This beautiful North Vancouver home belongs to a nature-loving and health-conscious couple, Emma and Vince (names changed), their two young children, and their dog, Jasper. When they contacted us about renovating and furnishing their kitchen and family room, we walked in and saw a world of potential waiting to be uncovered. Before: Larkhall Crescent Home: Like many original North Vancouver homes, the interior was definitely dated. We encountered late ‘80s finishes in powder pink and teal green, old carpet, and a kitchen that wasn’t maximized to suit this family’s modern-day lifestyle. However, the size of the rooms offered us a ton of space with which to get creative. Knowing our clients’ love of cooking, need for work spaces (Emma and Vince both work remotely), and growing family, we developed a design concept that would increase usable space, optimize storage, and create intimacy in this large area. As for the style, we were inspired by their European roots, inventing a new and modern take on “Belgian Farmhouse” style. Now, the home is truly one-of-a-kind. After: Warm & Cozy Family Room: Fresh, bright, and comfortable, this living area has been transformed! We started with the fireplace as a focal point, selecting aged brick tiles for added texture and a crisp wood mantle. The taupe-coloured sectional infuses the room with visual warmth and serves the added purpose of separating the family room from the kitchen. Emma and Vince were also keen on using non-toxic materials in their home, and we were happy to oblige. To meet their needs, we sourced natural wood elements and sought out Canadian-made products - that adhere to high health standards - whenever possible. Look closer at the elements of this space, and you will find this stunning, honeycomb-patterned rug in earthy gold, beige, and charcoal tones. It’s plush to the touch and full of visual texture that brings this room’s colour palette together. We sourced these two-tone chairs with caning, petrified wood side table, black sconces, and botanical prints in greyscale from local artist, Heather Johnston. We topped off the space with this dark wood and rattan console that offers storage facing the kitchen and presents an opportunity to display cherished items. The result is a cozy lounging space brimming with comfort and functionality. It’s perfect for enjoying quality family time, or Emma can simply slide the coffee table away to make room for her morning yoga practice. Now, let’s turn around and give some attention to the kitchen. Do you remember what the original kitchen looked like? If not, scroll back up, because the transformation is shocking… Moody & Welcoming Kitchen for Healthy Living: This kitchen looks very different from how it started, right? Though we didn’t touch any walls, the kitchen has almost doubled in usable space! We created a long, extended island with storage, an outlet for small appliances, and seating for comfortable prep, after-school snacking, or mingling among friends. On the other side of the island, the family has even more storage and an integrated dishwasher within easy reach of the sink, perfect for quick clean-up. From this angle, you can also see the expansive custom Shaker cabinetry in white and the integrated double ovens. These facilitate their cooking experience and gave us the opportunity to add an additional surprise… A coffee garage station and more hidden storage! Keeping these items located along the perimeter allows them to be accessed by the family or their guests without someone getting under the cook’s feet. These are the little details that make everyday life easier and more enjoyable. Moving deeper into the kitchen, the seamless induction cooktop topped with a freestanding concealed hood fan commands attention in a soft yet prominent way. The natural wood accent mirrors the fireplace mantle, and the choice of off-black wood-grain cabinets not only continues our black-and-white colour palette but adds a sense of depth and contrast. The corner sink is located to the right and perfectly positioned with a view of their thriving backyard. To invite more of this family’s character into the space, we mixed metals for interest — matte black, dark pewter, and warm brass — and created open shelves in white oak for their plants and decor. You can also glimpse the tumbled edge of the backsplash tile, which echoes the rustic brick of the fireplace. It adds that farmhouse charm while still feeling timeless and sophisticated. Last but not least, we designed this dining banquette in the bay window (with integrated bench storage, of course), where the family can share a meal together, the kids can do homework, or Emma and Vince can work and enjoy a change of scenery from their offices. Like the other spaces in the home, it was designed to be beautiful, multi-functional, and long-lasting. Praise from Our Clients: It is clear that we love this home, but what did our clients have to say? “Lori is a visionary and masters execution to the finest detail all at the same time. When she first met us to know more about who we are and how we live, she could right away envision how we could use the space in our kitchen and living room…The results exceeded our expectations. Lori and her team were also a delight to work with — coordination with all the trades, fast problem-solving, regular updates, professional and friendly attitude of her entire team — made it the dream team. Thank you SHD for making our space so beautiful!” In turn, we are so grateful for this family’s trust, their open communication, and for being wonderful people with whom to work. (So, thank you!)

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A beautiful bed and master bath combo in a vacation home where the entire home sounds as good as it looks. From Samsung framed tv's mounted, installed audio speakers, beautiful accent lighting, and full home automation, this home was one of our favorite projects and has so many bells and whistles.

