This design project has been one of my favourites to date. It couldn’t possibly be because the project was done for my Bestie and her amazing family, right? Tehehe. Well, that’s definitely one of the reasons. Another is because the homeowners were totally open to design ideas right from the get to. Knocking down walls, reconfiguring the kitchen, … these guys were a blast to work with! Plus, they had tons of creative ideas themselves – like using industrial pipe to create staircase railings, repurposing old hardwood floor on a feature wall in the attic, and changing the direction of the main staircase leading to the second floor. My BFF’s hubby is a total handy-man, so 95% of the work was done by him. Talk about a labour of love!

Once again, I have no before pictures. [I really gotta get better at that!]

The front entry originally had a long, narrow hallway, leading directly into a flight of stairs to the second floor. A small doorway off the entry led to the living and dining rooms. Beyond the dining room was a small, closed off kitchen.

All of the interior walls on the main floor were removed. This is such a game changer in design! If a home doesn’t have interior structural walls, knocking them down instantly updates the layout, and makes dreamy new spaces totally possible. (If the interior walls are structural, I still recommend this design approach, however, it’ll require a little more creativity and possibly a higher price tag.) Additionally, the main staircase was reconfigured, allowing for a front closet to be added to the entry.

In the kitchen, the original oak cabinets were sprayed Benjamin Moore’s Simply White. In fact, the whole renovation was done in Simply White, using different finishes for the walls, ceiling and trim. (NOTE: There’s a celery green hue to the wall colour. This is not what Simply White looks like. A paint mix up landed these guys with a poor colour matching job. Although it works in the space and they love it, this is the BIGGEST reason I encourage all of my clients not to colour match, but to buy from the paint manufacturer directly.)

An island was created and added tons of additional storage and counter space to the kitchen (from IKEA), and beautiful white quartz countertops were chosen for their aesthetic, durability, and price.

Like a lot of renovations I design, this project had a limited budget, so this minimized the options of flooring, trim, and backsplash tile. However, a small budget doesn’t equal small design! The furnishings, fixtures and final touches brought this whole design together beautifully. It’s industrial meets contemporary, meets rustic, all rolled into one.  Capturing their unique personality and style and creating a space that they can enjoy with their family and friends was my main goal.

They are beyond happy with their main floor renovation, so I’d say mission accomplished!

We’ve now moved on to the Attic and Master Bedroom portion of this project, so stay tuned shortly for the full reveal.

If you have a space you want to update, I’d love to work with you! Check out my E-design services and get in touch.

xox,

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