Looking from the street at the Rockcliffe home of Chile’s ambassador, it’s hard to reconcile what you see with the flamboyant atmosphere that greets you inside. The rather severe two-storey redwood and yellow brick exterior hides a warm joie-de-vivre inside.
Built by Ottawa land developer Harold Shenkman and his wife, Belle, a well-known arts philanthropist, the Frank Lloyd Wright-style home was completed in 1953 and stands out on Mariposa Avenue among the more traditional Tudor-style homes nearby. The house was a family affair, built by Harold and designed by cousin Stanley Shenkman, a Toronto architect who’s remembered fondly by son Bill, a developer and philanthropist in Ottawa and a resident of Monaco.
The government of Chile bought the house as a residence for its ambassador in 1977. A 2001 renovation was carried out under the watchful eye of a Chilean designer.
The result is a riot of colour with Latin American flair. Wall paint and fabrics come mainly in yellows and reds that vary from soft to bright in hue. Eye-catching accent walls of peacock blue pop up in several rooms as well.
“It’s a very cosy house,” says Ambassador Roberto Ibarra. “I feel well in this house. Sometimes, in a huge embassy, you feel like you are living in a hotel lobby. As well, this is a nice place to entertain.”
You see why when you step from the foyer, with its warm and welcoming tiles, into a large reception room with a curved wall at its entrance and a sloping wood ceiling. One side of the room has a long row of windows and at the far end, a yellow brick fireplace and mantel for warmth in cold weather. The room’s length allows for three attractive seating areas as well as a view of the garden and a wooden deck. The walls and fabrics are red and yellow and the furnishings invite you in to share the space.
The garden is “not too big, but perfect for us,” the ambassador says. At some point, the yard was severed and the back part sold to neighbours.
Down the hall from the entrance is Mr. Garcia’s office, fitted with a large desk and a red leather sofa and chairs. A brown wool Chilean poncho thrown over the sofa is an item of apparel the ambassador is only too happy to model over his business suit.
A beautifully curved pine staircase leads to the second floor where a cosy family room is centred among four bedrooms. The master bedroom suite is on the main floor.
The comfortable dining room is separated from the front hall by a smoked-glass wall, while the other walls are covered with paintings of birds in all their finery and a Chilean landscape. It is a well-used room.
“We love to show off our food and wine,” says the ambassador. “It’s part of the Chilean culture to entertain.”
With a Chilean cook on the premises, guests usually find themselves starting off an evening with a pisco sour, a traditional South American drink popular in Chile and Peru. There is always wonderful Chilean sparkling wine, and treats of ceviche and empanadas. A beef or lamb main course and dessert are all matched with the appropriate Chilean wine. If you are in luck, the wine list will include a red Carménère wine, made with the Carmine grape, almost extinct in Europe, but thriving in Chile.
The house is full of paintings, many by Chilean-Canadian artists. A large painting of the Port of Montreal is by Humberto Pinochet, who has lived in Quebec for many years. A stunning work of leaves and flowers is by Ottawa artist José Mansilla and there are landscapes by Chilean painters Jorge Caballero, Alfredo Melossi and Armando Lira.
After three years in Ottawa, the dapper bachelor is fascinated by how quickly the seasons change. “It’s very beautiful in spring,” he says. A horseback rider by preference, he finds the winters too cold for riding, but other than that, says he has adapted to winter.
“I was told by the Canadian ambassador to Chile to embrace the winter,” he laughs, “so I have learned to live outdoors.”
While he may have accustomed himself to life in a northern climate, when he is inside his home, the ambassador can feel the warmth of the southern colours of Chile, taste the spices and favourite foods of home and, of course, always have on hand the famous wines of his country.
Margo Roston is Diplomat’s culture editor.
