Glebe House Tour 2017 - House #2 part 1

The other day I shared one of the homes in this year's Glebe House Tour and I have one more to feature before the tour is held this Sunday. WOOT!!! Ottawans, you've got to get yourself some tickets and come out to this event. It is SOOOO much fun. This neighbourhood is filled with so many incredibly beautiful homes that people have lovingly restored or renovated and it is a wonderful opportunity to get to see the creativity and blood/sweat/tears these homeowners have put into their homes. Out of all of the personal tours I have done over the years, this one might be my favourite. Why? Because when Carol showed my husband and I around her home, I was totally blown away at the attention to detail and the pride she showed in her home. I'll share some of those details with you and you'll understand. :) (Stay tuned for part 2 of this home where I share the rear of the house including the kitchen I was dying over). 

This house is 120 years old. Carol and her husband (and their adorable dog) have lived here for 25 years. Having worked in property management for many years, the idea of renovating was nauseating until Carol (now a personal trainer) sold her business and got up courage and energy to tackle updating the house. The renovation began last year and the entire first floor was gutted. They got rid of ALL of furniture they had and purchased all new pieces - many of which were custom made for their space. 

There are lots of little details throughout that I really love that add a little something special. Like this strip of terrazzo at the front entrance. And Carol explained that the contractor accidentally ripped out a piece of wall that was supposed to block the side of this cabinet, so to avoid an unsightly and boring view of that while walking down the stairs (see next photo) the cabinet maker created this wood detail which includes a built-in bench to sit and put on shoes. Brilliant! And it is stunning. Also, I love the glass detail in the door and window above. I don't have many sources for the items in this home (I can add them after the tour) but I do know that all of the gorgeous glass details throughout this house are by Delfina Falcão. I'm told I REALLY need to go check out her studio. 

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Glebe House Tour 2017 - House #1

I had the pleasure of touring a home on Sunday in the Ottawa neighbourhood of the Glebe that will be part of this year's Glebe House Tour. The tour is September 17th and I look forward to this event every year. Getting to wander through people's homes that they have lovingly restored/remodeled/redecorated in this incredible neighbourhood is soooo much fun! And I get the added bonus of a couple of personal tours each year. This home is the first of 2 I will be featuring on the blog. This one is extra special because it just so happens that my husband and I visited this home 2 years ago just before the current owners bought it. This home was built in 1912 and the current owners are only the second to have owned it. When we first saw the home 2 years ago it was virtually untouched from its original state and was quite a frightening grouping of small, cramped rooms. The current owners basically gutted the entire 4300 sq ft home, including the doctor's office addition at the rear, in a 13 month renovation. There is now a 3rd floor apartment accessed through the right side of the house, and the main floor and basement of the addition at the rear is now a functioning Airbnb (I was unable to tour it as there were people renting it). The owners acted as general contractors and designers during the renovations. The transformation of this home is incredible, it is soooo spacious and I love that it is now open-concept on the main floor. Also love that they managed to reuse some of the old doors. 

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Modern and white by Angela Robinson

What a beautiful house this is!!! Modern and minimalist in architectural details, and so open and bright. Loving the drama the dark blue velvet sofa adds to the front sitting room and the pink club chair to the TV room. Fabulous style by Vancouver-based Angela Robinson. 

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A 100 year old renovated farmhouse

I wanted to share another delicious project by the super talented folks of Vancouver design firm PlaidFox Studio. Bet you'll want to move to a farmhouse by the time you get to the end of this post! This 100-year-old farmhouse underwent a complete head-to-toe renovation. Teaming up with Home Star BC we painstakingly modernized the crumbling farmhouse while maintaining its original west coast charm. The only new addition to the home was the kitchen eating area, with its swinging dutch door, patterned cement tile and antique brass lighting fixture. The wood-clad walls throughout the home were made using the walls of the dilapidated barn on the property. Incorporating a classic equestrian aesthetic within each room while still keeping the spaces bright and livable was one of the projects many challenges. The Master bath - formerly a storage room - is the most modern of the home's spaces. Herringbone white-washed floors are partnered with elements such as brick, marble, limestone and reclaimed timber to create a truly eclectic, sun-filled oasis. Overall, the project proves that bolder, more colourful strokes allow a home to possess what so many others lack: a personality!!

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Working on a Saturday

It's my weekly mantra. If you have to drag yourself into work on a Saturday then it helps if your workspace is stylish. The Aviary, a coworking space for architects and designers in Vancouver designed by Laura Melling.

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