Realty by the Creek

#LHDrealtybythecreek

What an amazing project to get to be a part of! These homeowners came to us looking for help with picking out the finishing materials for their new home build, and it was a really fun project to be included in. Let’s take you on the tour!

The client’s plan was to build a forever home that their kids could enjoy while small, have space to grow up in, and transition well through life’s changes. The finishes, colours, and details that were implemented were based on creating a timeless, modern, family friendly home that has personality, durability, and function. And that’s exactly what happened.

The layout and architectural drawings were already done up before the clients reached out to us, and honestly, the flow of the home was really great and highly functional. The entryway from the garage was a space that needed to be super functional, practical, and user friendly, as it would be the main drop zone for the family’s comings and goings for sports, farming, and busy living. It’s always fun designing mudrooms because it provides the opportunity to make cabinetry that will work specifically for that homeowners needs. We implemented hooks so it’s easy for the kids to hang up their backpacks and jackets, left the bench open underneath so shoes can easily get tossed under and tucked away, and open shelves above for baskets with hats, mitts, sunglasses, etc. The tiled floor in here is a great choice for its durability, because wet and dirty boots are unavoidable! The cabinets go all the way up to the ceiling, which just means that there’s more storage for items like helmets, sports gear, seasonal stuff, things that don’t need to be accessed all the time, but can remain in the mudroom. You may need a step ladder to access those upper shelves, but it’s always a good idea to utilize the height you have in your home! (especially if the square footage is tight)

From the mudroom, you can either walk to the left and access the hallway to the kids bedrooms, and bathrooms, or you can go to the right to the walk-thru laundry area that is also connected to the butler’s pantry, and then access the kitchen. This is SUCH a great layout and makes a lot of sense for a family; the kids have quick access to their rooms, and when bringing in groceries you’ve got a countertop to drop everything right there! Putting the laundry in this room is also a great idea, making it easy to access from everywhere in the home. Thinking through the practicality of the layout in the early stages creates a super functional home -and these homeowners did a great job!

Working in the heavily-used areas, it was a lot of fun to pull together a cabinet plan that would work with the client’s day-to-day life. We switched up cabinet profiles (a skinny shaker with a flat profile), implemented specific organizers where needed, changed up materials, and overall wanted to make the butler’s pantry, laundry area, kitchen, and mudroom as functional as possible, while still looking beautiful. The style is modern and clean, yet feels very inviting. We were thrilled that the homeowners went along with what we had chosen, because we didn’t want their home to feel like “everyone else’s” from the 2020’ies, and some of our suggestions were pushing the limits a little.

You’ve seen the fancy sliding backsplash, I’m sure -where you get to hide your spice racks behind the beautiful quartz? I don’t remember who suggested this, us or the clients themselves, but this was a new feat for us and for our countertop installer. This may look like no big deal, but it was a big deal and took some thinking, stress, math, and tweaking! In the end it is beautiful and works great! And how fun to be able to hide away all those bottles and spices but still have them right there when cooking.

The homeowners knew that they wanted to incorporate a wood ceiling feature above the dining room space, so they had the ceiling in that room raised. Wood beams have been very popular, but they lean far more traditional and farmhouse in style. Because this house is much more modern, beams felt out of place, so we went with a skinny wood slat ceiling instead, that suits the modern feel and works really well with the rest of the home. And it also accents the light fixture really well!

Light fixtures is another area where the homeowners trusted our suggestions. We never pick the same fixture in all its different forms for a home; we always implement fixtures of various styles, shapes, and finishes, while making sure they all coordinate with each other.

When we’re working on a project, whether we get to tackle the whole home or just a room, picking finishes that flow from one element to the other is so important. Everything can’t be the same, but they do all have to stay connected somehow. The flooring in this home was chosen first; it’s an amazing wide plank engineered hardwood by Kentwood. It’s not too dark, not too light, and brings a beautiful warmth throughout the spaces. This was our foundation for picking other wood tones. Because we got to work with Redl, a custom cabinetry company, they were able to customize a stain colour for the kitchen, that worked so well with the flooring. The two wood tones are similar, yet not exactly the same.

Moving into the living room, the fireplace is for sure the focal point, and we wanted to make it stand out with the tile choice, wood detailing, and beautiful accenting cabinetry. Again, our suggestion for the fireplace was a bit out there with the tile mix and the off-set wood blocks, but the homeowners were up for something a bit different and the result is so beautiful! The modern style of the home really comes through in this fireplace and as designers, we are ALWAYS thrilled when we get to do something fun and new.

There are just no bad angles in this house! While taking photos we kept saying “it’s just so pretty” or “it’s just such a great space” haha. As mentioned before, we love that the homeowners were up for doing something brave long the way -even ordering a green sofa! It looks absolutely amazing in the space. The fabric is incredible. It’s so soft and lint doesn’t stick to it at all (you know, like how velvet attracts everything?!). From this view, there’s such a variety of furniture and textiles (dining room chairs, island stools, couch and accent chair) and even though all of them are different, there’s a great flow to and from each piece. Mixing materials when you’re working with furniture is another great way to create a space that feels intentional and thoughtfully designed. Variation but cohesiveness is the goal.

The picking of tile, light fixtures, hardware, plumbing fixtures, and quartz was such a fun job for the ensuite. There are two types of quartz in here, two types of tile, and a mix of metals so the black accents don’t become overwhelming. Honestly, it’s so satisfying for us to pick materials, piece samples together, grab all the pretty things and from there edit down to what feels good together, and then see it all come to life. There were a lot of details poured into this ensuite and the end result is a restful retreat for the homeowners.

We love the opportunities we have to work with so many different people. Everyone has their own twist on any given design style and it’s such an honour to work with clients who are willing to go along with the design process and trust us, even when it seems a little hairy (and there were a couple times that happened during this project, haha). In the end, it’s such a personal and beautiful space, for a beautiful family.

I feel really grateful that we got to work with them on their new home

~ Jessica ~

Design: Liliidae Home & Design

General Contractor: Carf’s Construction

Drafting: Catherine Frederick

Cabinets: Redl Kitchens and Superior Cabinets

Countertops: Caesarstone and Hanstone installation by J&C Stonecutters

Hardwood: Kentwood Floors