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This theater is designed with a 120" projector screen accompanied by a 60" tv on either side of the screen.

This is a guest bedroom TV Lift cabinet that was built for the client. With this Spanish Transitional Style residence, we were once again tasked with hiding ALL technology. As you can see from the photos, between Paintings covering TV's, multiple automated lifts from cabinets, and a large mirror making the TV disappear, when not in use, the technology is simply not present. All the system is controlled Via iPhone and iPad minimizing the need to unsightly touch panels throughout as well except for the crucial thoroughfares. The system used in this residence was a fully integrated Savant Automation Platform with Lutron Homeworks Lighting Control.

This 1927 home was prime for a Kitchen Remodel. The floor Plan was still original and these remodel projects can be the Best Projects because the change and excitement for the Client is very rewarding. This project was also very special because it was for our Son and Daughter In-Law. Please enjoy the finished look and please feel free to contact us with any questions.

Flow and function were maximized by removing a wall and relocating the sink. Now guests can assist with food prep without crowding the space. Color is repeated throughout the space to tie into the homes surf shack theme.

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My clients asked me to transform their current living and dining room into a music room as their children enjoy playing their Baby Grand piano on a regular basis. The wall and french door was removed that was between the living room and dining room and we installed a linear electric fireplace with storage pullouts for some of their music books along the bottom on either side as well as floating shelves above the pullouts. Their wall to wall carpet was removed and new hardwood was laid down. Ceilings were scraped and pot lights were also placed throughout the space and lighting was installed underneath the floating shelves. My client loves artwork by Toronto based artist Sharon Barr so she commissioned a piece from her and that sits above the fireplace. We also installed the "Frame" TV by Samsung on the other side of the fireplace which looks like another piece of artwork nicely framed. My client already had 2 beautiful occasional chairs that we designed at Gresham House 6 years earlier so we re-purposed them in this room to sit in front of the fireplace. In the cozy sitting area, we grounded it with a beautiful silk and wool area rug, added a comfortable leather ottoman, a small round swivel chair, a beautiful contemporary sectional and a set of nesting end tables. All of this furniture was designed by The Expert Touch Interiors at The Decorating Centre. Final touches with accessories and the floor lamp and pouff were found at Urban Barn. My client's once dated and unused space is now a well-used dual purpose room that the whole family can enjoy!

The project began with audio/visual and Internet work. We installed four high-end Samsung large-screen 4K TVs throughout the condo, hung on four Peerless ultra-slim full-motion mounts with no exposed cables and all equipment hidden from view. We then added two Niels infrared signal extenders to allow control of the hidden A/V equipment from most areas of the condo, and two Sonos amplifiers to ensure high-quality audio throughout. And for uninterrupted, high-speed Internet connectivity for all devices throughout the home, we installed Apple Airport Extreme WiFi access points with 802.11ac support.

A vaulted ceiling in the spacious master bedroom allows sunlight to pour in through the elliptical arch of a pointed sunburst transom and the shallow triple bay of oversized windows below. Roll shades are built into the architecture and at the press of a button the room’s television ascends from the shelf of the window paneling within which it’s otherwise concealed. James Merrell Photography

ceramiche supergres 12" x 24" in everclaire floor tile; 3" x 16" daltile "puccini" modern danish tile in panton; maple cabinetry; manufactured brazilian cherry flooring; 3cm solid surface counter; cremiche supergres stone flooring at kitchen; samsung rs22hdhpnsr counter depth refrigerator; bosch 30" 800 series cooktop; bosch 500 series dishwasher; Delta 9159T-AR-DST faucet; elkay crosstown single bowel undermount sink; bosch chimney wall vent hood; bosch 500 series microwave; Majestic BE36 Royalton Radiant fireplace; Bosch 30" 500 series single wall oven; locally sourced limestone at fireplace; Photography by Tre Dunham

Example of a large classic medium tone wood floor kitchen design in Chicago with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, granite countertops, white appliances and a peninsula

The upstairs TV room is a bright space with fun furniture that doubles as the couples home theater. A massive 75-inch Samsung TV is built into the custom entertainment center. Surround sound speakers and a custom Leon sound bar provides top-notch sound to the space. Blackout shades hidden within the window frames can be lowered to create a theater atmosphere. Photographer: Brynn Osborn

This 1927 home was prime for a Kitchen Remodel. The floor Plan was still original and these remodel projects can be the Best Projects because the change and excitement for the Client is very rewarding. This project was also very special because it was for our Son and Daughter In-Law. Please enjoy the finished look and please feel free to contact us with any questions.