Floor Plans For Our New Home

Hello friends! Today I’m going to share some of the details of the new house we are building in beautiful Thornbury, Ontario. I feel so lucky to have found a developer that is experienced at building custom homes with high-quality finishes. They also have a wonderful and talented in house designer who is an incredible resource for those who need some guidance during the selection process. You can find out more about my builder at Calibrex.ca

Some of the features that I’m excited about from a design standpoint include 9’ ceilings, hardwood floors, large baseboard and trim, interior door styles and black exterior windows.

The houses on our new street range from 1650 to over 3000 square feet so these homes can suit a wide range of buyers from large families to retirees. There are aspects of each model that I swoon over but we purchased the Redwing Model because I fell in love with the larger mudroom and walk-in pantry. The idea of having that extra little pantry room to store appliances, snacks and beverages away from the main open space means the minimalist in me can have more of the clean, empty counters that keep me feeling calm and organized. As well, we have always wanted a larger mud/laundry room in our house and I am so happy that this one has an area for extra storage and bench seating. We are definitely getting to that age where we need to sit down to put on our shoes at times. Also, for us, it makes sense that we have an office space near the front entry as we both work from home often so this Redwing model was a clear choice. Here is the layout of the main floor.

Another feature that appeals to us about this model is the focus on main floor living. As this will be our future retirement home, we will have everything we need on the main floor and we can setup the upper level and the basement primarily for guest space. Below is the second floor layout which sits above the front area of the house. The upper level is open to below which allows for a vaulted ceiling above the living area below.

Although we’re not sure if or when we’ll finish our basement, I’ve already designed a future floor plan so I could choose the placement of windows. I designed it this way to allow for a small hallway which joins the bedrooms and bathroom and avoids having a view of a long wall with multiple doors when you enter the basement. As well, I worked really hard to place the walls where they would hide as many support posts as possible. I couldn’t avoid the single post beside the sofa so I may build it into something but overall, I’m happy that I was able to hide all other support posts in the basement.

Copyright Jennifer Costello Interiors. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without permission.

So, these are the structural plans for our new house and I can’t wait to move on to the interior selections and finishes. In my next post I’ll share some of my inspiration for the overall design. We’ve just recently sold our family home so it’s starting to feel very real!

Why I Used a Staging Professional When Selling my Home

If you’re following my blog you’ll know that we recently put our family home up for sale. When we decided to do this my first thought was “I need a stager”. Through my design studies I have come to appreciate that there are unique nuances to the different niche areas of design and staging is one of them. Stagers have the trained ability to walk through your home room by room and quickly provide a concrete list of items that need to be updated in order to present your home in the best possible light. Think about this, a stager is working on getting a new home ready for sale multiple times per week so they are acutely aware of what sells homes.

Once you arrange to meet with your stager for a consultation, you and the stager will walk through your house room by room and discuss the changes that need to be made. Try not to be nervous or offended by what the staging professional thinks you need to change. Remember they are just looking at your house from a potential buyers perspective. If you’ve lived in your home for a long time chances are high that you are not fully aware of what a young family wants to live in. The amount of feedback may seem overwhelming to capture in the moment but your staging professional will typically provide a full report very quickly following your consultation. I received mine within 24 hours and on a weekend!

Things you will typically need to do to sell your home:

• clear out all clutter - go through your house room by room and sort items for garbage or donation. Get rid of anything that you don’t love. I know this is difficult for many people but it happens to be my favourite part. I love to declutter and organize!

• paint - nothing makes a house feel brighter and cleaner than fresh paint. If your walls and trim are looking dull or dirty they need to be painted. Do you know that I re-paint the trim in my house on an annual basis? Yep, I just go around each room and slap on a new coat of bright white paint because I love how clean it looks when it’s done.

• de-personalize - the staging professional will likely have told you what to remove to de-personalize your home. These are things like family photos, grooming supplies, toys, exercise equipment, etc. You want people to be able to envision themselves living there, and not feeling like it’s your home.

Once you have completed the steps above you may choose to have the staging company bring in furniture, art and accessories to showcase your house in it’s very best form. This is typically all done in a single day. Don’t worry if the rental pieces are not your style, they are only temporary. More often than not people are amazed at how good their house looks.

And finally, this is a really good time to reflect on what you want for your next home. If you want to settle in and love your new house for years to come, consider hiring a designer or decorator to help you plan your new space and purchase furnishings that will embody your style and personality.

I Won an Award!

I’m so incredibly proud of winning a bronze award at the recent DDA Awards gala in the “Bathrooms under 30k” category. Watch the video for the full project description.

My Favourite Design Trends for 2018

As a designer, I love the beginning of a new year when everyone is predicting design trends for the upcoming months. I usually like to cozy up with a pile of my favourite magazines, devour  the content and then hop onto my computer to see what my favourite designers are predicting as well.

As I browse the magazines, websites and social media, I’m usually looking for a few things:

• validation that my own instincts are correct
• anything that might spark a new idea or inspire me in a new way
• to determine which trends I think can be integrated into longer term design plans for clients in my area. I like to find ways to incorporate things that are current but will also endure over time and not date too quickly.

