Fire had ravaged this West End Side Split home, yet the homeowners saw its potential through the devastation. They decided to purchase the home as-is and started to renovate it room by room. As the kitchen is the heart of the home, they started there and worked their way through the main floor. Her desire was for this to be her dream kitchen, so a lot of time was spent working out the best layout, best finishes, and an end result that she would be happy with for many years to come. Drawers have customized inserts, cabinets extend to the ceiling–this kitchen has all the storage needed for this family of five; there are even places to display her various blue and white collections.
Many people struggle with the layout of the L-shaped living room/dining room in these side split homes, but with some creative planning we were able to maximize the flow of these areas. We decided to remove the wall from the kitchen to the dining space and created a peninsula, making the kitchen area much more open for entertaining & socializing. We chose to create a feature wall in the kitchen and tiled the area behind the stove in a more prominent marble mosaic, while the facing wall we chose a quiet oversized subway tile that blended into the wall color. For the flooring, Tile was laid in the kitchen on the diagonal to give the room a feeling of spaciousness, and laminate flooring was installed throughout the dining and living rooms all the way to the bedrooms for continuity.
The homeowners also had a large collection of books, so we gave them a place of pride in the living room and positioned the shelving to create a niche for the custom sofa. The previous homeowners had left some furniture behind (yes it survived!) and the coffee and side tables were part of this lot. They were given a fresh coat of paint and work perfectly with the classic design of the space. The two side chairs were also given a makeover with fresh re-upholstery and a black coat of paint. She wanted a quiet, calm feeling in the living room, but added a bit more color in the dining room by painting out the vintage chairs in her favorite color. This project is still a work in progress and a labour of love for this family; but with each step they accomplish, these homeowners enjoy their West End Side Split home more and more.
To read in more detail the transformation of this Side Split Home, check out our blog post on this project!
Photography by Vanessa Jeakins