When we were first approached by Cresmark Design & Build to redesign this lovely century-old rowhouse, we saw so much potential in the well-preserved 3-story home, which was reminiscent of an old-world English city setting. Meeting with the homeowners, we learned that they had purchased the house years prior, opting to lease it out rather than occupy the home themselves while they traveled the world for work and play. Now, as the couple began their retirement, they decided it was finally time to put down roots, turning to the gorgeous home they had yet to personally enjoy. Having immigrated years ago from South Africa, this family had a rich love of travel, photography, music, and nature. Translating these passions to reflect within the walls of their home while also satisfying the more practical goals for the space was an exciting concept from the first meeting, which we were ready to meet head-on. Read on to learn how we transformed this gorgeous house into a home reflective of the incredible family destined to occupy them.

1.Top-Priority Elements

With a love of entertaining, Norman & Dianne, the homeowners; more specifically the husband, expressed the importance of incorporating a whisky bar central to the dining area into the new design. In working with a century home we knew we would be limited in terms of altering existing wall configurations and openings, so we donned our creative thinking hats to make the dream of a decked-out serving station a reality. In assessing the existing layout, we determined that a little use-of-space shuffle would help. Right across from the dining space was the main structural wall, which the stairs backed onto. Within this wall was a decently sized storage closet, which the homeowners were more than willing to sacrifice. The supporting stair wall had a unique window open to the stairs, allowing us to turn the centralized stair wall into a dramatic focal point with just a few simple, yet impactful design changes.

The first step was to propose opening up the closet and reframing to create an open niche under the stairs. The existing window opening was an inverted rounded arch and; although we do love a good arch, in this instance the soft curves fought against what we were envisioning. To remedy this, we altered the opening to mimic the angles of the stairs, thus resulting in a more dramatic view, which emphasized the structure more completely. The bar itself would be compact and so the plan was to visually connect the bar area with the full width of the stair wall, creating a more impressive focal point. Implementing the typically traditional design detail of wall paneling in a nod to the home’s history, we designed a full-height wall detail with contemporary shaker-style panels. Walls and trim were painted out in Benjamin Moore’s Black Panther, providing a bold contrast against the rest of the space. The antique mirror; jokingly referred to as “dirty glass” by the homeowners, was our backsplash, paired with polished nickel fixtures and hardware.

2. Brightening The Kitchen

The existing kitchen was in great condition and replacing it in its entirety felt wasteful. Fortunately, the layout was perfect for the space. The overall aesthetic, however, felt cluttered and congested, with too-dark counters, yellowing cabinetry, dated hardware and fixtures, and clunky appliances blocking the beautiful view out to a picturesque streetside. With a goal of giving the kitchen a fresh look while maintaining the existing cabinetry, we set to work, focusing on colour palette and finish selections.

We wanted to give the illusion of a more open space with a trick of the eye. designing a continuous cabinet, trim, and ceiling colour created a seamless connection between these elements, emphasizing the tall ceilings. Benjamin Moore’s Oxford White is a lovely and classic bright white with just the right touch of warmth to give this existing kitchen new life. we felt that removing the existing stainless steel range hood and replacing it with a curved hood to match the millwork, while also replacing the old fridge with a new counter-depth paneled option, extended site lines rather than cutting them midway. Simple but effective details were introduced in the kitchen: reeded glass door inserts, polished nickel with matte black accents, and new white porcelain countertops elevated the aesthetic while complimenting the existing millwork.

3. Dark & Moody Corners

Adjacent the new wet bar lived a cute little powder room with the best of intentions. Originally outfitted with an oversized vanity too snug for the space, and chrome fixtures that didn’t quite suit the room, we took inspiration from the one aspect that spoke volumes and would extend the drama of the new wet bar - the black walls. We proposed to freshen the walls with the same Black Panther colour used on the stair wall and set to selecting fixtures with greater impact for this compact space.

A new custom-designed vanity graced the width of the room with high gloss reeded panel drawers fronts complete with polished nickel tab pulls and a beautiful slab countertop and backsplash with an integrated sink. A space-saving wall mounts widespread faucet from Brizo, also in polished nickel finish, compliments the Art Deco-inspired wall sconces, which frame the vanity. A large mirror with a minimalist black frame was selected for a tone-on-tone look and to give the illusion of more space above the floating vanity.

4. A Surprise Laundry Nook

As most people can attest to, we spend a lot of our time doing laundry, so why not have a space that’s fun and inviting rather than closed off and dysfunctional? The home was already equipped with a second floor laundry room, which was incorporated into the hall closet. It was a tight spot to say the least and did not function well for the family, let alone make the never-ending task of laundry seem less daunting. Having a look at the existing layout, we again opted to shuffle the spaces, “borrowing” a few square feet from the existing amply oversized ensuite. This allowed us to increase the width of the laundry room providing enough room for side-by-side washer and dryer with a drying rod and storage above. Similar to the kitchen approach, cabinetry and counters were tone-on-tone to give the illusion of more visual space. Instead of fighting the connection to the hallway, the hallway acts as an extension of the laundry nook when the oversized sliding barn door opens to reveal the nook, seamlessly connecting the two spaces together.

5. Updating All Of The Washrooms

Not a room was left untouched once we were done and this includes the three existing washrooms scattered throughout each level. Each were in need of freshen up in order to carry the palette and details of the other areas in these as well. Aside from the Primary Ensuite, the layouts remained untouched and a simple refresh of material selections allowed for a quick and simple upgrade to compliment the rest of the home.