LABRECHE STREET PROJECT

We’ve said this before and we’ll say it again, a client who trusts the design process yields the best results. Sometimes it takes a few interactions to build that trust and sometimes it’s immediate but as soon as the client allows us to take the lead on the project, we all feel the beginnings of something great!

The family from our Labreche St. Project proved our theory once again. They were not only a pleasure to work with but their design aesthetic jived with ours and when we suggested anything that they were unsure about, they always decided to trust our judgment and take the plunge. From a designer’s standpoint, it’s a great feeling because we know we have the opportunity to make our vision come to life, but it’s definitely a lot more responsibility and pressure for us because we know we are ultimately entirely responsible for the outcome. An outcome that both our team and our clients were thrilled about!The project started with some small renovation work. We changed the entrance and kitchen tile, re stained the floors and staircase, ran some new electrical, painted and changed some hardware. During that time, we were busy drafting furniture plans, sourcing decor, planning, and placing orders for furniture.

We layered neutrals and natural textures in the family room, something we love doing! By bringing in wood, leather, concrete, and straw in the baskets, we were able to add depth to an otherwise neutral space. The rug is the only element of colour in the room and what pulls all of the neutrals together.

The existing fireplace was covered with this beautiful Compac Unique Calacatta slab that we repeated on the countertop of the bar that we added in the dining room. If you follow us on Instagram, you know what this fireplace looked like before renos and it was sad. We now made it a focal point of this open concept, while keeping it light, airy and luxurious.

The kitchen was updated with a huge impact. I may decide to post some before and after photos of this one in a separate blog post despite the fact that I thoroughly dislike before shots. This one may actually be worth showing. We didn’t change the big ticket items like the cabinetry or the countertop. Instead, we changed the floors from a beige dated tile to a beautiful dark slate. Changing the floor tile is what made the countertop work perfectly since they both have green undertones. We also changed the backsplash for a simple subway tile and the cabinet hardware and lighting to bring in a modern matte black. Pouf! An entirely new kitchen for a fraction of the price!

We toned down the colour in the family room to make up for a huge punch of colour in the dining room. We knew we wanted to add a built-in bar from the very start but since we weren’t changing the cabinetry in the kitchen, this meant having to think outside the box. Instead of trying to match the kitchen and most likely miss, we opted to make it look like an entirely freestanding piece separate from the kitchen cabinetry. The only feature tying the two together are the cabinet pulls. The material we used for the custom bar was a painted MDF in Benjamin Moore CC-752 Miramichi, with oak shelves stained to match the flooring.

The floating white oak shelves above the bar gave us a fun challenge during our Staging Day! This was the one hiccup we experienced with this project. When the shelves were installed, the client thought that they were too high and therefore too close to the wall sconces. We understood their concerns and went back and forth on whether or not we should have them lowered. We decided to wait until our Staging Day to see if we can pull it together and that we did! Once the accessories were placed that gave the shelves purpose, our clients were able to see our vision and we collectively decided to keep the shelves as is. We then added the wallpaper which added depth that’s not too imposing.

The last room we completed as part of this project was the front living room. A room used to entertain, take phone calls, and to provide something beautiful to look at when you first walk in. Since the living room sets the tone for the rest of the home, the same colour palette used in the family room and dining room was carried through. Keeping it cohesive with natural tones, camel leather, mixed in with some brass, marble, matte black and jewel tone velvet. The rug in this room was back ordered and was the last piece we received before our shoot. We can’t even express how much of a difference the rug made in the overall feel of the home, let alone the room.

Photography by Drew Hadley.

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