liliidaehome

#LHDfunctionmeets classy

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 20:41:27 GMT

By Jessica

A few obstacles stood in the way. At the end of the previous kitchen island, there was a post that inevitably could not be moved. Because the support beam was there, the post could only be moved so far, without having to replace the support beam with an metal i-beam. That option was just not a part of the budget, so the trick was figuring out how to place the new kitchen and dining room, while not letting the post interfere with the flow of the spaces.

The second obstacle was the staircase that went downstairs. The placement of the staircase interfered with the kitchen cabinets, and really cut down usable cabinet space. Because moving the staircase was not an option, again, we had to figure out how to make the space more functional amidst some of the things that could not move.

In the original floorplan, there was a coffee seating area, which in theory is really nice, but the downside is that it almost felt like wasted space, given that the kitchen desperately needed to be expanded.

OCT 8

After some brainstorming, I presented two different floorplan options to the homeowners. They chose the one I was personally leaning towards as well -great minds think alike! It was so exciting to see that by rearranging the spaces, we could actually make a large difference in the flow and functionality of the home.

The main living area was for sure the largest transformation. By shuffling the rooms, we were able to accommodate a much larger kitchen with much more functional workspace, a nice sized dining area, and a cozier living room space.

Our clients approached us in September 2019 and we began renovating in January/February 2020. Being a fairly new business, and working on establishing ourselves in the community, we felt very honoured that the homeowners of #LHDFunctionMeetsClassy chose us to help them with their renovation. To be honest, this project brought a lot of new learning opportunities for me as a designer, which included a few downs and a lot of ups.

The first problem area to tackle was the kitchen. Being a true farmhouse, the homeowner needed space for cooking large meals for the farm and her family. There were a few hinderances right off the bat that needed to be addressed. Because the footprint of the home is not exponentially large, every spare area had been used to incorporate storage. While this was a good idea at the time, it really cut down the flow into the kitchen. And overall, the kitchen was still lacking the storage that would help it be functional. Some of her baking storage was in the entryway, hallway, and the rest in the kitchen. While she was accustomed to her set-up, one of my first goals was to provide a layout that would bring functionality to the kitchen work space and provide much easier storage access.

Although it took up some valuable floor space, I’m so happy we managed to incorporate a gas fireplace in the living room. It created a focal point, while adding to the cozy effect. We then added curtains to gain privacy when wanted, while adding a textural element. When hanging the curtains, we raised the rod as close to the ceiling as possible. This makes the room seem larger by drawing your eyes up. None of the furniture was replaced, but we freshened it up with some new throw pillows and a great rug that pulled all the colours together.

I’m so thrilled that we were able to be a part of this home renovation. The homeowners were so open and willing to try new design ideas, which made them so much fun to work with! We really do have the best clients.

Design & Product Sourcing: Liliidae Home & Design

Contractor: Warren Taylor Homes

Flooring: Evoke Flooring - Joe

Cabinets: Superior Cabinets - Smooth Willow Grey and Brookside Maple

Faucets: Delta Broderick series

Sink: Flo-Essence

Lighting: Wayfair

Paint: Main Colour - Vanilla Milkshake

Doors - Oynx

Bedroom Feature Wall - Stonecutter

Bathroom - Vanity /Hale Navy

Walls / Revere Pewter

Eldorado Stone: Whitebark Cliffstone

Rugs: Loloi

Pillows: Magnolia Home/Urban Barn/Elements

Furniture: Urban Barn/Wayfair

Hello Hello!

I’m so excited to walk you through this great project! It was one where I had the opportunity to try new things, learn new design lessons, and problem solve when the project didn’t go according to plan (in a gut-reno, does it ever?!) In the end, both clients and us here at Liliidae were thrilled with the result, so it was all well worth it.

In the bedroom, we added in a feature wall to anchor the headboard. I love how wall detailing is a simple way to add textural elements to a room, without feeling overwhelming. The darker paint colour really draws your eye to the headboard and creates a nice focal point. The room was updated with new furniture, textiles, paint, and closet doors. Overall, even though it is not a large room, it feels so welcoming and fresh.

The living room, dining room, and kitchen were all shuffled around. By moving the kitchen into the previous living room space, we opened up a lot more workable area and opportunity for a much larger kitchen. We were able to remove a closet on the end of the previous kitchen, which opened up that space enough to accommodate a nice size dining space. Then, where the previous kitchen was, we inserted two large pantry cabinets. The benefit of doing the cabinets here, was that we could customize the bottom of the pantry on the right, while completely hiding the staircase without losing too much usable storage.

All of this shuffling meant that the living room space moved into the sunroom. Even though this gave the homeowners a slightly smaller living room then what they currently had, they were happy to create a larger kitchen/dining space, and make a cozier living room space.

The more large-scale projects we’re apart of, we’re learning that obstacles will always pop up along the way and plans will go slightly awry. And you have to be willing to problem solve as they come. The main hurdle with this project was the delays in production (hello Covid). Trying to keep timelines running smoothly for the installer proved to be difficult. Even though there were issues that arose, as a team (the home-owners, us, and the contractor), we seemed to figure out how to make everything come together. The end result turned out beautifully.

The overall feel of the home was welcoming, warm, classy, and functional. When pulling together inspiration, I pulled more towards a traditional classic look, with a few modern farmhouse touches, which I think successfully came together in the end product. A few items on the design boards shifted (hello major shipping delays), but for the most part, we stuck with the original mood boards.

Starting in the entryway, we kept the floorplan the same, and didn’t change much other than adding in shiplap walls around the office area, and painting the stair railing. We kept the pantry style closet in the front entryway, but replaced the doors to match the cabinet doors in the kitchen. In the bathroom, the existing vanity was updated with paint

Accessible storage in the kitchen area was a must so we incorporated as much storage as we possibly could. One of my key tips for planning out your kitchen renovation, is taking inventory of what you want your kitchen to incorporate. Do you need deeper drawers for flour bins? Do you need lots of storage for tupperware containers? Where will the air-fryer and waffle maker be stored? Taking inventory really helps, so that you can plan and create a kitchen that is custom to you and how you use your space. That’s exactly what we did with this cabinet plan, and the end result is a space that is functional and pretty.

Gem Far Far Away - Phase 1

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 16:24:34 GMT

Before

After

While we enjoy working in Melfort and surrounding area, sometimes projects pop up that are a bit further away but too good to pass up! This is one of them. From the design plan to the client’s themselves, everything about this project is just so good….and if you paid attention to the title, this is just phase one. There’s a super exciting large phase two in the works!

Before

After

When I first met the homeowner, her main concern was storage and organization. While the entryway is actually quite large, it wasn’t cutting it with what storage was there for their every day items. They had a decent closet, but as you can see in the photo, there is a lot of wasted space above it. Rather than keeping the standard closet, we decided instead to install cabinetry all the way to the ceiling. We customized them to suit a mudroom by making them a bit deeper and able to accommodate larger totes. Obviously the homeowners will need to pull out a step ladder to get the totes down from the top cabinets. But, if you’re only doing that once or twice a year, it’s a pretty great way to store extra things in the room/area they are used in, without them being in the way when not in season. We customized the interior of the mudroom cabinets, to house touques and mitts, purse dividers, hooks, and rod hanging storage. We really wanted to make sure these cabinets function to their max capacity for this family of five.

On the opposite side of the entryway, we moved the door into the powder room all the way to the end of the wall, which then gave us the space to create a large bench area with hooks. Not only does this look really good but it also makes it easy for guests to hang up their jackets, and slip their shoes on and off. A bench is essential for an area like this because sitting down to put on your shoes increases comfort and gets more important as we age. Because the homeowner wanted to create a more modern feel in their home, we brought in a wood slat feature, which brings the perfect element of warmth and style to this space.

Moving the door to the bathroom made sense for both the rooms, and making it into a pocket door rather than a swinging door saves big on the available space. It gets rid of that feeling of being “cramped” as you walk into the small rectangular bathroom. Shuffling the door also enabled us to shuffle the fixtures in the bathroom and adding floor to ceiling cabinetry in here as well, customized to their needs. We included a pull-out laundry hamper, depth to accommodate the large totes, hanging rods and hooks. We tried to bring in everything that would make these spaces work more efficiently and effectively for the homeowners.

After

Before

After

Before

The mudroom and powder room were actually additions that had been built onto the original home years prior. Anytime you’re working with original exterior walls, plumbing and electrical that have been added in later, it becomes a lot more challenging to change a space. Sometimes things, like plumbing or electrical, can’t move and you have to figure out how to work around it. Overall, the layout and function of this space drastically changed. And for a small room, it made a really big difference.

Several design elements were added to further the functionality in here: First, the medicine cabinet mirror, giving you three shelves for everyday items neatly tucked behind a beautiful mirror. Second, a really cool vanity light above the mirror, to cast better lighting on your face. Lastly, warming up the room by adding texture on the walls with vertical shiplap. And if you are familiar with Liliidae, you know that art in a bathroom is a must!

After

Before

Sep 9

Adding in a slat wall plant shelf was a lot of fun for me! The client came up with the idea of incorporating this somewhere, and the perfect spot was a short wall separating the main entrance and her office area. After coming up with the initial idea, I got to draw it up as a 3D rendering, then passing it onto our builder, and watch it come to life. The finish is the same as the slat wall behind the front entry bench which ties the whole space together and makes it feel like it has always been there. The plants truly have a feature spot here and brings that whole corner to life!

The overall goal for the front entrance renovation was to bring a fresh and light feel to the space, while picking materials and colours that will work well with living on a farm in Saskatchewan. The lighter toned tile is super at hiding water spots and dirt from your shoes, the cabinets were chosen in a colour and finish that will hide dirt and hand prints, and the wood finishes really brighten everything up. Overall just a great transformation!

After

Before

The goal in the basement was to add personal touches and make it feel homey ~ I think we accomplished that goal!

We added in a seating area, that will eventually become part of a larger project in the basement. For the time being, the homeowner’s just wanted to finish off the space as best as possible to accommodate family coming home. The chairs add such a great pop off colour and is a great place to sit and read -or, if you need extra seating while watching a movie you could easily pull them closer to the living room.

We really didn’t do a lot of huge changes down here other than add personality with family photos, a great double wall sconce, and cushions on the sofa. The side board moved from one side to the other and we were able to create a vignette area with the odd-shaped mirror. I really love seeing the difference in the basement: There was nothing technically wrong with the “before” but by adding a few layers to the room we were able to create a space that feels welcoming and cozy for the large family.

