This past year I had the opportunity to work with the Darling family on their whole home renovation. It was a dream come true to work on this charming and sprawling home located in the countryside near Ottawa, Ontario. Renuka Darling first reached out to me in August 2023 as her planned kitchen renovation was just getting underway. She wanted my advice on how to decorate the entire main floor of her home. The work included floor plans and furniture layout, flooring choices, paint colours, window treatments, rugs, furniture, storage, and decor accessories. We even designed and constructed a built-in hall closet together. In this post, I’m sharing this bright and welcoming whole home renovation.
*This post may contain affiliate links.
Collaborators
My decor services were just one part of this beautiful transformation. Several other collaborators worked to make this renovation a success. The contractor for the project was Singhko; they removed the wall between the kitchen and the dining room, switched the location of the powder room and hall closet, removed the closet in the office, made a wider opening from the hall to the kitchen, installed lighting and conducted electrical work, removed the old tiles, installed the new tiles and hardwood and stained the hardwood floors.
The kitchen renovation was completed by Deslaurier. Marc Drolet & Associates Inc. (D&A Property Management) completed the entertainment centre and the mantel. And, of course, Renuka and her family made final decisions on everything I suggested. Renuka and I co-built the front hall closet and did all the shopping together. Renuka lime-washed the fireplace wall and coordinated all the work with the tradespeople.
Furniture and decor items were purchased at IKEA, Blinds to Go, Wayfair, the Brick, Homesense, Lowes/Rona, Structube, Ruggable, Urban Barn, Branch Furniture, Poster Store, C&M Textiles, Benjamin Moore Paints, and Primetime Paint and Paper.
Photo- Homeowner Renuka Darling in her beautiful new kitchen
Before Photos
The front entrance was a bit dark before the renovation and the hallway was closed off from the kitchen, limiting light flow throughout the main floor.
The kitchen had dated oak cabinetry and was closed off from the dining room before the renovation.
This photo was taken just after the kitchen demolition.
The kitchen eating area needed an update.
The dining room was in need of updated lighting, window treatments, and furniture. It was mostly closed off to the kitchen and felt small and cramped.
The family room was a cozy and functional space that just needed a little brightening up, new furniture and window treatments, and accessories to add style and character.
The living room/music room was a lovely room that I knew would benefit from optimal furniture placement and a few new accessories.
The front closet and bathroom area were quite closed off and not at all functional for a busy family of five.
The home office needed redecorating to brighten the space and make it more functional for Renuka and her husband Phil. The wall colour was overpowering, the window treatments were dated, and the furniture wasn’t cohesive or overly functional.
Bright and Welcoming Whole Home Renovation and After Photos
Paint Colours
The walls in the hallways, kitchen, dining room, and family room were painted Benjamin Moore Cloud Cover with trim in Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace. The powder room was painted with Benjamin Moore Par Four. Finally, the home office was painted with Benjamin Moore Soft Chinchilla.
Front Hall
Renuka chose new lighter tiles for her front hall and powder room. They really brighten the space. Hardwood was installed in some areas where the old tile extended into the kitchen and the hardwood throughout the main floor was stained a dark walnut colour. We chose new furniture and accessories to lend the space a natural and airy feel.
Kitchen
The new kitchen is the heart of the home and is full of beautiful and functional features like this built-in wine rack. The cream cabinets contrast subtly with the grey marble countertops and backsplash. I designed and made the custom window treatment with a pretty floral fabric.
We chose gold-toned lighting, cabinet hardware, and faucets for the kitchen.
The island cabinets were painted in a soft shade of blueish-grey to contrast with the cream cabinetry. We selected a row of bar stools for the island- one for each family member! The legs are stained a similar tone as the floor and the light-coloured slipcovers can be removed and washed.
I helped Renuka choose this pretty floor runner from Ruggable to tie together all the tones in the kitchen and dining area.
