Before & After Design Reveal: The One with All the Kids
First, cheers to a new year — clink!
We have big plans for sharing with you this year, and I want to start by taking you on a tour of a design reveal LBI completed at the end of 2018. Trust me, it’s too good to get left in the past.
Our clients are a large family with about fifty kids. (Okay, not fifty, but close…) They’ve called us in to do various renovations, furnishing, styling, and more over the last… wait for it… 9 years.
This time around, the family was ready to update the main floor and focus on the kitchen.
First Up, Pre-Project Goals
I love talking about problems first, because problem-solving is LBI’s jam.
First, the kitchen was… dysfunctional. (I’m a big believer that you shape your home and your home shapes you. So if you have a dysfunctional space on your hands, be wary.)
Despite great, natural lighting, our clients’ kitchen also appeared dark, dingy, and uninviting. In other words — a designer’s dream come true!
Our clients gave us free rein to design, furnish, and transform the main floor (kitchen, living room, dining nook, and study) into a colourful and contemporary living space that would be fun and relaxing for their family.
Our Goals:
• improve function in the kitchen with multiple cooking areas
• increase and improve storage all around
• update the worn-out hardwood flooring throughout
• optimise resale value for potential move after graduation of kid #50
•create a fun & contemporary space for this family to relax and LIVE in
Here’s how the project turned out…
Our palette inspiration for the space (source)
Design Reveal: Cozy Contemporary Living Room in Calgary
Let’s get all those lovable rascals seated!
Our clients loved this cool neutral palette and the pops of bright, contemporary colour. I love how the artwork adds some fun movement to the room!
A stylishly eclectic mix of art. The piece over the fireplace is actually a TV!
Complementary colours + mixed patterns = interest.
Another pop or two of colour.
Now, let’s head to…
Design Reveal: Crisp, Spacious & Two-Toned Kitchen
…the new kitchen!
Brazilian Arabescato Quartzite counters. Crisp white cabinets and rich, stained maple island. Dramatic oversized lighting. Intriguing penny tile backsplash in moonstone.
This kitchen’s got it going on.
Never underestimate the power of an oversized pendant and a colourful fruit basket, nutritionally or design-wise.
I didn’t want to distract you from the design before, but would you just look at all that storage space?! Check, check, and check. ✓
A close-up of these fun penny tiles and an inviting, new workspace.
Love these stylish but unobtrusive chairs (always need more seating!) and this built-in microwave drawer. Which brings us to…
Design Reveal: A Welcoming Brunch Nook
A bright and welcoming space for more kiddos (or weary adults) to relax and pour a glass.
Would you look at all that natural light? These gorgeous windows are the stuff of my daydreams.
A beautiful mix of organic materials and orange-blue complementary tones.
Okay, how mesmerizing are these bowls?
Here you can see all three previous spaces at a glance — kitchen, nook, living room. Notice how rugs, oversized lighting, and design diversity keep this open concept space feeling separate but social!
Design Reveal: Subtly Suave Home Office
Okay, now let’s walk past the quiet beauty of these stairs…
And arrive at…
The home office!
We added this large bookcase and styled the shelves with sophisticated touches of gold — but this bookcase isn’t all for show…
Part of a home office is having everything you need right at hand, but binders and boxes aren’t the most attractive items to have on display. Blending dark office materials with dark wood shelving is the secret to keeping those items subtly under wraps. Then, draw attention to more beautiful items with colour, like these golden vases.
This console table adds some more beauty and afterhours light to the room.
Our clients love their new space, and I admit we were a little reluctant to leave when the project finished – it’s always hard not to get attached.
But at the end of the day, we’re happiest knowing our clients are living their best lives in these spaces, and we’re ready to move on to the next!
So, we’d love to hear… what dysfunctional room would you love a designer’s eye on in your home?
XxLeAnne
Psst! You can find more of our projects here.