Now on to prepping and finalizing Phase 2! This is going to be a good one :)

~ Jessica

Homestead Off the Farm - Basement Living Room

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 16:33:49 GMT

Welcome to the freshly renovated basement at Homestead Off The Farm. What a fun project this was. My favourite part of this refresh was bringing in some deeper hues and creating a cozy and inviting environment. The perfect space to bring in friends and cozy up for a movie. Let me show you around….

As you can see from the before photos, the basement was being used as a multi-purpose room, which I find is what a basement typically ends up being. When discussing the basement renovation with the client we decided to create different designated areas. The first was to create a more streamlined storage room, which could then double as a home gym area. Once we moved all the gym equipment (minus the treadmill) into the new space, it freed up the living room to become a place used primarily for their kids to hang out and have their friends over for movie nights. Because there was no true focal point in the living room area, the client was onboard with installing an electric fireplace under their TV to add to the coziness factor that we were aiming for in this area. Plus it adds a really great focal point to the room.

AUG 31

By Jessica Houston

Probably one of my favourite decor adds in this space was getting the lily cross-stitch, which was made by my client, framed and hung in this space. The colours popped so nicely against the wall colour and I love being able to add in personal touches anywhere possible.

When discussing colours for the basement, I really wanted to create moodiness without the basement left feeling dingy and dark. So we kept the dark walls primarily in the living room area, and left the rest of the basement a super soft warm grey colour. The ceiling tiles were replaced with a beautiful grid of soft white tiles, which elevated the space immensely. I knew that I didn’t want the dark walls to be left flat with just paint, so we added in detailing with wall trim and vertical shiplap on the fireplace. I love how these two elements work together in this space. They add so much beautiful dimension to the dark walls and really makes them pop.

The floors changed from carpet to vinyl, which gave us another opportunity to inject a lot of warmth, in the tones of the wood rather than texture (which is what carpet would primarily rely on). There is hardwood on the stairs and the whole main level of the house, so when we chose this vinyl colour, it was complimentary to the main hardwood, but not an exact match. I really love how this vinyl anchors the rooms and pulls all the wall details and colours together. Plus it’s a great option for this basement as there had been some water issues in the past (which were fixed during the reno), and this flooring would stand up to any issues that could pop up in the future.

One of the fun additions that we brought to the living room area was a work table, specifically designed so that their children could sit and do homework or could use it as a snack bar while they are all hanging out in this room. I’m always up for the opportunity to work with custom woodworkers, and this table was no exception. The design was fairly simple but the table would be 8’ long, so custom was the best option. Green Ark did an awesome job at taking the design and bringing this table to life. It’s now the perfect perch for doing homework or setting up snacks while still spending time with others!

When designing this room, I really wanted to keep practicality in place when choosing fabrics and textiles. The couch was chosen in leather, specifically because it’s so easy to wipe up and clean any spills or messes that could happen. The rug was chosen with the same mentality. It is a wool rug, which will really hold up to any spills or stains. And the concrete coffee table is no exception. It’s such a sturdy and stable piece, no one will be able to move it (I’m really grateful our guys were able to bring it down the stairs for me!) and it will hold up to anything that’s put on it.

There are a lot of shoutouts that need to be made for this project. I really enjoyed working with everyone who pitched in and did their part. It was a lot of fun to see this room come together and to make a useable space that would hold up to teenagers and friends and fun. I think if it was my space, I don’t know if I would want to leave haha! And now with fall and winter on the way, I’m sure cozy movie nights with the fireplace on are going to be a regular occurrence.

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think of this new basement space in the comments below.

Shoutouts to:

Contractor: Tremblay Construction

Electrician: Just Electric

Custom Table: Green Ark

Custom Coffee Table: Steve via Liliidae

Custom Framing: Northern Lights Art Gallery

Moving heavy furniture: Backstage (thank you! It was a tight fit but you guys made it happen!) & 5Point (thanks for being on call to help me out!)

And all the Design, Sourcing, Purchasing, Set-Up & Installation: Liliidae Home & Design.

How Liliidae came to be and how we picked our name

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 20:59:46 GMT

By Julie Schmale

This post is not as informative as our other ones. But if you’re at all curious about how we got started, keep on reading! This post will let you in on Liliidae’s story, the reason we exist and why we picked the name we did.

I am one of the founders -sounds fancy- but all it means is that I was one of the two people thinking out loud “wouldn’t it be nice if we had somewhere in town to get all these things!?”

My husband is a local contractor in our rural little city, and whenever he builds a home for someone, he sends them to all his different suppliers in “the big city”. When it came turn for our own build, we were (like everyone else in rural Saskatchewan) on the road to the city to look at EVERYTHING…. Trying to make it to every single place we wanted to go to in the SAME DAY (and squeezing Costco in there too, of course!) …. Dragging along four small children….. If you’re from rural areas, you know what I’m talking about…. If you’re a parent of small children, you know even better what I’m talking about….

We’re looking at flooring… tug tug…. Mommy, can I have a snack… (I was prepared for this)

We’re looking at tile… tug tug…. Mommy, I have to pee…. (10 minutes later another kid also has to pee even though they didn’t need to when I asked the first time we made a bathroom trip)

Off to fireplaces…. Tug tug…. Mommy, can we be done now….

And when it wasn’t tugging and questions, it was running like crazy people through the showrooms. SO frustrating. Everything considered, they did good, they were only 3-5-7- and 9…. We couldn’t really blame them, after all, they’d sat in a car all day….. But still…. stressful….

At some point in the process, we approached Jess Houston of Freckled Interiors to see if she’d want to come on board as store manager. Without our knowledge, she’d been considering her future and thought this was a good fit for her. She was already assisting people looking to update/renovate/ or build, so the idea of having everything in ONE place just makes that so much easier to do. She was a gift from above, no doubt about it! She brings so much to the store -and already had the same heart and vision we did ourselves: To serve and help people in their project, however big or small.

Building a house or renovating is stressful enough in itself. You want everything done right, you want it all to go together, you want to be able to imagine it all before you start installing… there are a lot of decisions to make -now add in travelling 2-3 hrs every time you go to suppliers (or you’re returning samples that you loved in the store, but hated when you got it home), add in tired children who’d much rather be running free, add in your wonderful husband who no longer cares (can’t really blame him either). He thinks you’re overthinking everything -yeah right!!

Somewhere in my research I came across a saying that went something like this: “In business adventures it’s not so much whether your business fails or succeeds -because giving it a try is success in and of itself.” And I really took that to heart. (Brace yourself, this is going to sound super cheesy) Even if it all fails -we still have each other. And that applies not just to us, but to anyone venturing into new territory -even if we fail, as long as we still have our family, our friends, God, we’ll be OK. At the end of the day, relationships are what’s most important.

So be brave and courageous. Step into your own adventures. Go for that dream! If you see that there’s something you can do to fill a need…. Just DO IT!

�� Other details: Adding a metal bar on the wall by the stove means you can hang your pots and pans there and free up precious cabinet space. Stacking your cutting boards on the counter (if they're nice) could be another way to free up cabinet space. This could be done in one of the corners which is deeper and tends to end up as "dead space" anyway. Adding a small plant with them makes it feel more like a design moment rather than just stuff sitting in the corner. We hung a cafe curtain in the window which does a few things for the space: get's a softer and more personalized look, gives privacy, and allows the light from the window to bounce off all the light surfaces in the room and makes it feel more spacious and inviting.

The room is now drawing you in, inviting you to come make something amazig!

Our Story…

So stressful…..

So, what do we call ourselves?

So, back to my hubby and I thinking, “wouldn’t it be nice if there was ONE place where you could get everything!?” A place where we could collect everything from this supplier and that -where people could go and pull together the things they like.” Anything from paint/cabinets/flooring/hardware/ wallpaper/tiles/counter tops/fireplaces and whatever else we can fit in there!

Tadaaaaa -The idea of Liliidae was born…

There were a few thoughts on names…. In the end, we liked the idea of “Liliidae”. It’s the sub-class of the Tiger Lily (or Western Red Lily), which of course is Saskatchewan’s provincial flower. The name came from the idea that we all desire our homes and spaces to stand out and be beautiful -but not so much that it no longer fits or suits our lifestyles. And that’s what the tiger lily is to us. Its beauty stands out, but it belongs, it’s at home here in the prairies -just like we all are.

The whole process has been very exciting and nerve-racking at the same time… we’d all look at each other “are we seriously doing this?” “are we crazy?!” But here we are….

Just DO IT!

Little Old New House - Part Two

Sat, 26 Jul 2025 20:05:44 GMT

By Julie Schmale & Jessica Houston

First up, beams. We wanted to install ceiling beams somewhere in the house, and because the flow of the main areas did not offer a good spot for them, we opted for the master bedroom. And we’re so glad we did! They immediately added depth and warmth to an otherwise simple room. We also combined the two light fixtures into one large pendant centered over the bed. We continued the main floor hardwood into this room, stained the beams slightly darker than the floor, and installed a feature light above the bed. All under the umbrella of creating a warm, get-away-retreat style room.

JUL 26

Watching this room come together and upping the functionality game with the closet system from Stor-X, was so much fun. Originally, there were two closets on opposite ends of the room, but the standard “one rod with a shelf above” closet just doesn’t give much for functional storage space. We ended up removing both of them completely! The one became absorbed by the hallway closet allowing a much deeper linen closet than what was there, as well as a deeper closet “nook” for the bedroom backing onto the master. The other closet was moved to the center of the wall, and we used half the cavity depth for a shallow glass cabinet and the other half for the fireplace in the living room. This allowed us to center the fireplace and gain square footage in the living room. Back in the master bedroom; closing off the old un-functional closet allowed us to fill the entire wall with a better closet space and storage. It also shortened the room by two feet, so it didn’t feel or look so long, and it happened to work out that this centered the bed on the windows. From a design perspective, this all helps create a room that feels and looks balanced allowing your eye to take in all the other beautiful features and textures we added. The shallow glass closet on the other side was specifically designed to show off the homeowner’s collection of purses and shoes. Because if you have such a beautiful collection, who wouldn’t want to look at them all the time?!

One of the details we added to the whole home were custom flushmount vents, made from the same hardwood as the flooring. Our installers did an absolutely amazing job at creating this seamless detail to a part of your home that is necessary. One of my favourite parts of design and working with talented people, is the ability to make what is necessary look beautiful.

Keeping with our core design principles, we mixed a lot of different textures and added in some pattern to create warmth and interest. The beautiful part of all of this, is that the room still feels serene and not overly done.

