A home design and renovation project is not for the faint of heart. Taking on their forever home house renovation was a huge task, even for this hard working, experienced renovating, adorable couple who, as it turned out, were referred to me by old friends that we knew years ago from the church we attended at the time. 

Seeing the contact form come through on the website with that last name immediately made me wonder if this client was related to our friends. And, yes they certainly were.

Mr. Client’s parents, our friends,  lived in the lower level back split apartment of this generous sized two storey home. It was great to see Mr.Client again after so many years, now all grown up with a lovely wife and three children of their own.

Design Brief Ideas

This couple wanted a cozy, comfortable, functional and durable space that would meet the needs of their three young boys, themselves, and all the entertaining of family and friends they love to do. 

This was my client’s first time working with a decor professional. Throughout the entire project she displayed a great eye and a good sense of direction of where she wanted to take things. 

It was my pleasure to offer my input, redirects, and suggestions for paint colours, wallcovering, finishes, furniture layout, window treatment ideas, lighting and any other details along the way. 

The style was to be influenced by a blend of craftsman and rustic farmhouse. The house is a large, open concept and the struggle she faced was how to incorporate more than one paint colour and to tie all the spaces together. She liked green, blue, grey and brown tones. 

The areas to be redesigned included the entire main floor with the exception of the powder room. The staircase, upper landing, principal bedroom and ensuite would also get an update. 

The other area of struggle was the furniture layout in the main living space, in particular the couch and tv, and what to do with a small space between that area and the dining room. 

Most of the contents were up for “editing” - my word for taking them out of the space, with the exception of two existing sideboards. These would be repurposed, as would be the Harvest dining set and perhaps a few art pieces.

I love redesign and repurposing pieces. I actually hold credentials as a re-design professional. Whenever existing furnishings can be revamped or even relocated in a space, I get pretty excited.

The family had plans to move out for the summer while the contractor worked his magic on this home design and renovation project. They hoped to be back in the home before school started in September. 

So the fun began!

The Colour Palette

These were the original colours we put together after our initial chat of the Design Consultation. A few other colours were added to the plan for the principal bedroom and ensuite. The 8 1’2”x11” colour sample sheets, along with the 4”x4” square samplers, were ordered in the palette colours.

This is a free service I provide with any consultation package. I give a mini tutorial on how to use the sample sheets in the space, isolating the colours, and living with them for several days to see how the light and time of day influence the look.

The Design Process

Designer By Your Side service is always so much fun. That’s what this project entailed over several months. Lots of chats, emails and pictures are shared back and forth, and tons of online sourcing options are looked at before the final decisions are made. I guide client choices along, redirecting as needed or suggesting something entirely different that works in the space but might not have been thought of by the client.

It’s so much fun and really exciting seeing a plan come together, keeping the budget and client styles and likes in mind. Checking the boxes in the Design Brief is of utmost importance.

One by one the wall colours were finalized, the light fixtures got chosen, the wallpaper for the dining room focal wall was anticipated with excitement, the right size and layout of new furniture was planned out, flooring and backsplash was narrowed down to that one gorgeous choice, several items got repurposed, the homeowners staircase, new door choices and kitchen design were celebrated, and before you knew it - voila! A beautiful home design and renovation had happened.

The Reveal Video

There are plans to dress the main level windows, find a new coffee table, end table, lamp, artwork, and add a lounge chair to the living room area.

The upper hallway will get that pretty wall molding talked about in the video, and some more artwork, bed pillows and accessories will come to the principal bedroom. The bed was moved to allow TV watching from the bed, and the wall colour we couldn’t think of at the time is another Sherwin Williams choice called Blustery Sky.

Isn’t it great to lay out a plan and work away at it as your heart desires?

The Before Pictures

Want to see what things looked like when we started? This is the part I really love when a renovation comes to the end and we take a moment to look back. We can almost forget how things really did look before and then marvel at the changes we’ve made.

It gave me great pleasure to input my home renovation design ideas and work alongside my client on this beautiful family home. Oh my, I love my job!