This year I found a lot of sources in agreement on what the trends for 2018 are. I'm very happy with the way things are headed as these trends still fulfill my need for minimalism and clean and contemporary spaces.

White Walls

The white wall trend is a favourite of mine and even though we’re hearing and seeing that some colour is being thrown into the mix, I believe that colour is best used in accent pieces and smaller, more defined areas. I’m not opposed to an entire room in a luscious dark shade, but I still prefer the largest areas of the home (hallways, kitchens, open spaces etc.) to be a variation of white or a subtle grey or cream. It might not seem the most practical (especially with children and pets) but paint has become more durable over the years and is the one thing that can easily be touched up every once in a while to make a space look crisp, clean and new again.

Image Source: Amber Interiors  Photo Credit: Tessa Neustadt

Natural Elements used in White Kitchens

We are now seeing more natural elements being paired with white spaces and these include light wood floors, walnut tones, grass cloth, greenery and natural stone and concrete. There is some speculation that the white kitchen is on it’s way out (as it’s been so popular for a while now) but I think a white kitchen is a classic that will remain a good investment in the years to come. What we are now seeing emerge includes the introduction of natural elements so that kitchens are not as monochromatic as in previous years. Using accent colours on the cabinetry for select areas such as pantries and islands along with incorporating more natural woods (like the walnut pictured below) create a more interesting and personalized aesthetic. These changes can add dimension, depth and personality to the timeless white kitchen. 

Image Source: Orsi Panos Interiors  Photo credit: Janis Nicolay

Large Art Pieces

This is one of my favourite trends that I’ve never even considered to be a trend! I’ve always loved the use of a stunning large piece of art to instantly add colour, drama and impact to a room. I also think it's one of the best jumping off points for determining a colour scheme for a room and/or adjacent rooms. The mixture of interesting colours often conveyed in these large art pieces can be used in fabrics, rugs, drapery and other accents to tie the decor together. In my opinion, a solid investment in a piece that you love will never go out style. 

Image Source: Interior Marketing Group

Bold Colours and Wallpapers

I know this may seem to contradict the “White Wall” trend mentioned above, but I see this trend of bold colour and wallpaper best used in contained spaces such as powder rooms, home offices and libraries - rooms that are adjacent to larger, more open areas that exist in a contemporary home. Using a bold approach in a specific room is a great way to provide a more intimate feel in a select area of your home. It also adds interest and dimension and most importantly, allows you an area to have a little fun with while decorating your home. 

Image Source: Studio McGee

Lastly, here are some tips for incorporating trends into your space:

• Trends come and go so I try to incorporate trends in inexpensive ways that help to refresh a space and keep it feeling fresh and current.
• Have fun with trends on a smaller scale. As mentioned above, try a bold wallpaper or paint colour in a small powder room, etc.
• Know your style! I can't stress enough how important it is to know your style and stick to it when shopping for your home. If you're not sure what your style is, see my previous post on defining your style. 

And finally, don’t forget to do what you love. Trends come and go but the true measure of longevity is being true to yourself and your taste so you can enjoy the design for years to come.

How do you feel about my favourite trends for the year? Feel free to tell me some of yours in the comments below. 

Defining Your Style

As I began to study interior design I quickly realized I needed to define my very own style. This wasn’t the easiest thing for me because I tend to fall in love with beautiful things on a daily basis. In fact it took a few months to figure it out but I finally realized that the things I see in design stores, on instagram and in magazines might be items I like, or even love, but they aren’t always items I can live with for a long time. For myself, this comes down to a feeling, or a mood as they like to call it in design school. At the end of the day, I need my own home to feel very calm, serene and harmonious. In the past I would often go out and buy a bunch of new items to decorate a room, only to edit and remove about half of them six months later.  Furthermore, I realized that for me, that editing process feels WONDERFUL. I just love getting rid of stuff. I dislike clutter and think everything looks a lot cleaner without it. Not to mention it just feels better - calm and relaxing. 

So, after all of my research and soul searching, I came up with these words to describe my own personal design and decorating style – clean, minimalist, calm, elegant, timeless. This is especially true for the bones of any project I complete. Let’s face it, renovations are expensive in Canada so the practical side of me agrees it’s best to design a beautiful, timeless, neutral base that can be decorated with paint, fabric and accessories to remain current in over many years. 

Here’s an example of a kitchen that has not yet been decorated but that truly embodies my style. 

Source: Studio McGee

Below are links to a couple quizzes that can help you define your style. Pinterest is also a great tool to use to gather photos that you like and over time, as you scroll through your boards you will begin to see common elements of your own preferences.

Apartment Therapy What's Your Home Decor Personality?

Lonny.com MyStyle Finder Quiz

Houzz Decorating Style Quiz

If you need help defining your style or implementing it in your home a professional designer can help to ensure a result that will stand the test of time and that you will love for many years to come.  Let me know your style in the comments below.