That’s it for Part Two!! Next up is the basement….and there’s some really great transformations that happened down there :)

Shoutout’s to:

5 Point Contracting for all of the installation on this project and putting up with all of our design ideas / Winterhalt Mechanical for plumbing / J&C Stonecutters for quartz installation / Just Electric for…feels self explanatory

As you can see from the before pictures, this room was really nice and big to begin with. It had at one point in time been two separate bedrooms, but the wall was knocked down to create a rather long, and a bit narrow bedroom. A great size, considering this is an older home. As we walked around the space, it became apparent to us that closet space and storage needed to be amped up. The feeling we wanted to create in this space was a warm and inviting, farmhouse-feeling with quiet-escape-vibes for the owners, and there are a few key elements that we implemented to make that happen.

The main floor bath, is the only spot in the home with the space for a tub. And because this room is not large enough to house a separate bath and shower, keeping them combined was the best way to use the space. Again, due to the size and shape of the room (and the spaces surrounding the bathroom, we didn’t want to steal space from the kitchen or the guest bedroom), there was not a lot of option when it came to where the plumbing fixtures would sit. The one thing that we did do, was take out the open linen closet that was on the side of the vanity, to create a larger vanity with more countertop space, and lots of functional storage in the counter unit. As you can see, we couldn’t take the vanity all the way to the wall because there was plumbing stacks running from the basement to the roof through there, but instead of just drywalling it over, we decided to add the same brick that we used in the living room, just use a little less grout so that it looks like an old chimney stack. And honestly, that small detail adds so much personality into this tiny room.

When we were sourcing and piecing together the decor for this space, we reached out to a local artist, Carla Tyacke, to commission two art pieces for us. The way the colours flow and work with the rest of the room is just beautiful and it’s always such a treat to work with local talent.

Welcome to Part Two of this cute Little Old New House! If you can imagine with me, we’ve walked through the front entry and the kitchen/dining/living rooms of the home (if you can’t remember, you can click HERE ), and now we’re heading down the hallway. First up, the primary bedroom.

Before

A few of the other details we were able to add in, were heated floors (because stepping out of your tub onto a heated tile floor feels like heaven), tile tub surround with niches to hide away all the products that they use, and slick floor vent covers that keep the tile looking amazing. Then it was just a matter of mixing our greiges, patterns, and textures, to create a warm and inviting bathroom.

Last stop on the main floor! The spare bedroom was a super fun transformation for us to work on and we’re pretty thrilled with how it came together. Because our clients have adult children, the need for a kids bedrooms was not really there (and there are bedrooms in the basement… blog post to come!). BUT! Their first grand child was on the way, so we pitched the idea of making this a space for future grandkids! Being on the main floor it will be great for cousin-sleepovers-to-come and keeping toys away from the main living spaces.

This room was a good size and very bright, so the only real adjustment we made to the layout was opening up the closet and making it deeper. Because we removed the closet from the master bedroom, it gave us extra depth to dream up a little nook, where the grandkids can eventually play, read, and store all their toys and books.

We put a lot of thought and care into the details that were added in. The wallpaper was chosen because of the fairytale-feel, colour, and pattern it would inject into the room. It helped create a soft focal point with the daybed. The open closet was painted a complimentary colour to the wallpaper, which makes it pop a little, but it still flows with the rest of the room. The storage areas and furniture chosen were all thoughtfully put together, with little people in mind. We’ve already had feedback from our clients that their little grand-daughter loves this space. The posters were chosen based on the families love of everything Disney, and we picked up accent colours from the posters and rugs to create a fun bunting flag…because what kid’s room doesn’t need a bunting flag?!

Layering the tiger rug on top of the standard rug was one of those things where we thought “will they think this is too crazy?” But as you work with clients you pick up on their personality, and this couple definitely had a fun streak to them. They loved the idea, partly because it’s different, a bit daring, and not something you see every day.

For The Love of Wallpaper!

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 16:36:35 GMT

By Julie Schmale

People have very strong feelings about wallpaper. Either you love it, or you absolutely hate-and-will-never-ever-put-it-on-any-wall-anywhere-ever!

Many of us have scraped wallpaper off the walls of an older home. And you probably had to scrape it down layer after layer till you finally reached drywall (if you were lucky) and then it took off the entire paper layer of that too!

Yep, I get it. Been there. Done that.

BUT! Wallpaper has come a long way since then. The application methods (as well as removal!) are so much easier and way more user-friendly. Especially the newest type of wallpaper; the peel and stick. This is something any true DIY’er can do. -Even if you’ve never done wallpaper before.

Putting up wallpaper always seemed scary to me. The peel and stick was the first type I did completely on my own and it was VERY easy to work with. It’s easy to adjust and re-peel until I got it just right.

I have found that wallpaper takes more abuse than just a painted drywall surface. I had put it behind a built-in bunk bed, but I didn’t realize how well it protected the wall until we moved and my boys’ beds were up against just the painted wall…. There were so many dent and dings I couldn’t believe it! I often see the wall behind the crib in a nursery done in wallpaper. And even though its main purpose is to beautify the room, I always think of the practical side of that: your wallpaper will protect your wall while looking fabulous!

These two photos show my living room I was shooting, and what it looked like right behind me…. Two very different scenarios! Remember, you’re not showing off your stuff…. You’re convincing an online shopper that they need to come and see your house in person.

Intrigued?

To echo the quote from Magnolia; there’s something wallpaper does to a wall, that you cannot achieve with paint. It creates texture, luxury, introduces colour, plays with pattern -and if you want a rich luxurious look, grass cloth is your friend! It actually looks very unimpressive when you see it as samples or in the rolls, but when it’s up on the walls it becomes this amazingly soothing, subtle, and interesting wall treatment. The transformation from roll to wall is what makes grass cloth so intriguing to me, although at this point, I do not have it in my own house. I believe that your home should reflect who you are, and wallpaper is no different. It has to “suit” your style and personality. And for me, I’m just not quite there yet when it comes to grass cloth (even though I LOVE what it does to a wall!)

Non-Pasted means you need to put glue on the wall and then apply the paper. This is the only method I have not personally tried. It somehow seems more tricky to me, but the installers I have talked to actually prefer this method. They find it easier to work with. I will say, that this type of paper is most often found in the higher end of the price range. But when you feel it, you instantly know you have a really nice product in your hands. It’s thicker and the surface has more texture, so it feels much more luxurious. In comparison, the pre-pasted is smoother and not as thick. The peel and stick is a bit thinner again and feels less luxurious. -But the advantage of it being smooth is that it’s easy to wipe down.

Pre-Pasted means that it has a glue on the back which gets activated with water. Most instructions say to spray with a bottle, but if you attended our wallpaper event, you will remember that prairiegalwallpaper uses a paint roller with water instead. This method applies the water more evenly and gets the edges nice and wet. We really like this tip! Once the paper is wet, you book it and let it sit for a few minutes. Then apply to the wall. I have found this type a bit more tricky to work with. By the time I am done hanging the top half, going around doors and cabinets etc., the bottom is drying up. I’m far from pro at this point though! I have lots to learn still! But hey, we all start somewhere.

Peel and Stick is basically a big sticker you apply to the wall. You might think that makes it sound like an inferior product, but it is not! It still looks fabulous! It goes up really easily and is a great DIY. There is no water and therefore no mess. It smooths out very easily and if you need to adjust it you just peel it off and put back up. I didn’t find that it lost its stickiness at all when peeling back and re-applying.

Wallpaper can be perceived as a big commitment because we think it’s permanent -but really, with the applications today it really doesn’t need to be. If you’re intrigued but feel unsure of wallpaper I would start with a peel and stick. It comes off so quickly and easily. Adding bold patterns or colourful prints to your wall can seem unnerving if you’re not sure if you’ll love the result -again, the peel and stick is a safe place to begin your wallpaper adventure. It might be a bit like getting a tattoo??! I have been told that after your first one you’re hooked and want more….. I feel that wallpaper has had a similar effect on me.

Non-Pasted / Pre-Pasted / Peel and Stick

These are both from Rifle and Paper

Good photos have never been more important!

My own main floor half bath has wallpaper. In fact, that was the first decision I made for the interior of our new build. I had tried wallpaper, and I knew I wanted to do it again. I love really big floral print -and the one I found was custom made by Ellie Cashman -of course I tried to find something cheaper that was similar but with no luck. In the end I knew that I would not be happy with the alternative, so we did it (and picked cheaper items for the rest of the bathroom, to even out the cost -and we hung it only on one wall). I have never regretted that choice. I absolutely LOVE it.

“Hanging wallpaper on one focal wall rather than everywhere allows you bring pattern into the room in a more subtle way. Wallpaper, with its many prints, textures and patterns has the unique ability to add individuality to a room. In a bedroom, accent wallpaper can set the tone for the room’s furniture and decor and bring in visual interest behind a bed frame. In a kid’s space, it can reflect their style and personality in a way that a shade of paint just can’t convey. ” — Magnolia Blog

As you can probably tell, I LOVE wallpaper!

My take on it is, we all have a desire to express ourselves in a way that is unique to us. Wallpaper will do that in our homes. Wallpaper can also promote feelings of joy and well-being much like art does…

Like I said earlier, our homes should reflect who we are -and if you feel hesitant but intrigued when it comes to wallpaper come talk to us! We can help you chose an area and a style that could be a good starting point. Sometimes, we just gotta be courageous enough to try something different! Who knows…. maybe you’ll come to love it as much as we do!

I’m a bit of a nerd…. I like learning. Sooooo, I read about the history of wallpaper. If you hate useless information just skip this section, lol.

Wallpaper is the child of Tapestry, and back in the day was used in castles to keep the drafts out. So interesting!! Louis XI of France had tapestry hanging on his walls and whenever he went somewhere, he took the tapestry with him and it was re-hung wherever he stopped.

Wallpaper has gone from hand painted, large scale murals, to what we know today where most is digitally printed. The older process of block printing is very interesting though. There are still manufacturers today that continue to make wallpaper using the older methods like block printing, which highlights the craftsmanship and human element that a computer simply can’t replicate. If you’re a nerd too and want to read more about the history of all things design, this is a great book!

A little history lesson

Wallpaper doesn’t have to be a permanent fixture

Grass Cloth

Via Home Beautiful

Homestead off the Farm - Teen Bedroom

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 18:09:32 GMT

Working with clients who return to tackle other spaces in their home, is honestly so much fun and such an honour. I just love it. So when this client asked if I’d come back and help with more areas in their home, my answer was 100% yes. I first helped them renovate their home in 2017, when we tackled most of the main level and the master bedroom & ensuite. Six years later, some of those spaces needed a little refresh, and we tackled new areas in the home. Today I’m going to walk you through their teenager’s bedroom, which was just SO MUCH FUN!

