A playroom reveal

There's a 3rd bedroom upstairs that my son and his friends utilize. It's the perfect little room at the end of the hallway for all his treasures, fit for a young Hawaiian, princess or even Santa.

The deep cranberry coloured jutted out feature wall beckons you in, providing an interesting hallway feature.

And what a perfect backdrop for this 3d replica vintage sign happily greeting you at the door!

Covered and see through storage bins keep the toys clean and organized...

... in this floor to ceiling storage system. The unit was left in it's natural pine state for added lightness to the room. Galvanized storage holds nintendo, dressup clothes and superheros. The unit itself diffuses the deep red feature wall, creating the perfect hit of colour and interest for an otherwise neutral colour scheme. All the storage bins wear felt stick on sliders to protect the genuine hardwood flooring.

On the wall opposite the storage area, a random mix of  unmatched pillows (including a couple authentic sandbag covers) flank a wall covered with an old authentic convenience store sign. The sign face really sets the whimsical tone in this room!

The wall beside the daybed holds a colourful mix of musical instruments, ready to toot or strum some happy tunes!

Every hook is different, adding to the eclectic fun.

What better way to display life's proudest moments by finding a couple feet of deep red wall just begging to get into the action!

A glazed empty frame adds just enough importance for this trophy.

Never underestimate the usefullness of a fancy curtain bracket for a mini shelf system.

A true playroom just wouldn't be complete without a special nook for whom you choose to morph into for the day!

Set out for the Christmas open house, even snacks were abundant for hungry musicians at play.

The twin sized daybed was a thrift store find in very rough condition. A little reno work  adding some board and batten treatment on one end and a simple coat of white paint for the base cleaned it up well. The incredibly deep drawers (entire width of bed!)  were coated with black for an interesting contrast.

While the signboard indeed sets the tone for the room, the collection of pillows and red wall actually came first!

Luckily, in the previous room where the sign lived, the faded orange letters were repainted in the same deep red wall tone, then glazed over with the taupe wall colour. A nice big denim pillow tones down the reds and anchors the room with just enough varying interest.

The end result is a casual and fun environment that makes most young visitors (and adults alike) drop to their knees in total delight!

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Paint colours - Cloverdale Paint, Canada

red - 43057

taupe - bamboo beach

Storage system and all bins - Ikea

Floors - Costco hardwood

Other decor items

- thrift store finds, sandbags from the hardware store, sign from local gas station boneyard, toys ranging from baby to current so all little visitors have something to play with. :)

A front entry gets a new look

Do you have an overstuffed closet with coats falling off the hangers on occasion? We sure do! Our solution was to create a quick hook area by the front door to house the everyday kind of coat wear, leaving the closet coats tucked away nice and neat.

Step 1: Find something to brace the hooks on. Check!

Step 2: A long bench was desired for under the coats. Not a problem!

3. How about a dresser for gloves and hats? Perfect!

4. How about a custom designed and cut new tile floor? Ohhh why not.

5. Artwork! Custom fabricated lettered samples done in different textures, encased with old barn window frames.

6. Hmm... may as well paint everything in sight. You know how one thing leads to another.

Before...

After.

The result was a light and airy entry, with loads of easy coat and shoe storage! But we aren't quite done...

Okay. Now we're done. :)

A kitchen morph

Welcome to my kitchen! A newly well designed, beautiful and functional place to linger.

This is how the kitchen looked when I first moved in. The cupboards were well past their prime. The function of the kitchen was zero with the counter jutting out. One small window and a door was the only natural source of light. So this girl got to work dreaming.

I bought some time by painting everything in sight right away, including countertops! The cupboards were a deep mocha with black drybrushed highlights. Countertops I painted every season for a fresh new look. Much improved, however did nothing to the disfunctional floorplan. I still had my dream at least.


Most older homes have one of these. Love how they boxed the kitchens in back in the day. I was so anxious for more visual room that I had a hole cut out of the wall. Once I found out this wasn't a load bearing wall, I knew I could have my dream plan one day.

Reno day was finally approaching 4 years later, so I allowed my son and his friend to draw all over the old lino floors right before they were ripped out. FUN!

When the wall came tumbling down, it was one of my best days ever. The new expanse of space and light had me loving the before already!

Three windows were installed and the door was removed, where a french door was put in the dining room area instead. The beginnings of the hardwood floors started here too. Note the angle of the flooring in the kitchen area to flow with the angled island position.

Cupboards and new appliances arrive. Another very good day. This stove had one element left working.

And this is what you see today. The entire upstairs is now open floor plan. It's roomy, bright and very functional!

A funky metal top becomes the island topper. I had it designed so we could sit at both sides of it. LOVE it! Metal toppers are workhorses for active families. And they look cool too. :)

A bank of three windows replace the one that use to be.  You can see the entire backyard now.

LOVE the sink with the two different sized tubs. And the purchase of a quality tap set has paid for it self many times over.

All new Bosch appliances. I love them not only for their quality, but also because they're a play of both stainless and black, not just one or the other.

I chose alder cabinets for their timeless appearance as well as how they picked up the stain. Lots of rustic detail shines through.

The cupboard hardware is very rustic, that wears a worn metal appearance which ties in with the island top. The countertop is laminate, however has fooled many, thinking it was granite.

The dining room when I moved in...

... although not yet complete, went to this. We soon realized we never ate there, so it went to...

... finally this. No longer requiring the dining room table to eat from, the space was better used as a kitchen office. And because all the furniture remained the same, the space can still be a functional eating area when desired. An eclectic mix of chairs warms up the space.

A kitchen is one of the most valuable rooms to invest in. Never never stop dreaming.