The "We Built Our House and Hated It" Renovation
Here’s the reality of building a home: you’re asked to make thousands of decisions in a compressed timeline, often choosing between options that feel nearly indistinguishable. It’s overwhelming. And without clear direction or trust in the process, it’s easy to end up with a house that works—but never truly feels like yours.
If you don’t trust the design process, it’s hard to commit to decisions—especially the ones that actually make a home feel personal. So choices get watered down, risks are avoided, and what should have been a reflection of the homeowner becomes something much more generic.
Here’s photos of the before for context…
These clients had built their previous home, never fully loved it, and—by their own admission—hadn't completely trusted their first designer's advice. (We've all been there. Nodding politely while quietly picking the safe option.)
This time? They were ready. Ready to ditch the beige. Ready to take some risks. Ready to trust the process.
The Scope
Full gut renovation of the main floor (kitchen, living, dining, laundry, powder room) plus the upstairs primary bedroom, office, and a small bathroom. And because breathing matters, we made the entire home low-VOC—paints, finishes, adhesives, the works. Beautiful and healthy? Yes, you can have both.
The Details
Those floors! Herringbone hardwood throughout the main floor. Instant warmth, instant character, zero regrets.
The kitchen: White oak island with an arched detail and fluted panelling on the pantry wall. White perimeter cabinets keep it bright, brass hardware adds polish, and those sage velvet counter stools? The perfect amount of softness against all that clean geometry.
The fireplace: Fluted surround, simple mantel, and a moody landscape painting that ties together every colour in the room. Proof that one good piece of art can do a lot of heavy lifting.
The dining room: Let's talk about those chairs. Fuchsia velvet with painterly floral backs—every bit as bold as they sound and twice as beautiful in person. Clients choosing hot pink dining chairs? This is why I love my job!
The powder room: Floral wallpaper that reads sophisticated, not grandma. Custom fluted oak vanity, brass fixtures, substantial quartz counter. A tiny room doing maximum work.
The office: Dark, moody walls carried right onto the ceiling. Floating shelves, a walnut desk, and enough calm to actually get something done.
The Takeaway
These clients came in hesitant—worried they'd make the same safe choices and end up with another house they didn't love. They left with herringbone floors, fuchsia chairs, and a powder room that gets compliments every time someone washes their hands.
We aren’t cookie cutter. We don’t do the same design over and over. You need to trust us and the process and understand that we’ll get you to the finish line (and a BEAUTIFUL home) with a little bit of help from you and a lot of work from us.
And we’ll try to have fun along the way!