One of the fun design decisions for this room was creating a focal point around the bed by adding in an arch feature with limewash paint in the center. Because I had been watching the design world go crazy for textured paints and walls, I was so excited to have a client who was willing to give it a try! What a beautiful way to add soft texture and an artistic feel to any room. It was such a fun application process and we couldn’t be happier with the end result.

JUL 10

By Jessica Houston

With new functional furniture pieces for daily life, some pretty accent pieces, and a lot of layered textures, I think we created a pretty dreamy teenagers bedroom.

One of the fun elements when working in a bedroom, is the ability to really mix and play with different fabrics, textures, and patterns. Often in our main living spaces, we don’t want to go too bold (although sometimes it’s fun!) or too crazy with patterns and colours. If mixing patterns and colours intimidates you, a bedroom is a good way to test it out. Between duvet covers, sheets, pillowcases, quilts, cushions, curtains, rugs, and baskets, there’s a lot of opportunity to mix and match with colours and patterns. That was one of my favourite parts of this bedroom. The palette is soft and feels quieter, but there are a lot of different patterns and textures at play. So fun to mix it up.

That’s it! Next up in this home refresh project is the basement overhaul….can’t wait to show you!

Shoutout’s to:

Arch construction & finishing baseboards: 5Point Contracting / Drywall: Darin Plasko / Main Room Painting: Ryan Kuchinski / Electrical: Just Electric

After shuffling kids bedrooms around in their home, their eldest daughter’s room was in need of some functionality and some personality. It was a lot of fun to bounce ideas off of her and see what she was hoping to add into her room. Once we nailed down the design, everything came together really well.

Before

After - What do you think of the limewash feature?!

Realty by the Creek

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 15:13:38 GMT

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!

JUL 8

videos

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.

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.

#LHDrealtybythecreek

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.

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.

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 ~

#LHDwarmindustrial

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 21:27:32 GMT

By Jessica

I really love the opportunity to showcase art pieces that hold meaning for the family I am working with. That was the intent with the trio under the staircase (above). The home’s blueprint, a ballerina, and the field landscape all seemed to fit so well with their life.

Keeping the gallery wall on the simple side really accents the beautiful staircase. And while it may expand in the future, it could also stay exactly how it is. Either way, I love these foundational pieces.

JUN 30

Rug: Liliidae Home & Design / Bed & Bench: The Brick / Knit Throw & Pink Cushions: Urban Barn / Nightstands: Ikea / Light & Macaroon Sheets: Homesense / Curtains: Structube / Bedding: Wayfair

Rug & Cushion: Liliidae Home & Design / Sideboard: Ikea / Light: Homesense / White Pot & Stand: The PotStand Company / Dark Grey Planter & Throw Blanket: Mel-City / Reframed Art: Northern Lights Gallery / Bench: Urban Barn

The foundational style of this new build is modern farmhouse. It’s on a farm yard, so it’s naturally a part of their home. But, their finishing choices definitely air on the side of modern. Concrete floors, exposed staircase, and black cabinets all play into the modern feel.

The goal was to keep the home feeling modern, but inject warmth into it so that it feels livable and inviting

Hello Hello

This project has been in the works for a long time, and I’m so excited to finally share it with you. These clients had recently built a new home and had completed most of the finishing details themselves. I helped them a little bit, but for the most part, they knew what they wanted. The challenge with this beautiful house was to make it feel cozy and more like home.

This is where I was brought in… Bring on all the furniture, art and decor pieces!

Pulling the kiddos' rooms together was so much fun! I really enjoyed working with colours and patterns, incorporating them into the design. I find that kids rooms are a really great place to express personality with a variety of colours, patterns, and textures. But, to ensure that the foundational pieces grow with the kids, we kept them in a neutral palette.

Adding colour and texture is quite easy to do with rugs, bedding, curtains, baskets, and lighting. Printed rugs are great for kid spaces (and high-traffic areas) because they have no pile. Easy to clean, wipe, vacuum, and playing Lego on. I love using baskets in kids room’s because they’re a great solution for storage, give quick and easy access to toys, and they make clean-up a breeze.

Bed: Wayfair / Rug: Liliidae Home & Design / Lego Prints: Etsy printed from Ultratech Printing / Desk & Chair & Curtains: Structube / Green Cart & Storage Bench: Ikea / Light: Homesense

The master bedroom is not 100% complete, but until it is, I wanted to help create a room that is still relaxing and inviting. There was one specific meaningful art piece that the couple had, that I wanted to incorporate into their bedroom. Because it looked outdated, we had the old frame taken off and replaced by a super slim, modern style black frame. It completely elevated and remade the art piece. The colours I used in the bedroom were drawn from this piece, and added in soft blues, pinks, and golds. Along with some warm woods, plants, and white linens, the bedroom is now looking like a pretty place to retreat.

I always feel so grateful and honoured to be a part of my clients homes and lives. And this home was no exception. It was such a pleasure to work with this family and bring in that coziness and warmth they were hoping to incorporate into their modern industrial style farmhouse.

Here’s to summer and enjoying more family time!

Cushions: Liliidae Home & Design / Sofa, Side Chairs, Poufs: Urban Barn / Coffee Table: EQ3 / Rug: Homesense

Counter Stools: Urban Barn

Pitcher & Candlestick: Liliidae Home & Design / Candle & Flowers: Mel-City / Cutting Board: Indigo

Dining Table & Chairs: Urban Barn

Hardware: Liliidae Home & Design / Tea Towel: Elements

Bench: Urban Barn / Cushion & Artwork: Liliidae Home & Design / Blueprint Print: Ultratech Printing

Curtains: Structube / Dark Grey Pot & Stand: The PotStand Company

When I first met with our clients, the loft space was completely unfinished. They knew they wanted this space to be their main living room and entertainment area. The trick was incorporating some type of focal point that would shine past the TV. Pulling from the modern and industrial feel of the home, we incorporated black marble veined tile, outlined with black slats. We chose a slim, modern TV console that fits perfectly underneath, and offers storage for all the extras needed. We added in cozy elements with an extra deep sofa, cuddle chair, cushions, plush rug, and a fun teepee tent for the kids to lounge in.

Tile: Liliidae Home & Design / TV Console: Rove Concepts / Tent: Amazon / Lamp & Tray: PalliserEQ3

Rug: Liliidae Home & Design / Cushions: Liliidae Home & Design, Mel-City, Homesense / Sectional, Ottoman, Cuddle Chair: Urban Barn

What to expect from a design consultation

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 16:57:11 GMT

By Julie Schmale

Have you ever wondered what a design consultation is, who can make use of one, and how it goes down?

Maybe you haven’t…. I have… So I asked Jess (our design consultant) about it and therefore this post.

When I booked my consultation, it came out of exactly what Jess described. Our problem area was our home office, that had never really worked very well as an office. Our kids had taken over the entire space and their stuff was EVERYWHERE. We run two businesses and so there HAS to be space for actual paperwork to be done in the office. Enter Jess….

When I sent my photos of the office, I didn’t clean up or organize a single thing! I wanted her to see how chaotic it actually was -because the whole reason for her coming, was that it’s always a mess and we didn’t know what to do to fix it. I made a list of things that worked and didn’t work….. It was surprising to see the long list of things that DIDN’T work. Even doing that exercise showed us that we really needed to do something about this space.

Oh! -And if you want to see the finished office, check out our blog at a later date. Because of Covid we haven’t been able to finish this project yet.

The goal of a consult

The mood board is super exciting to see! As soon as Jess had been to our home, I was anticipating her suggestions while in my mind already piecing things together from what we’d discussed in the walk-through. Waiting for that is like waiting for Christmas!

A Design Consult is all about helping you with problem areas in your home (there’s no limit to what that could be).

It leaves you with a plan of action and ideas you can implement yourself (or hire out).

It is not about the designer’s personal style. It’s about making your space a reflection of you and all the things you love.

Let’s re-cap…

So, you’ve booked a consult…. Now what?

You get a visit, at your house, to walk through/look at/discuss/measure the problem area (whatever that might be). But BEFORE that happens you have a bit of homework to do. This would be to send us some photos of what inspires you (thank you Pinterest!), list your concerns and problem areas, what you want or need the space to be doing for you, things that have to change, and things you want to keep. The reason for sending photos and thoughts is to give Jess time to prep. Think over good options and ideas to suggest.

The goal of an initial consult is to create a plan of action that afterwards can be implemented by yourself or can be hired out to the consultant. Jess loves to work alongside people on their projects, and she works hard to make sure the end result reflects the people living in the space.

Using the photos you already sent to her, she takes note of what you are drawn to, why you are drawn to it, what colors you like, which colors create the feel you are after, what finishes to use. We all want our home to “feel” a certain way -and it’s all subject to who we are , what we like, what we do with our time -and because God made us all different, our homes all look different. It’s impossible to copy and paste certain elements or styles from home to home -because they are as different as all of us.

Most often, what people want guidance on is paint colors / furniture placement / getting a cohesive look throughout their home / how to create function but keeping it in the style they love / direction on a reno-journey.

Read our blog on picking the perfect paint color the FIRST time!

Making a plan of action

OK. Moving on. Once the consult is over, Jess takes the information and from what came up in the consult, she outlines a plan with all her suggestions to what can be done, which colors to chose, how to arrange furniture, even where to look for new furniture, what kind of decor items to use to add texture and get that “feel” you desire. She sums up everything you came up with together and gives it to you, and from there you can do with it whatever you want.

Working with people to get where they want to be takes trust. Some find that easier than others, and that’s okay. Some people take everything to heart that she suggests, and in the end are so happy they tried something out of their comfort zone. Some people never end up doing anything suggested. Even in the case where someone doesn’t like the specific suggestions given, Jess can still come up with enough information to guide them forward.

Some people don’t have the time or desire to source everything, and when our consultant is hired, you get more out of it in the end.

The one thing that gets added is a mood board. This is the visual plan of your space -it’s a very exciting stage, because all of a sudden you can imagine what your home might look like at the end of it all. Our society is so visual, and the mood board really brings your project to life. Usually 3 boards are created and together you will decide what you are the most drawn to and what things to incorporate in the final mood board.

On a larger project you also get a 3D rendering of the areas that are being transformed. She can source the materials for you, the furniture, the decor items. And again, it’s not about HER style going in to YOUR space. It’s all bout helping YOU create the look and feel YOU want. The project should always represent the people living in the home afterwards.

