Total Home

Interior Designers & Decorators

About Us

Get the best of all things 'Total Home' when you come on board with Cindy and Gilbert Lutes, husband and wife team enriching your HOME with style, character and beauty! We specialize in; - Home Staging - Renovations from rough to finish - Interior Design services - Design Build Both Cindy and Gilbert are certified in their craft and provide friendly and professional service from start to finish. Together and Individually, whether you utilize their services combined or separately, they promise to deliver to the expectation of your design project! Cindy is a Professional Property Stylist with two Certifications in Home Staging from APSD – Association of Property Scene Designers. She has achieved APSD’s Home Stager and Home Stager Pro Certificates. As well, she has successfully completed a Diploma with The Interior Design Institute. Gilbert successfully completed and graduated with honours in the field of carpentry at Algonquin College. He has been working in the carpentry industry since 1995. Total Home are winners of Best of Trustedpros for seven consecutive years (2014 - 2020) in the categories of Bathroom Renovations, General Contracting, Home Staging and Customer Service. They are the 5 time recipient of the Best of Houzz for their Customer Service award in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2021 consecutively.

Services Provided

Home Staging - Interior Design - Residential Renovations. Consulting - Vacant and Occupied Staging - Design Build - renovations from rough to finish.

Areas Served

Ottawa, Barrhaven, Bells Corners, Gloucester, Hazeldean, Kanata, Nepean, Orleans, Rockcliffe Park, Uplands, Kemptville, Merrickville, Merrickville-Wolford, Smiths Falls, Brockville, Perth, Greely, Carleton Place, Prescott, Winchester, Bells Corner, North Gower

Awards

Cindy - Certified APSD (Association of Property Scene Designers) - Diploma from The Interior Design Institute Gilbert - Honours Graduate in the field of carpentry from Algonquin College.

Back to Navigation

42 Projects

Credentials

Back to Navigation

Write a Review

45 Reviews for Total Home

Newest first

4.9|45 reviews

Work Quality

5.0

Communication

5.0

Value

4.8

HU-248382792

Relationship

Client

Working with Cindy from Total Home was so incredible. During the consultation, she provided room by room checklists on what we could do to prepare our home for sale. What I loved was that she provided the checklists based on highest priorities so we could choose where to allocate our funds based on our budget. She answered all of my questions and never rushed through the process. She was so meticulous, detailed and patient. Two things that were really invaluable are: 1. After the consultation, before our house was even on the market, someone wanted to come see our home. We only had a few days to get the house ready, and Cindy’s list that she gave us during the consultation was what we used. The house sold immediately and in a private sale. Having that checklist made the stress of the process minimal because we knew where we needed to put our focus and money to stage the home. 2. So much of the information she provided we now get to use in our new home to stage it in a way that makes it feel like a home that is designed to our tastes. She really knew how to bring out our emotional needs that we wanted our new house to feel like. She is truly an expert in her field with an eye for design. Laurie-ann

December 30, 2021Last modified:December 30, 2021

Comment from Total Home:

Hi Laurie-Ann,

Thank you so much for your feedback, and it was such a pleasure working with you to help be a guide to getting your house ready for sale.

It's so important to make a first impression right the first time, even in today's strong sellers market. It shows your buyers that you have absolutely delivered to the expectation of your asking price, and it seals the deal so quickly.

I am so happy for you that you had such great success with the sale, and that you felt the service was a benefit to you.

All the best in your new home.

Sincerely,

Cindy Lutes
Certified Property Stylist
Total Home
www.yourtotalhome.ca

HU-900200471

Relationship

Client

We were having a difficult time deciding on our colour scheme and tile choices for our kitchen renovation. I wanted everything to flow with the rest of the house as it is a bungalow and the kitchen is visible from every main room. I found Total Home online and had Cindy come in for a design consultation. She was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. She really helped to narrow down our paint choices and gave great tips and suggestions for our flooring and backsplash options. I felt much more confident moving forward with our renovation after my appointment with her. I would not hesitate to use Total Home for any future projects

December 30, 2021

Comment from Total Home:

Hi Danielle,

Thank you so much for sharing your feedback here on Houzz, we so value the time and care you took to do so.

It was such a pleasure working with you and I am thrilled that you found the consultation beneficial. I look forward to seeing your cabinetry when it has been transformed.

