“Green kitchen cabinets and colourful curtains are a must,” said my lovely client at our first meeting. After years of dreaming and making do, I was presented with a wish list and the goal to make their home feel more like them. It needed to be elegant and grown up, but exude comfort. As they stated, “we never want someone to walk in and feel they can’t put their feet up and relax.”
Two children, busy careers, hockey, horses, rescue dogs and a love of travelling meant they had little time to really enjoy their home. Over the last few years, as the children grew into lovely young adults, the busyness of life subsided and they found themselves spending more time at home. It became clear that their home didn’t reflect who they were as a family, nor as a couple.
At our first meeting, we discussed how the family used the space and how a typical day unfolded.
- Where did they gather
- How often did they use the dining room
- Where were coats and purses stored
- How did the kitchen flow?
They wanted to entertain regularly, prepare meals in a kitchen that didn’t frustrate and be surrounded by colours that touched the soul.
They knew that well designed spaces make for better personal interactions, allowing relationships to flourish. The current layout of their home wasn’t working and added little bits of unnecessary daily stress. I wanted to eliminate these frustrations and provide a beautiful space for joyful interactions with family and friends, while still offering cozy corners for two.
“The essence of interior design will always be about people and how they live. It is about the realities of what makes for an attractive, civilized, meaningful environment, not about fashion or what’s in or what’s out.”
Although they actually did have a fair bit of main floor square footage, it didn’t feel that way. The plan for a new kitchen layout involved reconfiguring the cabinets and squaring off the island. Once we decided to eliminate the corner pantry, the space really opened up.
The dining room needed a bit more of an intervention to bring it to its full potential.
Gatherings in this room happened only a few times a year. My goal was to make the dining room a usable space for more than just special occasion dining. Even with a beautiful large window, the dining room felt closed off and disjointed from the rest of the home. I suggested allocating a portion of the budget towards opening up the wall between the two rooms, providing better sight lines and allowing light from the windows to flood both spaces.
The homeowners liked the idea but when the cost estimate came in at a higher price than we hoped, (due to structural considerations), they were unsure. We weighed the pros and cons and decided to go ahead with this intrusive work now and scale back the furniture and art budget . We were still able to invest in a few good pieces and have a plan for future purchases. Homes are always works in progress and I believe that slowly and thoughtfully curating furniture and art creates a truly authentic home.
It took several months of planning before any construction work began. As my clients said, they had an idea of what they wanted, but they didn’t know where to start. First steps were to come up with a general colour palette and then focus in on specific choices. We also spent a large amount of time ensuring that the newly designed space would flow and include storage solutions to make life easier.
The benefit of custom cabinets is that they can be personalized to accommodate life, lessening those daily frustrations. Having the ability to store hockey sticks out of sight near the front door has been a well received solution, as is storage for oils and frequently used spices right beside the range. The large window in the eating area is a happy place to sit and do computer work. A hidden drawer in the window seat keeps cords and files close by.
Crowding at the back entry was another pain point that was solved with custom cabinetry. The original builder layout never really worked for this busy family, and even relocating the laundry to the basement years ago didn’t completely solve their frustrations. We came up with a design to open up this area, remove the small closet and create a run of lockers, providing not only ample storage, but also a beautiful sight line from the main living area.
My clients had a unique look in mind and kept showing me pictures of homes from England that were full of colour and personality. They liked the English aesthetic of cozy comfortable spaces that had a traditional, yet lived in, feel. We settled on a design look that captured this aesthetic, while being mindful of the budget.
We set about having some fun with the powder room design and decided to load it with personality and charm. Mouldings were added to walls painted in Farrow & Ball Lamp Room Grey. The custom vanity was spray lacquered in Pavilion Grey, also from Farrow & Ball. Leaning into an English style, we hung a collection of gold framed artwork. Patterned floor tile keeps it interesting and a custom designed vanity features hand painted door panels by artist Neil Dawson.
The most successful renovations happen when collaboration occurs. I work closely with my clients to design their space, but it’s the contractor that brings the vision to life. Ryan, from 61 Interiors, handled the construction. He embraced the spirit of cozy English design and was just as excited as I was to include so many meaningful personal touches.
For me, a good renovation is about creating spaces that nurture, foster relationships and offer shelter from the world. I’ll leave the last words to my client, because in the end, I couldn’t ask for a better conclusion to a renovation project.
Karen transformed our home into a space that looks and feels like everything we had envisioned – and more. Our home is now our Sanctuary.