3 tips from the designer

1. When it comes to products, I suggest you only buy things you LOVE. Don’t worry about whether they’ll go with everything else because if you love everything you own, they will all go together in the long run -and it will be a truer reflection of the people living in the home. Thanks to Homesense and Winners (I love those places too) it’s fairly inexpensive to fill your shelves with things just to have them look fuller or more finished. But often those are the pieces that later on get thrown out because we made due, we didn’t love them. Save your money instead and buy things that you really want, and the end-result will be more curated and stand the test of time.

2. Vary textiles, creating layers with different finishes. It gives a cozy effect. If you have a leather couch, add chairs that are fabric, and use pillows with different textures too (like leather / knit / cotton / velvet). Do you have lots of wood furniture? Add a coffee table in concrete. Rugs add huge amounts of personality and coziness to a room and it defines a “room” within a room. Add plants with different shapes and types of leaves.

3. Light fixtures. Add some to your living room! The living room especially can seem so uninviting and clinical when the only source of light is from pot-lights. That’s improved when they’re dimmable of course, but it is always a good idea to add different lighting sources that make the room cozier in the evenings. Types of lamps to add would be a floor lamp, or a table lamp on a side table, wall sconces to highlight art or shelves. (Of course, all of them in line with the style and “feel” you’re desiring!)

Have fun adding some style, texture, and good-feel to your home!

Little Old New House - Part One

Fri, 23 May 2025 19:09:49 GMT

Welcome to what is possibly one of the cutest little old new houses around. We’ve withheld a lot information in on this project, but it’s time to show you around!

Because it’s a hard-working room (hello muddy farm boots!) the materials for the entrance had to be durable and easy to clean. We chose flat paneled cabinetry that will be a breeze to wipe down and vinyl flooring that can withstand the extra water and mud from boots. The entryway ended up being quite long and more narrow, which gave us the ability to design the cabinets and storage to sit on one side, but left the other side feeling a bit bare. By adding shiplap to the walls, wrapping it around to the door leading into the house, we were able to add subtle detail without making the mudroom feel cramped or like you’re walking through a tunnel to get into the home.

And because we were able to add so much storage and cabinetry in the mudroom, we removed an entire closet inside the home, that visually and physically opened up the entrance and especially the staircase to the basement. This whole area felt dark and enclosed before, and these changes really opened up the space. We also added a window in the entrance to let in some much needed natural light -which again just brightens up the space.

MAY 23

Once you walk into the main area of the home, all of the rooms flow with quite a bit of openness for being an older home. We wanted to create a cohesive flow throughout these main spaces using neutral colours and warm tones, but also add interest to each separate space with textures, contrasting finishes (matte and glossy), and wall paneling.

The powder room pulls all the elements together. We were inspired by Chris Loves Julia with their patterned penny tile and developed our own pattern for the floor. We absolutely love it! It was also a treat to design and work with Rockside Builders on the vanity. Taking the wood fluted design on the vanity and adding in the vertical shiplap on the walls tied the two elements together without competing with one another or overwhelming the small space. Honestly, this space was a lot of fun to work in.

The choices made for the finishings in the kitchen were all chosen based on their overall feel, durability, and how they fit in with the rest of the home. We wanted to incorporate pieces that were warm and bright, but also held interest. The strong marble vein in the countertop provides a standout feature for the kitchen, and it accents the square variated tile backsplash so well. Add in the slightly off-white cabinetry and mix of wood cabinets and flooring, and you now have a kitchen that has numerous beautiful features that all flow cohesively together.

Updating this farmhouse was a way for our clients to downsize, but stay on the farm. This was a strategic move as the farming operation is a family affair and house swapping was in the mix. One of the things we loved most about working with this couple, was their very apparent love for their children and their family. Creating a home to suit their current life, but also a growing family, was an absolute necessity as they became new grandparents during this project.

The first challenge of this little home was the lack of an entryway. The current entryway was through the garage and had just a small landing with stairs leading in to the home. Because a new separate garage space was being built, we were able to take the current double car attached garage and split a portion of it into a brand new mudroom. This opened up so much more storage for outdoor clothes, shoes, seasonal gear, and any extra storage space needed.

Creating functional space and storage was one of the goals for this home renovation, which is often times a challenge in older homes. Because it’s a smaller home, and the homeowner is cooking for large crowds (especially during harvest!), we needed to create lots of work space in the kitchen and also a large pantry area.

By taking what could be considered unusable space from above the staircase, we created a pantry with deep drawers, and a moveable ladder so that you can reach everything!

The layout of the kitchen did not actually change drastically, but the functionality of the cabinetry sure did. When working with clients on designing their kitchen cabinetry, functionality and daily living is essential to walk-thru and figure out with them. Creating lots of counter space for prepping and working was essential, as big meals are being made and served. This was not a huge kitchen! But by adding cabinetry that serves specific purposes, we were able to maximize the space in the kitchen, so everything has a place

Next we transition into the laundry room, which sits just off the kitchen. With this space, we really wanted a different feel without going outside of the home’s overall design. We sourced a vintage door, refurbished and restained it, added a beautiful antique knob, and now it feels like a treat to walk into your laundry room!

Instead of keeping the laundry cabinetry the same colour as the kitchen, we switched it up and used a dark blue cabinetry but kept the profile and the countertop the same. This feels dramatic and really draws you into the room that is now different but cohesive.

We also applied this amazing wallpaper to all the walls. It’s such a beautiful detail that you can see whether the laundry door is closed or open. The colours and pattern are subtle but it adds such a intentional feel to the design in this room.

As in the kitchen, the cabinetry was all chosen to serve a purpose and function. We incorporated a hanging rack for air-drying laundry, which can easily be stored away when not in use. One of the fun little details we got to design was a dog bed that fits right into the cabinetry. The interior is the same wood as used on the kitchen island which provides a nice finish to the interior. We then added metal mesh to the door, and now their pup can hope into this spot anytime he likes!

Let’s transition to the dining room…

One of the challenges with open-concept homes is creating a cohesive flow while still distinguishing each space. This can be done in many different ways, but in the dining room here, some of the key elements that we used in order to distinguish the area was wall paneling, richer paint colour, different window coverings, and a statement chandelier. All of these elements dress up the dining room while remaining cohesive with the overall feel and vibe of the home.

The living room came with it’s own set of challenges. We ended up moving the original fireplace chase into the center of the room (which also worked well for the shoe closet in the Master Bedroom on the other side!). This really helped bring symmetry into the room, which we played up with identical sofas and accent chairs. There were numerous elements that we wanted to infuse into the design of this room, mainly mixing lots of different materials, shapes, and textures. The end result turned out pretty great!

There were two specific things, we knew from the beginning of the design process that we wanted to incorporate. A german schmear application on the brick on the fireplace, and an arch over the cabinets. We also knew that we wanted the design of the fireplace feature wall to be asymmetrical, rather than incorporating cabinetry on both sides of the chase. We love how each side of the fireplace is different but complimentary of one another. It was pretty fun working and mixing up symmetry in this room. Keeping the furniture symmetrical really helps keep the room feel calm while the fireplace feature wall throws in more interest because of the different elements that it includes.

That’s Part One! There are are still a lot of different spaces to show you and walk you through. Can’t wait to show you the rest of this cute little home.

Look at the Bright Side

Fri, 16 May 2025 19:31:08 GMT

It’s been awhile since we’ve taken you on a break down of a project…and this is a good one to get us started back up again! I’m super excited to bring you along in the process of this home and how it’s evolved over time to what it is now. Here we go!

I have worked with this family a few times now, and each time, the projects just keep getting better and better! It’s so fun working with clients that come back because we’ve already built trust together which translates into the design process and I have a better understanding of their lifestyle. Over the years most of the home has undergone a re-fresh…. the only room in the house that hadn’t been done yet was the kitchen. Due to water damage in the house (see the silver lining?), it was now time to reimagine this space. And because the kitchen is connected to the living room, we tagged this space on as well!

The kitchen was original to the home and has worked well for the family, but over the years the cabinetry had begun to malfunction and some of the family’s needs have changed, so several thing were no longer working. The pantry, as an example, was a standard closet which lacked proper storage and accessibility. Due to cooking for large groups of people, the client wanted to upgrade the stove to a 36” range. Over the years, cabinetry has just come a long way when it comes to making things functional, accessible, organized, and pretty all at the same time.

Because this is a returning client, there is an overall feel and design style in the home that we have continuously built upon. It was finally time to move that feel into the kitchen; We mixed the overall traditional style with some farmhouse, making sure to add in warm and natural elements, and some more modern pieces as well. Over the last 7 years, we have slowly brightened this home, brought in wall treatments for added character, and refreshed furniture choices. On this update, there were some key large pieces (with a BIG effect on the space) that needed replacing; Flooring and cabinetry.

First being the flooring. Because the water damage upstairs affected their hardwood, all of the flooring on the first and second floor of the home needed to be replaced. Once I had the overall mood board developed, choosing a lighter toned oak hardwood was the first design decision. When working on a project where flooring and cabinetry are both being changed, I find that picking flooring is quite often the first decision made. After this, making choices on the cabinetry tones is much easier -especially if you’re working with wood.

We chose a wide plank, light-to-medium toned hardwood flooring that has some variance throughout the planks, which brought that warm and natural element to the whole home. We were working with a custom cabinetry company and therefore we had the ability to pick a stain for the cabinets in a tone that worked perfectly with the flooring.

MAY 16

#LHDlookatthebrightside

The clients also wanted a space to hide their toaster and bread, so incorporating an appliance garage was an easy decision. Because we moved the fridge to the sink wall, installing an appliance garage on the other side of the sink was the right choice. This brought an element of symmetry around the window on this wall, but also gave us the opportunity to do an open storage compartment for the standing mixer -something that was important to the client as it gets used all the time.

We also added in organizational storage under the sink, which is often a cabinet that gets neglected. People usually just stack cleaning supplies in there the best way possible, but it can easily become disorganized and a pain to find anything. We added in two pullout drawers which provide the perfect way to organize cleaners and create extra storage by using the available height of the cabinet.

One thing that was added to bring in that warm farmhouse + traditional feel was the wood beams. They add so much depth and character to this space. Don’t forget about your ceilings! There are so many fun ways to dress up a ceiling, and the detail brings your eye up and therefore the room feels bigger.

