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When Dave Gowryluk and Tony Gallagher moved into their brand new dream home in Ramsay seven years ago, they were looking forward to enjoying the emerging neighbourhood’s growing number of diners, coffee shops, bars and boutiques. And they did – for a few years, at least.

But when a fire broke out in a vacant neighbouring property in the summer of 2012, their beloved house also caught fire and quickly went up in flames.

The aftermath of the fire

“It was really terrifying,” Mr. Gowryluk says, recalling the rude awakening at 3 a.m., when the windows blew out. “Terrifying and stressful.

“We just had to grab what we could and get out of there. We lost pretty much everything except the cat, who was thankfully found the next day.”

As fate would have it, the couple had listed the property for sale just 48 hours previously, with a plan to downsize to a townhouse in the East Village.

“We were looking for something more manageable so we’d spent the whole weekend cleaning up the yard and getting the house ready for market” he says, “the timing really was impeccable.”

The aftermath of the fire.

Standing among the ashes of their home, they faced some tough choices. Their insurance company considered the house only 80 per cent destroyed so would only cover them to rebuild using parts of the existing structure.

Mr. Gowryluk, a Realtor, disagreed. “If we rebuilt using any of the existing structure, there would have been smoke damage and mould and I know from experience that’s tough for resale. We decided it would be better to demolish to the foundations and rebuild from scratch, even if it did cost us.”

The rebuilt house totals 4,300 sq. ft. (Chris Bolin for the Globe and Mail)

Demolishing to the foundations also afforded them the freedom to change the layout, add a little extra floorspace, taking the house to 4,300 square feet, and give it a renewed feeling of continuity.

“We didn’t want to rebuild the same house. That wouldn’t have felt right. So, we decided to rebuild the coolest house we could imagine. It was a project for us and we’ve loved it.”

The couple"prioritized light and space and flow" in the rebuilt house. (Chris Bolin for the Globe and Mail)

Having lived in a dozen houses in their 26 years together, the couple’s imaginations are pretty full of home inspiration. From character homes to lofts, historic houses to new builds, condos and even a synagogue, they’ve experienced every type of living imaginable and curated the best features into the home Mr. Gallagher affectionately calls their “Phoenix House.”

“We prioritized light and space and flow,” Mr. Gowryluk says. “With more windows and less walls, you now get light flowing through the ground floor of the house and up through the stairwells. We added an extra bathroom, a wine cellar and made the bar area in the lower walkout level much bigger for entertaining.”

Decor features are also unique, including Italian tiles with flame-red highlights behind the bar. (Chris Bolin for the Globe and Mail)

Mr. Gowryluk also designed features such as bespoke sinks in the upper master suite and custom-built kitchen cabinets, which their builder, Niko Homes, created from his sketches.

Decor features are also unique, including Italian tiles with flame-red highlights behind the bar; a fitting colour that has been woven throughout the house with accent walls and style features.

The couple wanted the new home"to have unique features." (Chris Bolin for the Globe and Mail)

Vintage pieces, such as a feature wall of reclaimed wood, soften the modern appearance of the house and add character.

“We really wanted the house to be unique and have unique features,” Mr. Gallagher says. “We wanted it to be full of things buyers won’t see when they’re viewing other properties.”

The lower walkout makes the house"built for entertaining," Mr. Gallagher says. (Chris Bolin for the Globe and Mail)

What’s outside is equally enviable with an elevated view of the city from Scotsman’s Hill, named for the frugal Scots who used to gather there to watch the city’s Stampede for free.

“We’ve got the best view of the Stampede fireworks” Mr. Gallagher says, “and the perfect set-up for parties. The lower walkout level is just made for it; we’ve had 120 people down there. It’s a house built for entertaining.”

Mr. Gowryluk says Ramsay is an"eclectic neighbourhood with a great sense of community." (Chris Bolin for the Globe and Mail)

Mr. Gowryluk has sold around 60 homes in Ramsay in his career and says it’s an “eclectic neighbourhood with a great sense of community,” which is faring well in a soft market.

“Sales in Calgary are about 35 per cent down this year, but Ramsay’s a neighbourhood on the up and it’s doing okay. The house has been on the market for three months now and we’ve had some interest in it,” he said. “It’s a unique property, it’ll be a unique buyer who wants it.”

Mr. Gowryluk admits he’ll miss the huge soaker tub in the upstairs master suite. (Chris Bolin for the Globe and Mail

Their love for the house they rebuilt from the ashes is clear but neither claims to have an emotional attachment to the property. However, Mr. Gowryluk admits he’ll miss the huge soaker tub in the upstairs master suite, while Mr. Gallagher says he’ll miss the neighbourhood and the serene backyard with mature tree canopy.

The couple have recently taken ownership of their East Village townhouse and are looking purposefully ahead. (Chris Bolin for the Globe and Mail)

The couple have recently taken ownership of their East Village townhouse and are looking purposefully ahead.

“We love it and we’re really proud of what we did here, but this is a chapter of our lives we want to close so we can start onto the next. It’s time for us to move on.”