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House Tour: Personality and High Style in Toronto
From basement to bedrooms to every room in between, a blogger captures the evolution of a creative and inviting home
Houzz Contributor. I am an interior designer with a passion for modern clean spaces and timeless vintage decor which makes for a unique eye. I work in Los Angeles but offer e-design services nationally. Visit my website and my blog at http://www.veneerdesigns.com
Houzz Contributor. I am an interior designer with a passion for modern... More »
Toronto homeowner Shannon of 8foot6 began her blog to document the lengthy process of renovating her basement. But the magic of blogging took over, and she ended up sharing more than just the details of the basement project. She also brought us upstairs to share her daily home projects, the growth of her design style and her serendipitous vintage shopping ventures. I check in to 8foot6 regularly for Shannon's fresh take on home design. After this tour, I predict you'll be checking regularly as well, if only to find out more about the changes in her toddler son's bedroom and the arrival of a new infant in a few weeks.
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Starting in the basement, the initial idea was to turn the space into a media room. The biggest obstacle was the low 6'-4" ceiling. Underpinning raised the height to 8'-6". It took 20 weeks of work — 5 weeks for the heavy construction (digging and pouring new foundation) and 15 weeks for the finishes.
In a final stroke of creativity, Shannon decided that natural wood vertical slats used as railings along the stairs would make a nice transition into the basement. The vintage Shaker-style chairs below subtly mimic the slats.
In a final stroke of creativity, Shannon decided that natural wood vertical slats used as railings along the stairs would make a nice transition into the basement. The vintage Shaker-style chairs below subtly mimic the slats.
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Heated concrete floors and lots of white paint help the subterranean space feel light and airy. Even though decorated in a minimalist style, the space, which is used as a media room (complete with projector and screen) and a playroom, is nowhere near complete. Half the fun of checking into the blog is to see the minor changes continually taking place.
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Shannon even had room in the space for an open-concept storage and laundry room, a small bar area and a walk in shower/wet room. Aren't you jealous of all that neat storage?!
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| Shannon and her husband had a designer come in to help with the initial furniture selection and art in the rest of the home. The dining room and living room were her biggest projects. The designer offered her top 5 picks in terms of sofa, coffee table, dining room table, dining room chairs, light fixture and sideboard. Some things were love-at-first-sight, but in other cases it took months to find just the right piece. The two enjoyed working with a professional designer because she educated them about design, shared all her secrets and was willing to keep going back to the drawing board to capture their tastes perfectly. When the rooms were finished, Shannon was ready to infuse them with her own sensibilities and make them feel less staged and more lived in. |
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The art above the mantel, seen in the previous photo, is an oil painting by David Gillanders. The coffee table is one of Shannon's favorite pieces. It is a 1960s original Danish rosewood table by Sven Ellekaer. The barn-board mirror was made by Shannon's father while she was in university. The designer wanted to replace this mirror with a white-framed one, but Shannon wisely insisted on keeping it. The leather slipper chairs in the living room were pieces Shannon instantly knew were right. With those choices set, the designer picked the caramel color for the chairs and helped select the rug and art to pull the room together.
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| The dining room chairs were a design option that Shannon and her husband instantly were attracted to. The credenza-like sideboard has also become one of Shannon's favorite furniture pieces in the house. |
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The sideboard, seen here in another view of the dining room, is a custom piece that was made from antique printer drawers and stained nearly black. It has a rather Asian vibe that works with everything else in the space. The rocking horse adds a touch of warmth and playfulness to an otherwise serious room.
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The stunning charcoal drawing in the dining room was done by Olexander Wlasenko. Entitled Claudia in Car, it was a work that the designer and Shannon's husband insisted on. Shannon relented ONLY if the artist could make the original quite-small piece large enough to fill the wall. The artist was happy to oblige. Lesson learned: Don't be scared to ask for modifications.
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The kitchen table vignette was selected by the designer and enthusiastically approved by Shannon and her husband. The glass table, S chairs and Mooi light fixture are the first thing you see when you enter the front door. You also get a peek of Shannon's colorful vintage Pyrex dish collection that is displayed on the shelves behind the table. It not only adds quirky fun to the room, it also grows by the month.
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| The slate counters in the kitchen, seen here, complement the white Shaker-front cabinets. Shannon was warned by the architect before installing the patina-prone slate that "When you live with something beautiful, you have to expect it to take on character over time." A colorful striped rug is a new addition that adds texture and warmth to the polished concrete floor. |
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The Asian motif in the foyer was a conscious design decision. The entry table was originally a faded red that Shannon painted a glossy black. The muted silver color of the West Elm chair works well with the existing color scheme. Although the designer's first choice was a ghost chair, Shannon wanted something more substantial against all the white wainscoting and stuck to her guns.
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The tiny powder room received a dose of sophisticated glamour with an inexpensive light fixture that was modified to mount closer to the ceiling. The same marble tiles that were used on the floor were cut down to create wainscoting. The artful photo completes the controlled composition.
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| The office is one room in the house that is 100% Shannon. The book collection displayed by color order (I do the same thing!) and the milk glass collection around the perimeter make the room feel relaxed but not messy. |
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The desk in the office is from Pottery Barn Kids. It was the only desk her husband could find that fit in the tiny one-bedroom condo he previously owned. Shannon tried a larger table in the space before downsizing back to this charming option.
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The white tallboy dresser is a favorite piece in the room. It was picked up from Craigslist, and it was only upon bringing it home that Shannon discovered an awful smell that she just could not get rid of. Painting it white was the only way to get a literal fresh start with the piece.
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Shannon's most recent project has been outdoor remodeling and landscaping. The work has produced several zones: the deck lounge, the pathway, the barbecue area and gardens, the pea gravel patio with bonfire bowl and dining table, an enclosed driveway, and grass for running around and playing on. Cedar was chosen for the deck, table, arbor, and fence; there was simply no comparison between it and pressure-treated wood.
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Shannon is a master of applying just the right amount of color to what would otherwise be a bland, monochromatic arrangement. When these white outdoor pillows just weren't doing it for her, she cleverly added a triangle motif with potato stamps for a simple and effective DIY project.
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The ginormous cedar table and benches were custom built to fit the scale of the space. Situated on pea gravel and flanked by bentwood chairs, the outdoor eating area is rustic, charming and just begging for a large al fresco dinner party.
Next: More inspiring home tours
Making Normal Beautiful for Less
Playful and Elegant in New York
An Urban Castle in Pasadena
Next: More inspiring home tours
Making Normal Beautiful for Less
Playful and Elegant in New York
An Urban Castle in Pasadena
Ideabook published on Oct. 22, 2011.
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Her use of a giant Ikea couch in the basement theater space is brilliant- high design at reasonable cost.
Hi Winteriors!
The dining chairs are from Style garage:
http://www.gusmodern.com/products1/dining/thompson-chair/thompson-chair.shtml#thompson-chair
Hi Dytecture!
You can see some additional photos of the exterior of our house on my blog:
http://8foot6.blogspot.com/search/label/backyard
Bravehart Building was the contractor we used to underpin and finish the basement. We did not use their design services. We were happy they could create our vision: heated concrete floors and the stair screen were only two of many unusual demands we made on their team! We still haven't finished decorating the basement (doing it ourselves)...here is a link to see more:
http://8foot6.blogspot.com/search/label/Basement
We used Maya Carvalho as the designer for the upstairs. We worked with her for a little over a year. I highly recommend her services. If we ever move, we will definitely call on her again. Please contact me at eightfootsix (at) hotmail.com for her contact information.