103 - 7 MILL STREET

The falls are the first thing you notice. A full wall of windows in the living room holds the Mississippi River as it drops past the old Victoria Woollen Mill, and the light coming off the water changes all day. Unit 103 sits on the main floor of that mill: over 1,700 square feet, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, two private balconies, and not a single stair between you and Mill Street.

The original stone and tile in the foyer tell you what the building used to be. The kitchen tells you what it is now. Miralis of Montreal built it in crisp white cabinetry, with quartz counters, a glass backsplash that catches the same river light, stainless appliances, and an island long enough to seat a crowd.

Off it, a butler's pantry hides the washer, dryer and a second dishwasher, then opens onto the first balcony. Hardwood runs the length of the living and dining room, past a built-in wall unit, out to the second balcony, and on into a quieter room beyond that asks to be a study or a place to read. The primary bedroom has double closets and a renovated ensuite: walk-in tiled shower, Canadian Vanico-Maronyx cabinetry and vanity, a troughsink with dual taps.

Pocket doors close off a second room that takes a guest bed or a desk equally well, with a full bathroom and shower beside it. Downstairs is downtown Almonte. Dinner, a gallery, a bookshop, all within two minutes on foot.

The Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail and Gemmill Park are barely further.