Inside the remodeled home, the hearth room features a new fireplace surround, cabinetry and tiles. Elston used a nearby wood source for the mantel and built-in cabinets: “A black walnut tree that came down in the backyard to create room for the addition to the house and new landscaping,” Elston says. “The owners were attached to the huge tree and were able to repurpose it into the lovely fireplace feature.” Elston found the stained-glass windows in a local antiques store. The fireplace tile comes from Rookwood Pottery.
How to Pick the Vertical Dimensions of Your ChandelierNow that you have the width and diameter of the fixture, you’ll want to choose the vertical dimensions of the fixture (not the height above the ground just yet, but the actual top-to-bottom size of the unit itself). To choose the vertical dimension of a chandelier, the classic rule is to take the room height (in feet) and multiple it by 2.5 to 3 to get a good range (in inches) for the vertical proportions of the light.So if your room has an 8-foot ceiling, this would mean your chandelier should be roughly 20 to 24 inches top to bottom. (8 feet x 2.5 = 20 feet; 8 feet x 3 = 24 feet. Convert to inches to get 20 to 24 inches.) For a 10-foot ceiling, 25 to 30 inches will be a better proportional fit. (10 feet x 2.5 = 25 feet; 10 feet x 3 = 30 feet. Convert to inches to get a range of 25 to 30 inches). And the taller the room, the more you can err on the high side of that formula.
How to Pick the Diameter of Your ChandelierWhen choosing a chandelier for most spaces, one general rule of thumb will give you a good guide on choosing a size:Width of room (in feet) + length of room (in feet) = diameter/width of chandelier (in inches).So, for example, if your room is 14 feet long by 10 feet wide, a 24-inch diameter chandelier would look proportionate (14 feet + 10 feet = 24 feet, which you convert to inches).
The front door (in the background to the left) opens into updated and open interior spaces. “The clients have a clean, sleek aesthetic,” Thein says. The living room features custom built-in shelving for the TV and media equipment and objects collected during travels. The team stained the new white oak floors throughout the house to match the home’s original floors.What to Ask Before Installing a Hardwood Floor
Simard says rich colors like red — especially for sofas — can add a sense of passion, while something like a burnt yellow offers some interesting, unexpected flavor.
18. Rich colors. Warm grays with rich, earthy shades will edge out cooler neutrals for a more sumptuous look. “I’m seeing a move toward warm grays and rich, earthy shades of camel, rust, tobacco and brown-blacks,” Ott says.
Photos by Will DoyleBasement at a GlanceWho uses it: A mother and her three sons — one who lives at home and two who are away at collegeLocation: Beaches area of TorontoSize: 1,200 square feet (111.5 square meters)Designers: Renée Gammon and Andi Wheelband of Two Birds Design (space planning, built-ins and finishes); Marina Farrow of F.A.D. (furnishings)It’s hard to believe that this rec room in Toronto once was a semi-finished garage-turned-workout room. The garage was connected to the home’s walk-out basement, and though both spaces opened to the backyard and pool, their design and layout did not make the most of the indoor-outdoor opportunity.The Toronto homeowner, who lives in Toronto’s Beaches neighborhood, hired Two Birds Design to re-envision and renovate the combined space. “The homeowner really wanted the space opened up to bring in more light and access and visibility to the backyard,” says interior designer Andi Wheelband. The result is a beautiful and functional living space where she and her sons — one residing with her at home and two who are at college — love to spend time.
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