Sincerely,

Cindy Lutes
Certified Property Stylist
Total Home
www.yourtotalhome.ca

HU-281478752

Relationship

Client

I would wholeheartedly recommend Cindy from Total Home. She is wonderful to work with, very professional, talented, friendly and I am still in awe with how beautifully she staged our home! She came with so much advice, so many ideas and options for us to choose from. I honestly believe it made all the difference and I would work with her again in a heartbeat. Seeing before and after photos, there's no doubt that her staging brought out the very best in the design of our home. I never thought it could look so amazing! I've already recommended her to friends! Thank you Cindy!

May 17, 2021

atherton_drenth

Relationship

Client

Simply amazing! Efficient, organized and simply a joy to work with. We had to totally redo the entire interior of our home, when relocated to a new city. It was overwhelming until we met Cindy. She made it all so easy, practical and timely, despite all the challenges with the lockdown. Her partner, Gilbert's construction work on our various interior projects was first-rate and all beautifully finished.

April 25, 2021

Comment from Total Home:

Atherton, thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful feedback. We are delighted that we had the opportunity to work with you. Your project provided us with so much opportunity to be creative and bring in some elegant style and warmth to your lovely home.

Sincerely,

Cindy & Gilbert

Tina & Rob

Relationship

Client

We used Total Home to stage our home in Ottawa for selling. All aspects of the staging, from consultation to finding a date to proceed, that worked for us, was 100% professional and very informative. Cindy was very friendly and very knowledgeable and helpful. I would definitely recommend Total Home for all home decorating and staging needs. We are 100% satisfied and very happy with the results!! Thank you Cindy and Gilbert for your great and hard work!

March 2, 2021

Comment from Total Home:

Dear Tina and Rob,

Thank you so much for taking the time to provide us with your positive feedback and your kind words, it is so appreciated. It was such a pleasure working with both of you, and on your beautiful property! I understand that the property in SOLD in 4 Days on Market, what a huge success!

I wish you all the best on your new journey in your new home.

Sincerely,

Cindy Lutes
Certified Property Stylist
Total Home
www.yourtotalhome.ca

Angela Mooney

Relationship

Client

It was such a pleasure to work with Cindy of Total Home as we prepped and she staged our house for sale. Her eye for design and organizational skills took a seemingly overwhelming project and transformed it into doable tasks. What a relief! We wanted to move the process along as quickly as possible. Cindy was readily available and provided us with a great balance of options and clear direction. Before staging she gave us detailed and valuable advice about how best to prepare the house. During the preparations she was available to respond to any questions or concerns. Her clear communication and step-by-step instructions made the staging and de-staging process hassle-free and easy. Her design invited others to imagine themselves in our house and was appealing whether viewed in photos or real life. The de-staging process was just as pleasant. I highly recommend Cindy and Total Home.

February 5, 2021

Comment from Total Home:

Angela,

Thank you for your kind words, and for taking the time to provide us with your feedback on your experience working with us. Your home had so much charm, and it was fun to find creative solutions to showcase the house with its full potential. I am pleased at the great success we had with the speedy top dollar sale. Congratulations!

All the best,

Cindy

cathyzuana10

Relationship

Client

As a Real Estate Representative in Ottawa I cannot begin to tell you how totally thrilled and excited we were over the transformation in our own home.!!!! We have used the services of Total Home not only for home staging as real estate agents, but also a staged to live. Cindy over the coarse of 5 years in our working relationship has not once but twice now refreshed our home with new decor and furniture pieces. Cindy your insight captured our personal lifestyle and tastes with such flare and style. You have created such warmth and new added value to our home. Thank you for being so respectful of the budget and I am still wowed over the lovely and elegant pieces that you choose on our behalf, to make this home one that we are so proud to live in. Please consider giving Total Home a call if you are planning home renovations or a home refresh. They will not disappoint.

January 22, 2021

Comment from Total Home:

Cathy, thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful review. It is so appreciated when we receive feedback from our valued clients. It has been an extreme pleasure working with you over the past 6 + years, both for you personally in your home, and with your clients.

It was such a fun experience transforming your home the first time, and then to have an opportunity to do it again, and improve the spaces once again, with beautiful new furnishings, art, decor and textiles.

We love what we do, and it is so rewarding to have this positive experience with you over the last several years.