The stain colour for the beams were based off the flooring colour and the cabinet colour. Pick your starting point (in this case the flooring) and work from there when picking other wood elements. When mixing wood it’s always important to check the tones of the wood. They don’t necessarily have to be the same colour, but the undertones all need to be the same to cohesively flow with one another.

The beams are also a great way to create a cohesive flow from the kitchen to the living room, and they fit so effortlessly into each space.

That’s #LHDlookonthebrightside! Even though this part of the home was not a planned project, this client was able to take the water damage and turn it into something so good. No matter where you are at with your home, it sometimes helps to look on the bright side. If a home renovation is not in the budget (and you desperately wish it was!), get creative, what ARE you able to change, and make your home YOU little by little. Even if that for the time being means just rearranging furniture or shopping from your storage room or other rooms in your house to switch things up.

I find that the design consultation is a great tool for this! It gives you a plan of action to work from, and when you get the chance to update or renovate you have your plan of action to stick to! If you hold to your overall vision of your space, chances are you won’t tire of it in the long run -even if it takes several years to get through all the rooms in your home!

Have fun re-imagining your own space!

~ Jessica ~

Before

After

Then cabinetry! This was so fun because we were working with a custom cabinet company and therefore were able to incorporate specific designs that would help with the overall functionality of the kitchen. When discussing the layout with the clients, they were already wondering about changing the location of the fridge and the idea of an island versus the peninsula, which is the direction we ended up going. The size of the kitchen didn’t change, but by changing the layout, it feels so much bigger and brighter!

Moving the fridge meant that we could drastically upgrade the pantry and create an amazing amount of useable pantry space that is far more accessible than the old pantry. We also ended up incorporating the microwave into this wall, because having it hidden away when not in use is a great feature! Take a look at the difference on the pantry wall; behind all those doors are roll-outs so you can easily reach everything, even what’s at the way back!

For the cabinetry finishes, I knew that we wanted to bring in a lighter colour, mixing it with the warmth of wood. Rather than going with a true white kitchen, we opted for a softer, warm grey colour, accenting with a light toned wood. Small details add so much to a space and is always a good idea. Take the island for example; this is typically what you see first when walking into the room, so if you can add an extra detail to the back of the island, it will add depth and interest to your space. We brought in a vertical v-groove wood detailing, which was also incorporated into the vent hood cover. To save on some cost and for ease of cleaning, the drawer fronts on the island were left as flat paneled doors, which also feels a bit more modern in the otherwise traditional home.

When it came to the finishing materials, we had a lot of fun. Mixing quartz and tile in the backsplash was such a great combination! I am really happy with how the tiled backsplash compliments the quartz backsplash and loved being able to bring in the two different elements but have them work so well together.

I knew that when you looked at the stove wall, I wanted it to be a full height quartz backsplash for a “wow” factor, as well as easy wipe-ability, but wanted to switch up the backsplash by the sink wall. We continued the quartz on this wall with a shorter profile, then stacked the tile on top to bring in that new element, and I love how the two mix together!

This living room was upgraded about seven years ago with board and batten on the fireplace chase, which is a detail that ties into other areas in the home. A few years later we added new furniture. So this time, we painted the walls, dressed up the furniture with new cushions, added in pinch pleat curtains, a new area rug, and painted the fireplace black. I really love how when you look towards the kitchen, the range and quartz backsplash is the feature and when you look into the living room, the fireplace is the feature, but they don’t compete with each other.

There is just such a great flow between these rooms, and honestly throughout the whole house now. It just feels so great! Every decision made in this space, was based off the decisions that were made in prior upgrades, which makes the overall feel of the home cohesive. I hope you find that encouraging! Even if you are only able to tackle one space at a time, if you keep your overall vision (mood board) and feel in view, even if it takes 5 years to update your home, the decisions you make will eventually create a beautiful space that

How To Change Your Grout Color

Thu, 15 May 2025 18:38:08 GMT

By Julie Schmale

To err is human. We all make mistakes. Today I’m sharing one of mine. More importantly, I’m going to show you how I fixed it! When we built our house, we did a really good job (I think). However, there are a few decisions that have turned out to be bad ones…. Like the one I’m featuring in this blog….

I’m a bit of a fear-of-failure-person. Okay, I’m a LOT of a fear-of-failure-person. Luckily not as much anymore… I am learning that it’s okay if I don’t get it right all the time. This applies to all areas of life. This is much easier said than done though. Today, let’s celebrate learning by trial and error! So read on and feel free to shake your head at my folly!

For our mudroom and main entrance, I wanted grey and white tile. To get a more blended look, I chose white grout that matched the white tiles. Yep, you read it correctly. WHITE grout….. for my FLOOR…. You are probably smarter than me and can immediately put the two together and see that this is a baaaad idea. My hubby probably even told me it was a bad idea…. But it was what I wanted, so it was what got applied…. And it looked pretty. Until we moved in!

Fast forward 3 years and that grout is not white…. It’s sort of a light brown…. It just looks bad. And dirty. Always dirty.

I used Mapei Grout Refresh (it comes in all the Mapei grout colors). There is a similar product by Custom out there too, so whtever color you are looking for, you’ll be able to find it!

How it works

Notice how the darker grout lines draw the eye down and make the pattern pop

Like I said at the beginning, we all make mistakes. We just can’t put ourselves in a prison of failure when we do. So, set yourself free and be okay with not always getting it right! Just try again :)

Inspiration Sources: Cherished Bliss // Studio McGee // Construction2style // Liliidae Home & Design

Last but not least -a little inspiration

Why am I telling you this?

While working in the home-reno field, I came across this product that enables you to freshen up or change the color of your grout! I was very excited to get my hands on this product. Hurray for me and my poor decision making!

The reason I am writing a blog about it is because I got to thinking that there might be other people who’ve made similar mistakes. Or maybe you moved into a home that have perfectly fine tiles, but grout that tells the tale of someone else’s messy life. Maybe you have a shower that just makes you sad…. Our water here in rural Saskatchewan is hard and leaves a yellow or pink residue on the tiles and grout in the shower -and it mocks us (and our lack of thorough cleaning) every time we take a shower! Replacing your tile can be expensive and sometimes not worth it, so if any of these scenarios are you -this product could be a great option for you.

You are basically painting the grout line, leaving it soak into the grout itself and then wiping any excess off the tiles afterwards.

Now, when I say “paint” please don’t freak out! It’s not going to wear or chip off as far as I can tell. I tested my own floors 10 days after application by washing it the same way I had done when I cleaned it prior to this project. Comet, water and a brush. I figured this kind of cleaning will be the most contact the grout lines will ever have. There was no color change, no color coming off anywhere, so to me it looks like it will stand up to everyday life and I should not have to baby it.

There’s a dry method and wet method depending on the tile you have. Dry for smooth tiles. Wet for textured tiles .

I will say, this is tedious work! But if you are covering up dirty grout or a bad design decision, it’s worth your time! I found my tile to be more complicated because the white tiles are smooth, but the grey ones are textured enough to make the dry method a lot harder. So, in the end I did dry on the white edges and wet on the grey edges. Lucky for you, I have now tested both application methods!

Before + After

I washed my floors really well. I used Comet and a brush to get as much dirt off the grout as I could. I suggest cleaning at least the day before. That way the grout has time to dry out completely and be “thirstier” when you apply the paint. The bottle says to shake well before use. This is important! I had to shake a LOT. And then some more. If it comes out with a see-through liquid, you’ll need to shake it again. The consistency should be thick, like paint.

If you are beyond changing the grout and you simply just want new tile, make sure you stop in and see what we have. We have brought in lots of beautiful options!

I applied a thin line of the gout color, used a small brush to spread it, then set a timer for 5 min (It’s not super time sensitive). After the 5-ish minutes I went back to scrape the excess off the white (smooth) tile edges while at the same time setting a new timer for 20 min. Make sure the grout on the smooth tiles look dry. If there are wet areas leave them till they’re dry. Otherwise you’ll just smear the color all over your tile! Make sure you don’t wipe right ON the grout line. Once the second timer went, I sprayed the grey (textured) tiles with water, waited another 5 min, and then scraped the excess off the grey (textured) tiles. It’s important to wait the 5 min in order for the paint to let go of the tile. Again, make sure you don’t wipe right ON the grout line. It wipes off pretty easily prior to drying completely.

Like I said, this is very tedious. In my situation, it was worth it. I would even say necessary.

I found it hard to take the excess “paint” off the tiles without touching the grout line, so I ended up using a paint can opener under the cloth I was using. I found that it was easier to control while applying enough pressure. When I had spots I accidentally got the grout line wiped, I left it and fixed it when I began a new area. The paint scraps can be wiped off or you can vacuum them up before moving to a new area. I suggest working in a smaller area at a time. You’ll get into a groove fairly quickly. It doesn’t take a lot of time to do. My entrance area which is 7 ft by 9 ft can be done in a weekend -maybe even a day if you don’t have a bunch of other things vying for your attention.

Avoid the area you worked on for 24 hours. After that, go back to regular use. I waited a bit more than a week before I washed my floor and I did not see any damage to the new grout color. Again, this is not something you’re going to do just for fun…. But it’s a GREAT solution if you have areas that look dirty and gross. And the price is not even comparable to changing your tile! I used one bottle for both areas in my home. One bottle will cost you 20-some dollars. So not even comparable!

Staging your home before selling

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 15:54:28 GMT

By Julie Schmale

You’ll get all these promises to sell in a weekend, 10 days, and even how to stage your home to start a bidding war…. All promises that when you stage your home right, you’ll sell it right away.

I don’t believe any such promises should be made -there are far too many other factors involved when you list your house. But there is something to be said for many of the tips out there, so I have compiled the things I found most helpful when having our house on the market. I’m not promising this will sell your house any faster, but I DO promise it will make your house stand out from the rest AND make life easier for you and your family while it’s on the market (and you have people going through it).

Before we begin, this is THE biggest deal for homeowners. I strongly encourage you to try hard to do this…. And when I say strongly encourage, I really mean YOU HAVE TO! De-attach emotionally from your home. Even though you have had lots of great memories there, that’s no longer what it’s about. Consider it no longer your home…. It will make everything from this point on much easier on your heart! This is really just a mental shift -you are now looking at your house as a product you’re selling. You want other people to come into your home and be able to imagine themselves in the space -not be overwhelmed by all your stuff. For some of us, it’s harder to let go of the place where we have lived and spent so much time, had our babies, established ourselves. But sooner or later, we have to separate ourselves from the emotional part of our home….. Make a point to do this when you are listing -even before listing. As you read on you’ll see why this is so important. It’ll make it easier to de-clutter, easier to stage, AND you’ll feel less hurt when people criticize your space (because they will. Let’s be honest, we all do it when we’re house-hunting). So here we go….

