Going from a family of four to a family of five, our clients came to us to help design their new custom inner-city home with the goal of creating a “durable, family-friendly space they could grow into, and grow with.” From millwork drawings to sourcing finishes, fixtures, and furniture to styling the home- we were there from concept to completion.
When you first enter the home, you are immediately welcomed by the home office. A space designed for the husband of the household. The overall design of the space placed function and storage as top priorities. With that in mind we designed custom floor-to-ceiling white oak millwork offering both open and closed storage components to meet all of our clients work-from-home needs! The finish palette for the space is a curated mix of natural materials showcasing beautiful natural white oak paired against nero marquina marble.
The kitchen, dining area, and living room all flow into one another so, we were mindful to select finishes that could seamlessly blend into each adjacent space. The light and bright expanse of white walls and millwork create the perfect backdrop for the brass light fixtures and black stone-faceted fireplace. The fireplace proved to be a challenge when it came to execution as it was something the stone fabricator had never done before and required a lot of troubleshooting along the way.
Though, the end result made it totally worth it! One of the most unique features of the main floor is that our clients requested the formal dining room to function as a playroom while their children are still young. A typical dining chandelier was subbed out for a semi flush fixture over an open play space. Storage furniture lines one full wall of the room with both open and closed components to store the kids various items. Every element in the room remains versatile, allowing the space to transform as the family grows.
For the kids’ bedrooms, we wanted each room to feel whimsically unique from the others and tailored to each child’s personality. The youngest son had a love for blue and yellow so we took that as our main colour inspiration for his bedroom and found the perfect Hygge & West wallpaper and matching bedding that fit the bill. For her oldest son’s bedroom, our client had pre-selected a treehouse bedframe that she wanted to base the design off of.
With this as our starting point, we designed the remainder of the space around it by incorporating details such as birch tree wallpaper and buffalo check drapery! Our client’s only had one request for their daughter’s nursery was to include an element of pink! Like the rest of the home, we wanted the space to be something that could transition with her as she grew older so we started with the wallpaper in the en-suite. This gorgeous floral print adds a feminine touch while still incorporating multiple other colours that we could pull from in case she ever outgrew the pink.
The principal en-suite was all about the finishes. Wanting the bathroom to feel cohesive with the main floor, we picked up on the high contrast details and created a palette of black and white with brass accents. Showcasing a bold black lacquered freestanding bathtub. While a teal Kelly Wearstler wallpaper in the water closet plays a subtle nod to the colour palette of the adjacent principal bedroom.
Being a busy family with three kids, having functional and accessible storage was essential. After assessing storage requirements with our clients for the mudroom, we landed on a design that included a walk-in closet and “locker” style millwork with a built-in bench. The final design of this home encapsulates the family’s need for their space to evolve with them and is sure to be their “forever home” for memories to come.