For the kitchen eating area, Renuka repurposed a family heirloom for the dining table. We chose new chairs with patterned upholstery and replaced the lighting with a fixture that coordinates with the kitchen and dining room fixtures. The hardwood flooring now extends all the way from the dining room through the kitchen and eating area to the family room. This creates a seamless look. We choose a darker, more neutral wood tone to update the previously orange-toned flooring.
Dining Room
The dining room is now a charming space with a neutral backdrop and window shades. The new dining table and chairs coordinate with the side console table and the pretty new rug in light earth tones lightens up the expanse of dark flooring and grounds the dining table. The modern light fixture and trio of floral prints add beauty and character to the space. Renuka’s large plant found a new home in this bright corner and adds a touch of vitality to the room. The new planter adds a fresh and modern touch.
The kitchen is now completely open to the dining room which makes both spaces seem larger and brighter.
French doors lead from the dining room to the living room/music room. French doors are always classic and elevating. The side console is narrow enough to allow for a larger dining table but still has ample storage space for serving dishes and extra dinnerware.
Family Room
The biggest change to this space is the ledge stone wall and wall colour. Previously, it was a dark brown wall that made the space very dark. Limewashing it in a creamy white colour (Avoria White by Romabio) brightens the space and allows the new salvaged wood mantle to stand out. The walls and new drapes are in light tones, further brightening the room. The new artwork and vases on the fireplace mantle create a lovely focal point for the family to enjoy.
I designed a media wall for the Darling family with board and batten, a ready-made TV console from Wayfair, gold light fixtures, and room for a large-screen TV. Simple accessories make the space feel welcoming and interesting, and new baskets throughout warm things up.
You can see here how well the new flooring matches the old flooring as both were expertly stained the same rich brown colour. The beautiful new rug is neutral with a subtle pattern.
I helped Renuka choose all new furniture for the family room, including a new charcoal grey sofa, two leaf-patterned chairs, the media unit, and the two-tiered coffee table. New pillows and blankets make the space even more cozy.
Music Room
We chose to keep all the original furniture, the rug, and the paint colour in the music room. The furniture was rearranged to optimize the space and a new painting was added above the sofa. A few new accessories were added to freshen up the room. Finally, a new light fixture adds a fun touch and modernizes the space.
Front Hall Closet
The bathroom and closet locations were switched to open up the front hallway to the kitchen and family room at the rear of the house. I designed this closet using IKEA Pax components to fit this space and optimize storage. Renuka and I installed the closet, fastening components to the wall and adding trim pieces to give it a built-in look for a fraction of the cost.
The interior of the closet has lots of storage options for coats, footwear, and other commonly used items. For more storage ideas, I have a few other posts that might interest you:
Home Office Desk IKEA Unit Hack
A Quick and Easy Linen Closet Refresh
Baking Cupboard Organization Tips
The Best Home Organization Tips
Powder Room
The powder room is small but very lovely in shades of white and soft green. A pocket door gives the small hallway and bathroom more room to manoeuvre.
Gold lighting, hardware, and accessories were chosen to add elegance to the powder room.
Board and batten was applied to the lower portion of the walls to add character and classic charm. The vanity is pretty and offers plenty of storage for powder room essentials.
Home Office
The home office underwent some significant changes. Do you remember how orange it was before? It’s now a soothing and serene office space with plenty of functional storage as well as cozy touches. The walls were painted a soft shade of blue and wallpaper was applied to one wall to create a feature wall. A large carpet was added to cozy up the space and create a light, neutral palette. A cozy chair and accessories were added to allow for comfort and rest.
Two new IKEA Hemnes desks were purchased and artwork from Poster Store is a pretty finishing touch.
The closet was removed to open up the space and allow for more office-appropriate storage. This storage unit from IKEA blends in with the space and offers a variety of storage solutions.
Summary
I hope you enjoyed reading about this bright and welcoming whole home renovation. It was such a pleasure to work with Renuka and her family on this project. I’m happy that the Darling family now has a beautiful and functional home to enjoy with friends and extended family. What room is your favourite in this renovation? Please contact me if you are interested in my decor services. I offer virtual and in-person (Ottawa area) decor consultations.
Leave a Reply