WHEN DESIGNER MELODY DURON DECIDED TO MOVE INTO HER RUSTIC WEEKEND HOME FULL TIME, CLEVER UPGRADES GAVE IT THE COMFORT SHE CRAVED.

CALL IT FATE. Designer Melody Duron and her husband, Bill, were planning to downsize to a smaller house in Toronto five years ago but,thanks to a hot realestate market,they sold quickly and suddenly found themselves without a home. “It all happened so fast!” she says. With their belongings in storage, they decamped to their weekend retreatin the hills of Mulmur, Ont., to plan their next move. Dubbed Lyric Pond,the 44-hectare property comprises wooded trails, five ponds, rolling fields and a country home that’s so remarkable,this is the third time H&H has photographed it. The first was for the November 1997 issue, after the couple attached an 1880s barn to the estate’s original Pan-Abode cottage to add more space and authentic barnboard interiors. Dressed for the holidays, it captured the magic ofthe season. When Melody refreshed the interiors in 2005, H&H returned to share her effortless country style. Now,the house is enjoying a new chapter: after Melody and Bill, who’s chairman of York Bay Marine Services, settled in,they realized the hideaway should be their principal home. “The reality is we love our life at Lyric Pond,” says Melody. Even the 90-minute commute to the city for work a few days each week was worth the daily pleasure of waking up immersed in nature. Once the couple committed to staying, they realized many of the rooms and features, while fine for short stays, didn’t offer enough everyday comfort and convenience. Over the next five years, Melody embarked on a gradual upgrade of the bathrooms, the barn’s great room and the kitchen. ABOVE: Homeowner and designer Melody Duron lounges on the daybedstyle seating she created in a corner of the living area. “It’s perfect for morning coffee or an afternoon nap,” she says. Seat cushion fabric,rug by Windsor Smith Home, Kravet Canada; cream and blue throwpillow fabric by Peter Dunham Textiles, Y&Co.; side table, Snob; artwork (just above Melody) by Sandi Wong. OPPOSITE: Bill Duron surveys the garden from a bridge that links the driveway to the home’s main entrance.