As you can see from my own photos, I am not even showing the whole room -and I really don’t think you need to. All you need are pretty photos that will entice people to come see the rest for themselves. You don’t need to show every nook and cranny. If you have a room that looks dark and dingy -don’t put it up with your listing. Play around with your stuff -if you’re not happy with your photo, move some stuff out of there and try again. Change up the angle to see which is better. Next I’ll show you my entrance and how a quick few changes can make your photo much nicer….. The first one was after moving a pile of stuff but I just wasn’t happy with it…. so I moved some stuff….. The second photo was what ended up going on the listing….

Have you ever searched “staging your house to sell” ?

Finally! To the fun part!

SO… the idea is…

You cannot afford to lose people online. Your photos are so important. It’s that first impression that really counts! Get inspired by photos online and try to copy what they do -or hire a professional.

Detach emotionally

Move out in two stages

What do I mean?! Pack up half your stuff BEFORE listing. Store the boxes somewhere other than your house -and other than your garage! Get your kids on board as well, make it fun. It’ll be like Christmas when you unpack all those boxes in your new home. Do I really have to?! you ask. YES!! You absolutely do! Go complete Marie Kondo on your house. De-clutter your cabinets, your closets, everywhere! People WILL open your cupboards and look behind every door in your house. Get rid of anything you don’t need. Store anything you won’t use while your house is on the market. There are many things we don’t need on a regular basis. Seasonal stuff like your Christmas tree, Christmas decorations, kids’ clothes waiting to be passed down, baby items you’ll need for the next baby, extra blankets. This also includes large kid’s toys. Unless you’re running a day care, you really don’t NEED to keep all their big toys out, so put some of them in storage. Your kids will be so excited to have them back after you’ve moved -it’ll be like getting all new toys! Not only will this make your house look and feel more spacious, it will also help you keep your house clean and organized while it’s on the market.

“Get rid of your stuff” is often difficult to hear and do. After all, we love our stuff -that’s why we have it! But remember: you are selling a product. Your home is no longer about you, your stuff, and the memories you have made there. It’s about creating a space that feels un-cluttered and ready for a new family to make their own memories there.

By now you might be thinking; “What if I do all this stuff, paint half my house, and change the gross carpet in the basement -and then the new owners don’t even like it?! Shouldn’t I just have left it the way it was and let them change things to what THEY want?!!” Ummm, NO! Most people lead busy lives, they want a home they can move into WITHOUT having to redo a whole bunch of stuff -even if they DO change things down the road, they want a space where they don’t HAVE to change anything. We would be the same way if we were the ones house-hunting.

Clean clean clean

Wipe down your cabinets, doors, walls and light fixtures. Move furniture and clean behind them. Get your kids wiping baseboards (baby wipes are great for this btw -you’re welcome!). Fix anything that’s broken and make sure all your light bulbs are working! Touch up paint here and there -or update your colors if you are able. Lots of bold colors can be overwhelming and bring up emotions in people that give them an overall negative “feel” of your house. This is not to offend anyone, but remember, you’re selling a product -it’s not about your love for bright orange, it’s about appealing to as many people as possible. Neutral colors and a clean, calm, and uncluttered space is much more inviting. It allows people to look past what you’ve got going on and imagine how THEY might use the space and the memories THEY might make there. The best colors to stage with are taupes, beiges, whites, and greys.

“You have one shot to impress and wow a buyer so make that first impression good... really good! It’s pretty tough to get clients through again after changes have been made. So do it right off the hop.... Less is always better.... I always say if you going to be moving, start packing!” — Tynelle Badinski, Coldwell Banker Signature, Melfort.

Good photos have never been more important!

I’m sorry! (Actually, I’m not…) But here i go again: When you take pictures of your home DE-CLUTTER EVEN FURTHER. Make your photos Pinterest-worthy. Remember what I said in the beginning; Detach emotionally! You are not trying to show off all your favorite things in your photos. You are show-casing a home ready for new owners, new memories to be made. Take out whatever you use on a regular basis and leave only the pretty little decorative things. When I was taking pictures of my house, I’d have a pile of junk behind me that I’d removed for the photo, that afterwards went back where they belonged.

“As a Realtor, I would highly recommend staging your home prior to putting it on the market. Staging improves not only in-person showings with buyers, but also your photos and videos, which are going to be shared online. Aesthetically pleasing photos are so important, as the majority of buyers shop online before ever booking a showing to view a home in person. Staging provides sellers with the opportunity to make a lasting impression and stay competitive with what else is being offered to the buying market.” — Eleah Sims, Realty Executives Gateway Realty, Melfort.

See what a big difference it made to move some jackets, more of the shoes, and the mat?

Okay! You have made it this far! Well done! Now, finally to some of the staging tips that will help you showcase the best features of your home. This part will be shorter points (maybe later on a post on its own), because not only has this been a really long post already and if you’re still reading you’re one of the serious sellers! But also because if you Marie Kondo clean your home, if you pack down half of your stuff, and if you got some really nice photos your home already looks better than most of your competition!

So here goes….

Family photos or not? There are conflicting ideas on family photos…. Leave them up versus taking them all down. I took down most of mine. I had a gallery wall in the living room, and because I didn’t want to fix all the holes and repaint in that room, I just put pretty paper or quotes in the frames instead and left them. Taking them all down left the room feeling empty and cold too, which is not what I wanted.

A little tip (from a small-town realtor friend of mine) to those of you who live in small communities, leaving your family photos up DOES steal the show at your showings…. People are now looking at your photos remembering how they know you…. That you went to school together, or how you married so and so, or worked for their uncle -They have now forgotten why they’re even there!!! You DON’T want THAT! You and your family might be the best looking family out there, but that’s not what you’re showing off right then…. You want your showing to be all about the home, not the people who currently live in the home.

Give each room a purpose. For example, we had a very small bedroom in our house, that was just empty. When we listed our house I borrowed some exercise equipment from a friend and set it up in there, just to show what it could be used for, rather than an empty room. Or if you have an awkward area that stands out as a weird empty space, make it into something useful. Set up a little desk and chair -and tada! Homework station! A comfy chair and some books on a shelf -and tada! Reading nook. -You get the idea.

Kitchens - Clean off your fridge! Honestly, I couldn’t believe what a difference it made for ME when I did. The kitchen is the hub of the home, a lot of things go on here, and therefore it’s also one of the hardest places to leave looking clean and uncluttered. If your fridge is full of kids artwork and reminders and fun saying etc. it adds to the cluttered “feel” even if the rest of your kitchen is cleaned up. Take everything off your fridge and now it actually adds a calm to the rest of the space. You can’t afford to turn people off when they are looking at YOUR home. If you have open shelves, leave only pretty things on your shelves. Add a couple of cook books. Again, only if they are pretty. Remember, you are competing for the attention of people who have higher standards thanks to Pinterest and Instagram. SO. Even though I am telling you to not clutter your space, some pretty things arranged nicely are allowed!

Clean off your counters! Yes, I’m talking about the coffee machine (unless it’s really pretty), the kettle, toaster, soda stream and other small appliances. For photos, stash them behind you when you’re shooting. For showings, have a laundry basket ready, put all those things in there, an take them with you before you leave the house.

Bathrooms - Please please close the lids! For both photos and showings. We all know what toilet water looks like -no one needs to be reminded. Just close the lid!

I kept a clean set of towels on hand that only came out when we had showings. I put the ones we actually used in my laundry basket with all my small appliances and hung out the nice new clean ones. I’m talking about BOTH hand and bath towels. Buy new ones. White ones. They give a feel of spa-like luxury. Make sure these are the towels that everyone will see on your photos too. It just doesn’t look great with a variety of green and brown towels hanging there telling the tale of a messy life. We all have those, we all use those, but it’s just not the ones you show-case online.

Make your home feel “homey” WITHOUT making it feel cluttered. Make your home appear lived in, but not dirty and used. Instead, clean, fresh, ready for others to live THEIR lives in it. When you de-clutter and pack away stuff, your house may seem less warm. But you’ll find that without all your stuff, there’s now room to add some fun touches of warmth that will speak to people’s emotions while they’re viewing your home. Some great ways to do this is with throws/pillows/baking/fresh flowers (I opted for fake)/nice smells. Just remember, don’t add clutter!

One thing I was planning to do -but ran out of steam to be honest- was having a few honest friends walk through my house as potential buyers and give feedback on what they found. I really wanted our house to show well, so this just seemed to make sense. I had 3 friends in mind that I knew would be honest and objective. Even though it might be a bit hurtful to hear the truth about a space you love, it’s better that it comes to you via friends BEFORE buyers walk away with those same negative feelings. Remember, when you emotionally detach it becomes easier to be objective, to hear suggestions on what’s not working, and receive the criticism from potential buyers.

Quick Recap: Detach emotionally, move out in two stages by packing up half your stuff, clean like a mad-man (or woman), take GREAT photos for your realtor to use, de-clutter even more for showings, and make sure you’re showing off only pretty things.

Seems like a lot of work to get your home ready to sell? It is! But these things really are all well worth your time, and it will help you keep your sanity while having it listed and show-ready.

How to pick the perfect paint color

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 15:14:42 GMT

By Julie Schmale

Have you ever picked what you thought to be the perfect paint color, only to cringe as you see it on the wall….. oh no! You look at the paint cans sitting un-opened on the floor…. Do you keep going hoping it’ll look better once the whole room is painted? Or do you make up your mind to love it because you’ve already paid for it? (and who really wants to admit to any other human being that they made a costly mistake?) Do you stop here and just take your losses -but then you’re right back where you started…. And the next choice might be no different?!!

Picking a paint color is just super hard from those tiny little swatches, it will almost never look exactly like the sample. Wouldn’t you just love to love the color you chose? And feel confident as you’re asking your hardware store to mix up 4 pails of it?! We all would. Too often, confidence is just not the most prevalent feeling we possess in that situation. But it can be….

There are so many beautiful colours out there. Picking the right one for your own home can be very challenging. Asking your friends (or your mom) is maybe sweet, but not very helpful. Their opinion just won’t make you love it. After all, you’re the one who has to live with the colour and decorate with it and love it…. So PLEASE, add that one extra step in your paint-picking-routine. You’ll be glad you did!

You’ll enjoy the confidence so much that you’ll want to paint another room!

