Let me walk you through a home transformation that I recently completed with a lovely family who was ready to make some changes in their home. Originally they reached out looking to have this flex space below re-designed as they no longer needed a dedicated toy room for their children who were getting older. They desired a seating space with a desk for their daughter to do her crafts on. Additionally, they were wanting to choose a new stain to have their old hardwood floors sanded and refinished as they were getting worn out. Lastly, they wanted to paint the home and brighten it up though weren’t sure of colors.
BEFORE Living Room
Flash forward.. after the consult we realized they had 5 different types of flooring within their home, and 4 types just on their main level! The cost of sanding down the hardwood floors to refinish them, was similar if not more to having new floors installed. After consideration, and my client’s dislike for their current tile inset around their kitchen island, linoleum in the back entry, and the tile at the front door I suggested we use the budget to instead install Luxury Vinyl Planking (LVP) throughout the main level to create a cohesive look. This was a huge game changer! This now allowed them to have a fresh space throughout, while eliminating the floor transitions that segregated their main level.
BEFORE Kitchen
Notice the tile around the island above? We were amazed that the flooring installers were able to apply a leveling agent which allowed them to install the new floors above, saving my clients tons by eliminating the need to have tile and hardwood removed!
(Before) The Den. Was a kid’s toy room, though the kids outgrew the need for a toy room.
The design inspiration for this project came from the couples trip to Waterton, AB where they stayed at a gorgeous, cozy hotel that had greens, blacks, off-whites, dark woods and black metal accents. The photos from their stay was referenced as I designed their finishing’s and furniture.
(AFTER) Den
In their kitchen space, they felt it was too dark in this space. My clients were not looking for a full kitchen makeover, just a way to update and brighten up the space. What we did was have the cabinets sprayed with a lacquer in beautiful green color to bring some life into this space, while also upgrading the size of the pot lights to bring more light into the kitchen! The lovely dark granite was beautiful and worth playing off of, so we added in pops of slate grey to the pantry door and shelving above the sink to help tie them into the space. I love how it added a bit of drama and character to this room.
Cozy kitchen, with more life and brightness!
One of the best ideas I had was to remove this extra pony wall that was dividing the dining space from the living room, and served little purpose visually or functionally! Check out the before and after.
BEFORE Unnecessary pony wall.
See how the wall is no longer there between the new sofa and the dining table? This was a game changer updating the home to be more open concept allowing for better flow.
After
I designed an updated floorplan for the living room which included a much large area rug, sofa chaise and a leather loveseat. By removing the accent chairs it allowed the space to open up and have a better flow from the kitchen to the living room. Also loving the legs on these sofas, as it allows for more of an airy feel as opposed to low seating with chunky legs.
Moving to the upper level, we had the banister repainted, carpets replaced and brought the LVP up to the hallway and bathrooms. Repeating the same LVP upstairs helped create unison and flow between the two different levels, while it was also a more appropriate material choice for bathrooms than the hardwood floors that had been there before.
BEFORE Ensuite
AFTER. Small touches. New lighting, floors, paint, decor & sink faucet.
In the before pictures of the master bedroom, you can see there was a chair rail as well as textured wall paint above. Dark colors mixed wit dark furniture, and many floating shelves. We had the walls sanded, and vertical panelling added the the room to create that Waterton vibe that my clients were looking to replicate. One major win, is we were able to move the office space to the Den allowing this couple to truly create a special bedroom oasis that promoted good sleep, connection and peace. Feng shui principles guide us to protect the space within our bedroom from activities and items that may cause stress or distract us from getting that restful sleep, such as paperwork, clutter or a work items. I have no doubts that my clients are now experiencing better sleep and a deeper level of connection!
(BEFORE) Bedroom
Talk about a peaceful retreat! I also particularly love how we framed two of their wedding photos with large frames to emphasize the value of their marriage and unity. It also makes such a difference reducing the amount of small items out on surfaces and on shelves in the bedroom, as visual clutter creates mental clutter. This bedroom now feels relaxing, peaceful, airy and cozy. Much better suited to promote better well-being. After all, that is my goal when working with clients to refresh their homes through organizing, decorating and Feng Shui!