Thank you,

Cindy

Susanne Ledbetter

Relationship

Client

For my new bathroom design I used the services of Cindy Lutes at Total Home in Kemptville. Cindy was amazing and a huge help in pulling together my ideas and planning the space. I was quite overwhelmed with the idea of designing an ensuite bathroom from an adjoining bedroom. I had many ideas that I had collected over a 6 month period but had no idea where to start. Cindy was patient and checked in during the construction phase. She caught a few issues before they became a problem because she was so conscientious. Her attention to details that I would never have thought of meant we had a beautiful, functional, bathroom. Cindy spent the time going over my ideas and then putting together a couple of design boards. This was so helpful as I could visualize the space that way. If I was underwhelmed by an item she would go back to the design board and provide me with a few other options. I was happy that she really worked with me rather than taking over the whole process. She is the professional but kept in mind that I was going to use the bathroom and needed to feel comfortable in the space.

June 8, 2020

Pauline Houlahan

Relationship

Client

We downsized from a 5 bedroom to a 3 bedroom home and along with this, the principal rooms are much smaller. Cindy has designed our main living space beautifully maximizing on the space available and creating a modern yet warm feel to the room. She made an otherwise very challenging and burdensome project for me very enjoyable. She listened to my needs; very patient with change; full of ideas and visions; punctual and flexible in her services allowing me to save on her costs by doing some of the shopping. All of her recommended trades people were equally as professional and provided top quality work. Her services were invaluable to me at this time of starting over. I highly recommend her services to anyone requiring advice on interior design.

January 13, 2020

Kelly Glynn

Relationship

Client

Cindy of Total Home consulted with me to pick paint colours for my living room, dining room, kitchen and loft. Cindy was extremely professional, friendly, very knowledgable and very time efficient. She really listened to what I liked and didn't like and how I envisioned the space. She is an excellent communicator and it is obvious that she loves her work. I have a timber frame home with big pine posts and beams and I wanted colours that would bring out the beauty of the wood but give me a bright, relaxing atmosphere particularly in my living room/dining room area. Cindy was able to very quickly pick out shades that worked really well with the furniture I had just purchased and the wood in the house. Even though they were colours I would not have chosen on my own at the paint store, they worked beautifully in my space. I am extremely pleased with the final result. Cindy is extremely good at what she does! Cindy also coordinated the painter and the whole process was seamless. The painter was extremely good and I was very pleased with the quality of his work. I look forward to working with Cindy for my kitchen reno.

January 8, 2020

kaydeen

Relationship

Client

I'm so happy I contacted Total Home for a design consultation. It really helped having a professional come to my home and help me narrow down the multitude of design ideas I'd gathered from Houzz and Pinterest. Would definitely recommend :)

January 8, 2020

Alan Pieroway

Relationship

Client

Working with Cindy was a great experience. At first I thought hiring an interior designer meant leaving all the complex decisions to her and just waiting for the big reveal. While that was one way to go, we opted to work with Cindy to re-vamp or boring living room. Cindy helped with paint color selection (had to paint the entire house first) before we could get to the main event. She patiently, very patiently, worked with my wife and I (and son) to narrow the near infinite choices for high end furniture, artwork, lighting choices and accessories to a few well coordinated design ideas that our minds could encompass. Without Cindy to guide us and help us make our choices from her hand picked options we would never have arrived at the end of the road to enjoy our new, lovely, comfortable and, most importantly, inviting living room. We went from using the basement TV room exclusively to now spending most of our family time in the living room. Because of Cindy's professionalism, and artistic design flair, and patience with indecisive clients, we finally get to use the space that, until now, was very under utilized. Thank you Cindy!

November 1, 2019

Back to Navigation

29 Ideabooks

Back to Navigation

46 Comments

Commented: What color paint is on the walls?Joanie, I don't currently have the file on hand so I cannot be 100% certain but I recall it being Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist OC-27. Hope this helps.

January 24, 2022

Commented: guidelines for mixing metals for kitchen finishes?Cabinet Hardware selection is dependant a variety of factors; style of kitchen, existing metals (appliances), and design preferences. It is difficult to formulate a proper response when we cannot ac...

April 9, 2020 in Design Dilemma

Commented: Exterior decor hepI may be going against the grain here (have not read all of the comments). The first thing I notice is all of the white trim. It looks very busy and contrasting against the red brick & Siding. I l...

April 9, 2020 in Landscape Design

Commented: Can you share the tile make and model?bbweb, Thank you for your question. This project was done about 4 years ago and so I'm afraid that I no longer have the information on hand. This tile was purchased from Euro Tile here in Ottawa. It w...

January 8, 2020

Commented: Great use of space!!Hello, The bathroom is roughly 5’ x 8’. The shower is 3’ x 5’. The vanity is approx 5’ long.

March 8, 2019

Commented: colour of cabinetsColour of Cabinets Please

March 7, 2019

Total Home