If you want to get really intense, here is a blog about picking paint, taking into account whether the room is north- or south-facing AND which types of light bulbs you use! It all brings out different undertones in the paint color. VERY informative.

https://www.houselogic.com/remodel/painting-lighting/choosing-paint-colors-how-light-affects-color/

I did not get that intense myself in picking paint colors, but I did find it a very interesting read…

Get a color you’ll love ON your walls
-not just on the sample

I picked it and loved it!!!

It’s your home. Your space.

Most of my own house is Benjamin Moore “Classic Grey” and it goes with everything. It’s actually “greige” and is truly both warm and cool, without ever really being either…. And greige is a color I have always found hard to pick out. I don’t want my walls to look beige, yellow, or pink…. I also don’t really want the grey to come through too much, and definitely not any blue! (I’m extremely picky) Look at the photos below. That’s all the same color!

I DID take the extra step of painting a canvas. I DID look at it in different lighting and all that. And I DID feel confident when I bought the paint. And I DID LOVE IT on the walls!! It’s worth the extra step. It might seem silly because it’s so simple…. Still…. Worth it!

Wouldn’t you love to love it?!

How?? You ask…

We all put a lot of thought into decisions regarding the spaces we’re updating, renovating or building. We want to get it right -mistakes get costly in a hurry! But paint sometimes gets missed -maybe because there are so many options out there, and it’s tough to pick. -And to pick the RIGHT one, the FIRST time!

Here is the way to do it! It’s very simple. Just add ONE EXTRA step between taping the swatches to the wall and purchasing the paint.

Here it is…. Buy the $10 mini can that any paint dealer can mix for you….

Yep. It’s that simple… well…. There’s a bit more to it.

Go to the dollar store and purchase a small canvas. -You probably already know where this is going, and I can already hear those eyes rolling…. It’s just more time and more effort than you want to put in…. I get it. We just want to get it done! But honestly, it really is worth the feeling of “OH, I LOVE IT!” when you see it on your wall for the first time. Trust me.

Paint the canvas and let it dry. Then set it in the different rooms you’ll be painting. Make sure you move it around and look at it in different lighting, at different times of the day, and with your lights turned on and off. The following photos are all the same three canvas samples. Just look how different they seem in the different light.

What’s the BEST type of flooring?

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 19:11:01 GMT

By Julie Schmale

Well, that’s a tough question to answer because when it comes to flooring, there are a lot of things to consider; is this a flip? Reno? Forever home? What stage of life are you in? Do you have little kids? Dogs? Are you retiring? Does it need to be tough enough for a wheel chair? Is having a natural product important to you? Do you like that your home tells the tale of a life well lived? Are environmental factors a big deal to you?

he brands of hard surface flooring we carry at Liliidae are Kentwood, Abode, and Evoke. This post is written with these brands in mind.

Most often, people pick flooring based largely on colour and price tag. But a lot of factors actually play into the final decision -or drag out the decision to go with this one or that. They all have great qualities -but to say which one is “the best” is not that simple. Read on to find out why.

As you can tell, it’s hard to give a straight answer to people who come to us and ask “What type of flooring is the best?” They are all good. They all have pros and cons. It just depends on what matters to you and how you live your life… We did however put together a quick guide for you here at the end:

Installation of Abode Natural Oak by 5 Point Contracting

How well your flooring performs, also comes down to proper care. You should never wet mop your floors, water dripping off a wet mop, leaving water behind as you clean is a clear no-no. Using cleaning solutions with bleach will actually break down the surface of your floors, making them more prone to damage from things that otherwise wouldn’t have been a problem. (So will pet urine, FYI)

Lastly, do you care about the environment? If so, this might also play into deciding which floor to chose. Our Surge laminate floors are 95% biodegradable, whereas vinyl floors take millions of years to break down -not a great footprint to leave behind on the earth.

From #LHDevergreenlane

What’s the BEST type of flooring?

Laminate has had a huge come back with their new waterproof line “Surge”. This has a coated HDF core, a higher content of glues and polymers, and has been pressed so hard, that it’s nearly impossible for water to get into the core and swell. Swelling has been the biggest downfall of the old school laminate, but the price point was so good that it was kinda accepted that this wasn’t going to last forever.

The surface of laminate is tougher than other types of flooring when it comes to scratches from furniture, shoes and pets. That is still true for these newer improved laminates, and for install you still need the underlay, same as before.

Speaking of vinyl… this option is the new cool kid on the block -and for good reason; the water-proof feature has been a huge! You can now use consistent flooring on your main level and basement, and even in your entrance and bathrooms. When we were picking flooring for our new build, vinyl was new and very expensive, there were not many colours to chose from and they honestly looked so fake. Evokes “Unreal Flooring” looks very realistic and there are so many colours to chose from! Some are medium sized planks, some are wide plank. They have even come out with a few herringbone options that match the regular straight lay, which allows you to mix up how your flooring looks. Think old European apartments with an inlaid “area” in the floor almost like an area rug, but without the rug. If you follow us on Instagram and Facebook you know we loooooove herringbone and we really push for this option of mixing the two with some of our clients! It looks more custom and adds that craftmanship we all desire. They say it’s all in the details and we tend to agree.

Vinyl even though it’s waterproof, is not as scratch and dent resistant as the laminates. You can still scratch the surface moving furniture around -especially if you don’t use protective pads under the feet of your furniture. BUT you should ALWAYS protect your investment and add floor protectors under your furniture! If you don’t have any, come see us, we stock them.

If your children are the four-legged kind, you know that your furniture will eventually show wear and tear from their nails -it’s the same with vinyl floors. You’ll never wear through the surface but you can scratch the surface layer as you and your family live life in your home.

“It’s funny that we’re okay with spending lots of money on most materials we put in our homes, but when it comes to flooring, we opt for the cheapest deal we can find. Flooring is literally THE most hardworking interior finish and it goes in EVERY room of the home!” — Ritch Dejeet, Metropolitan Floors (paraphrased)

Cabin at the lake - Vinyl

You’re retiring - Hardwood Floors

You’re flipping a home - Laminate or vinyl in a lower price range

You need this to stand up to wheelchair use - Glue down vinyl (5mm)

You have small children - Laminate or vinyl

You run a daycare in your home - Glue down vinyl or vinyl

It’s for a rental house - Glue down vinyl (if the box say “loose-lay” DON’T. Glue it down)

Your home is high end - Hardwood

You love the earth and are conscious of the environment - Hardwood or laminate

I personally have laminate floors in my home, and I love them! One of the downfalls of my lighter laminate is, that if you drop something on the floor, the surface chips off and reveals the darker core underneath (When I say “you” I mostly mean my four children who now all use the kitchen, cutting their apples, emptying the dish washer, setting the table, and doing all those chores that give plenty of opportunity for sharp objects to be dropped). My floors are the older version and do swell when it gets wet. I seal the chips with a colour matched nail polish, but in the kitchen area it has for sure taken a beating! Laminate can also be a bit slippery -the vinyl floors on the other hand are not at all!

Evoke “Joe” from #LHDfunctionmeetsclassy

By We get asked this a lot! Should you go with hardwood, laminate, or vinyl? Schmale

Left: Evoke “ Troy ” // Right: Evoke “ Don ” and “ Donna ”

Showing wear and tear brings us to hardwood flooring. This is probably the biggest complaint people have when they come talk to us; their hardwood is scratched up so badly! It’s outdated and the shiny finish shows footmarks and all kinds of stuff, you have to clean it daily to keep it looking good. Yikes! Ain’t nobody got time for that!

The process of manufacturing hardwood floors improves all the time. Most of what you can purchase now is engineered, which means you have a thin top layer of wood attached to a base of fillets of cheaper wood or a crisscross plywood type. This makes the floor more stable in changes to humidity and temperature, and it’s also cheaper to manufacture. The way the surface is sealed also keeps improving, and we’ve gone completely away from shiny surfaces, not just in the flooring industry, but everywhere! We want natural looking products, and the hardwood samples we have in the showroom look exactly like that; natural and beautiful.

There is nothing like the feeling of hardwood under your feet. It feels softer and warmer somehow, but will show wear and tear over time. Some people hate this, while others see this as one of the features of hardwood; you can see that you have a family, that life goes on in your home, that you live with your beloved pet and you’re okay with these signs of life. Hardwood does require a bit more care, you have to keep your humidity level within a certain range (not a big deal considering it’s the same for human wellbeing). You’ll want different flooring in your bathrooms and entryway, and the price tag is higher. With hardwood though, you buy it once and with proper care, have it for life. Interestingly enough -as the price of plastic goes up, some of the vinyls have almost reached the same price range as a few of the hardwoods.

Often times I think it also depends on what we’ve lived with before. Did you hate your hardwood? You’ll likely want the new fancy vinyl option. You’ve had vinyl that separated in the seams and you’ll never buy vinyl again? Makes sense. Our rep always says “You get what you pay for” and that is very true. The cheaper deals we have all fallen for to save some money will not last as long or perform as well as a higher quality floor. It’s like garden peas versus store bought peas (or carrots!). They look the same, but they are not comparable at all!

Our quick guide:

From our Instagram Feed

liliidaehome

#LHDfunctionmeets classy

Gem Far Far Away - Phase 1

Homestead Off the Farm - Basement Living Room

How Liliidae came to be and how we picked our name

Our Story…

So stressful…..

So, what do we call ourselves?

Just DO IT!

Little Old New House - Part Two

For The Love of Wallpaper!

Intrigued?

Non-Pasted / Pre-Pasted / Peel and Stick

Good photos have never been more important!

A little history lesson

Wallpaper doesn’t have to be a permanent fixture

Grass Cloth

Homestead off the Farm - Teen Bedroom

Realty by the Creek

#LHDwarmindustrial

What to expect from a design consultation

The goal of a consult

Let’s re-cap…

So, you’ve booked a consult…. Now what?

Making a plan of action

3 tips from the designer

Little Old New House - Part One

Look at the Bright Side

How To Change Your Grout Color

How it works

Last but not least -a little inspiration

Why am I telling you this?

Before + After

Staging your home before selling

Have you ever searched “staging your house to sell” ?

Finally! To the fun part!

SO… the idea is…

Detach emotionally

Move out in two stages

Clean clean clean

Good photos have never been more important!

How to pick the perfect paint color

Get a color you’ll love ON your walls -not just on the sample

I picked it and loved it!!!

It’s your home. Your space.

Wouldn’t you love to love it?!

How?? You ask…

What’s the BEST type of flooring?

What’s the BEST type of flooring?

Our quick guide:

Get a color you’ll love ON your walls
-not just on the sample