Continuing the house tour from my last post, here is the rear of the home on the main floor, including the kitchen that I fell in love with. 

Through the cut-out from the dining room a beautiful piece of glass becomes a shelf. Carol wants to find a very tall glass vase to display here but in the meantime she uses it to display a vase she brought back from a trip to Sweden. 

A cool, modern piece of art leads you into the kitchen. This is by Maryann Camps depicting Rideau Street at night. 

AH! This kitchen is like a breath of fresh air. Modern, simple and perfect. Maybe it’s because I am super frustrated with my tiny, dysfunctional kitchen but I wanted to give this space a big hug and never leave. Details, details, details! Just on the right of the photo above you’ll see a Kartell step-ladder. Made of polycarbonnate, it was chosed to just blend into the wall. It is so fabulous though I personally would have bought it in orange/red and made it a feature, and now I want one badly. 

Carol explained that the original handles picked out for the kitchen faded too much into the cabinets so these square ceramic ones were a more suitable choice. I sadly didn’t get a close-up shot but they were really pretty and looked hand-made as they weren’t smooth. The cabinets have a Mondrian style to them so eventually Carol wants to switch out some of the doors for ones with colour. I think that will look amazing. And holy smokes, check out that glass panel!!!

This backsplash panel by Delfina is absolutely breathtaking. There is enough storage in this kitchen that using up the space for this glass panel was an easy decision and it is a really special detail that I can vouch was totally worth it. 

All of the appliances in this kitchen are white to blend in with the cabinetry. Very smart decision. I am also really irritated that I didn’t know my Fisher & Paykel fridge comes in white. It looks amazing here. (I will never buy another stainless steel fridge). 

This coffee area used to be a fireplace that was not to code so unfortunately it had to be removed but I can’t think of a better way to use the space. I’ve always wanted a dedicated coffee/tea area but my kitchens never have enough space. I am soooo jealous!

A white cooktop that blends in with the white cabinetry and quartz countertop. I adore the bright orange accents.

The cabinet maker constructed this spice drawer for Carol since she uses a lot of spices in her cooking, and it is located right below her cooktop. 

Another piece of art by Maryann Camps. This one is Wellington Street at night. 

A white oven!!! I love that it’s hidden on the side of the island out of the way. 

Even the dog mat is adorable. 

There is a powder room located by the kitchen. Again, details! Look how pretty this doorknob is!!

This was one of my favourite details in this home. I am constantly searching out decent door mats and can never find anything durable and cute. Carol had these mats made and there’s one at each door with glass detail added by Delfina. This one is at the back door with a dog in glass that actually looks like their dog (see below). 

The screened in sunroom wasn’t “staged” but I loved it so I snapped a photo anyway. I would hang out here all summer. 

The backyard was a work in progress so I didn’t shoot much of it but I can’t wait to see the progress when I tour it Sunday. Thanks so much Carol for the tour!

The other day I shared one of the homes in this year’s Glebe House Tour and I have one more to feature before the tour is held this Sunday. WOOT!!! Ottawans, you’ve got to get yourself some tickets and come out to this event. It is SOOOO much fun. This neighbourhood is filled with so many incredibly beautiful homes that people have lovingly restored or renovated and it is a wonderful opportunity to get to see the creativity and blood/sweat/tears these homeowners have put into their homes. Out of all of the personal tours I have done over the years, this one might be my favourite. Why? Because when Carol showed my husband and I around her home, I was totally blown away at the attention to detail and the pride she showed in her home. I’ll share some of those details with you and you’ll understand. 🙂 (Stay tuned for part 2 of this home where I share the rear of the house including the kitchen I was dying over). 

This house is 120 years old. Carol and her husband (and their adorable dog) have lived here for 25 years. Having worked in property management for many years, the idea of renovating was nauseating until Carol (now a personal trainer) sold her business and got up courage and energy to tackle updating the house. The renovation began last year and the entire first floor was gutted. They got rid of ALL of furniture they had and purchased all new pieces – many of which were custom made for their space. 

There are lots of little details throughout that I really love that add a little something special. Like this strip of terrazzo at the front entrance. And Carol explained that the contractor accidentally ripped out a piece of wall that was supposed to block the side of this cabinet, so to avoid an unsightly and boring view of that while walking down the stairs (see next photo) the cabinet maker created this wood detail which includes a built-in bench to sit and put on shoes. Brilliant! And it is stunning. Also, I love the glass detail in the door and window above. I don’t have many sources for the items in this home (I can add them after the tour) but I do know that all of the gorgeous glass details throughout this house are by Delfina Falcão. I’m told I REALLY need to go check out her studio. 

The homeowners have the most amazing collection of art from local artists. I had a hard time with lighting during this shoot so the art above didn’t turn out as fabulous as it is in real life but this grouping was really stunning. Such a bright addition to the space. And they knew this would become a space to display art so they had potlights installed above to highlight it. 

The photo above highlights another cool detail in this home. Check out the ceiling. Molding was added to create a strip across the entire space and then painted in Farrow & Ball’s Cabbage White, a pale blue, to mimic the sky. A very subtle and beautiful touch. 

This cabinet was custom built with etching on the side that is absolutely stunning. Love that there are lights inside to highlight the contents. 

I LOVE this stool!!

This is one of the first photos I took. The baseboards are TO DIE FOR, and all original. When the main floor was gutted, the contractor removed all of the baseboards, numbered them, fixed them up and put them all back afterwards. GORG. 

We entered the home through the side entrance mudroom (with laundry room behind that sliding door above). What I would do to have a mudroom! The fabulous wall storage is from Solutions. I adore the tile they chose for the floor. 

Lots of really fun liught fixtures in this home. 

Of course I had to capture this glass cat. 🙂

On the third floor Carol has a workout room where she does her training. This great space would make me want to work out!

I am smitten over these kitchen, lounge and bathroom spaces also by Sims Dilditch and had to share.

Roger + Chris renovated a 160 year old Italianate Victorian home in Sharon Springs, NY and now call it the Grey House. This might just be one of the best renovations I have ever seen! The exterior is blowing my mind. I love a dark painted house. So dramatic! Also loving that they documented all of the projects on their site with before photos too so I included some so you get the full effect of the work that went into this transformation.

Another fabulous project by Australian designer Claire Stevens, but much more subtle and neutral. When past clients contacted us with the news that they were relocating and down sizing from their family home in Toowoomba (the Toowoomba Residence) to an apartment in Kangaroo Point we were thrilled. Being on the ground floor with only Northeast facing windows and doors, a light colour scheme of white, grey and blue was employed to keep the apartment feeling fresh and bright. The kitchen and living areas were reconfigured to flow more seamlessly onto the external patio and garden, while bespoke cabinetry was installed to maximise storage. The result is an elegant apartment surrounded by lush gardens (a tribute to the client’s green thumb) that imbues a sense of relaxed comfort. Photos: Mindi Cooke