor. And then I just went from there.” 
Luckily, they had already ordered many of the building materials they required before supply-chain issues caused prices to skyrocket. Of course, there were a few minor COVID complications to contend with - the cabinets they chose ended up getting caught in a bit of a backlog, and the first refrigerator they ordered never materialized. “There was a year and a half wait, and then we just said ‘it’s okay,  we’ll just switch - I don’t think it’s coming,” Emily explained. 

 

The pandemic was also the perfect time to work on the family garden. The Hopfs have already put in flower beds, a vegetable garden, and are now working to make their backyard into the perfect place to entertain. “The plan moving forward is creating spaces outside,” she said. “Where you can have bonfires,” he added.

 

Even though they had to change gears a few times, Emily and Trevor’s plan for their home never wavered. “We just had a vision for it,” he confided. Emily asserts that she knew what she wanted to do with the kitchen before they bought the house. “We talked about it before we even put an offer on the house,” she said. “We walked through it, said what we would like to do, what we would like to change, which aspects we loved, which we didn’t love.”

 

Once they were in the door, Emily made print-outs of different layouts for kitchens, then mapped out an imaginary meal with her husband. “I was like, ‘okay - if you’re gonna go make a lasagna, how many places do you have to go? And then where should things go? Where should cabinets be? Where should the fridge, the dishwasher, and the sink be to create a functional space?” After the lasagna map, they picked the cabinets, the drawers, and the cupboards. They also designed a charming little window seat in their kitchen, perfect for little readers, napping dogs, and tired parents looking for a short respite while remaining central to the action.

 

They spent a lot of evenings just planning how we would make food, or how they wanted to have people over. They came to the conclusion that they like a lot of flow between their entertaining areas, which meant moving away from the segmented design utilized to conserve heat in old farmhouses. Without four separate wood stoves to maintain, the Hopfs no longer needed heavy wooden doors between each and every room.”When people came over, and someone is hanging out in the living room, and we’re hanging out in here, we want to be able to create a space that they can feel like they’re part of being in here, and you can feel like you are part of being in there, even if you are in different rooms,” Emily offered. 

 

As someone who has had the privilege of being hosted in both of these spaces, I think it’s safe to say “mission achieved.” And you can quote me on that.