
Pre-visualization. Paint: Ben Moore, Toucan Black.
Stone steps + balanced landscaping.
COTTAGE BOTOX
Fab Location. Steps to village, a butcher, baker, candlestick maker, had I hit country cottage gold?
But a closer look (and sniff) revealed dry-rot, mushroom-y odours & Titanic sloppy floors. The structural issues alone screamed ‘walk away’. So I did.
A year later destiny pulled me back. Again for sale, the sellers ‘quick flip reno’s tried to say updated. It wasn’t. But I saw opportunity. This 1950’s cutie was getting a facelift. A botox reboot, a mega nip tuck, I was glam-pussing this golden oldie into 2025.
OLD MAID
Circa 1950’s
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Original 50's Kitchen. Sticky backed paper and doors rule.
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Kitchen (Facing West). Bad art. Smelly mushroom-y cabs. Way too much sticky backed wallpaper.
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Gutted!
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Steep cramp-y staircase.
More sticky wallpaper. -
Brown-purple painted treads (Ughh)
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So many doors & cupboards to nowhere.
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Basement Access (gahh.. more doors)
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Dining room, old doors, stuffy closet!
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Basement (unfinished)
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Nippy Space. Noisy Furnace.
Willy Nilly Wire City!
PRESENT
Glam Puss Gal
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Kraus Sink & Faucet.
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I always wanted to design a Mid Century vibe-y kitchen with crisp seemless lines. The minimal upper cabs helped achieve the look, while the ‘heaving lifting’ & stretching reduced with oodles of soft close, handle-less drawers + spacious pull out storage cabinetry.
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Quartz Countertops by Caesarstone Montreal.
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Amazing storage and pantry.
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Swing Arm Faucet by Kraus.
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Push Open Pantry Storage.
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Bespoke shelving created from barn wood over 100yrs old. Stained to match kitchen cabinets & drawers.
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Shhhhh. Such perfectly soft close drawers.
No handles = no dusting! -
The no hardware trend for kitchen cabinets & drawers
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Whirlpool Appliances.
(Wifi connected + air frier included) -
Deep drawers provide spacious, easy access storage.
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Door between kitchen & dining room opened up ‘floor to ceiling’ for additional light & spaciousness.
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Access to basement (repositioned)
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Repositioned basement entrance.
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Dining Area. Walls fully re-plastered.
Paint c/o Benjamin Moore. Oxford White. -
Table by Structube.
Pottery from Puerta Vallarta -
Sitting Room in glorious morning sun
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Plants & Sun.
Spring is on its way! -
Sven Sofa by Article.
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Rae Armchair in ‘Rusted Velvet’.
It feels so plush & I love the pop of colour. -
Floor tiles by La Tuilerie. Plomb noir.
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Its a steep staircase, so I installed a cast iron handrail (c/o Amazon) to prevent a trip causing a trip to hospital. The treads were a ‘sweat equity’ nightmare to stripe, sand & revarnish!
Let’s just say my arms got more toned. -
Staircase restored. New door upstairs. The original stairwell had awful sticky back ‘flowery’ wallpaper all over the walls. After striping it off (which took forever) the holes were repaired, walls re-plastered and repainted.
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A cute kitchen Island perfectly sized to prepare meals or gossip. Includes integrated garbage, food waste and recycling.
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Backsplash Tiles by La Tuilerie, Montreal.
I hunted for just the right tile for months.( Drove my contractor Peter nuts!) -
Splash splash. Chop chop. Scoop & Bin!
ARCTIC BASEMENT

Below decks, it was cold. Concrete slab, gale moaning, rotten window cold. Wires dangled. The bulky furnace grumbled. But in the 1,000sft blank canvas beaconed. I saw tons of living better potential.
New To Do List
Insulation (ceiling/floor/walls)
Windows & Comfy Floors
Build proper staircase
2nd bathroom (full)
Media/Den/combo 4th bed.
Laundry room area.
Furnace + utility room.
Lots of storage options.
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4th BR/TV Den/Office
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Terrazzo Flooring
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Testing Textures for bespoke vanity.
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Furnace Room + Den
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Furnace Room + Storage
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Bathroom Tiles c/o La Tuillerie
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Niche