Room to be Together

HOME and Cabin

Removing walls and installing happiness, a renovation story

Story by Tobias Romaniuk and Holly Costello Photos by Candace Kennedy

There was a time, not so long ago, when homes were built with separate rooms for separate uses. Then open concept floor plans came along and disrupted all that, with the main floor of a house being mostly one large room. No longer would a family cook in one room, eat in another, then relax in yet another. Removing walls allowed for more social interaction – you could chat with the person on the couch while you puttered about in the kitchen – and has been credited with bringing families closer together.

With homes tending to last for several decades, of course these compartmentalized main floor layouts are still common, especially in more established neighbourhoods. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone likes them. Take, for instance, the owners of this Corner Brook home, who have lived here since 2007. Prior to the renovation, it was an average-sized split-level house with separate kitchen, dining and living rooms, plus hallways connecting the rooms and the main floor bedrooms. All those walls and hallways meant a lot of wasted space. There had to be a better way.

The homeowners, having made the decision to renovate rather than move into an open concept home, called in designer Holly Costello relatively early in the process. “Which was great,” says Holly, “because it gave us lots of time to plan the design out properly and look at all the options, so we didn’t have to rush anything.”

After two years of planning, owners Todd and Marlo Doman had a good idea, conceptually, of what they wanted. Marlo says their main objective was to get more of an open feel to the space.

The home now has an open concept living area with clearly delineated spaces for cooking, dining and lounging. By removing the walls, Holly gave the homeowners a layout that worked well for both entertaining and having some quality family time, while also giving the homeowners a new kitchen with all the storage they needed and a functional layout that works well for this family of four.

The entryway of this split level home also got an upgrade, with patterned floor tile and walls wrapped in white shiplap. To create a sense of continuity, the tile pattern is repeated in the kitchen’s coffee nook.

A custom made, solid wood, farmhouse style dining table anchors the dining space, while also providing separation between the kitchen and living areas. By using a custom made table, Holly found a dining solution that felt proportional to the space, while also fitting in with the home’s new look and feel without being overbearing.

Speaking of the kitchen, it was completely gutted, redesigned and rebuilt, and the focus on functionality makes for an enjoyable cooking experience. With Shaker-style cabinetry and subway tile backsplash, it’s also a pleasure to look at. Having the kitchen open to the dining and living areas also makes it better for entertaining, “which is what we wanted,” says Marlo, “to be able to view our children from the kitchen area and to be able to converse with friends no matter where they were upstairs.”

The kitchen has become the family’s new favourite feature of the home, with the butcher block top to the island being especially loved. For Marlo, an avid coffee drinker, the coffee nook is also a favourite. But the best part of the new kitchen layout is the ability for the family to now all be in the kitchen at the same time without tripping over each other.

“Because it extends into our dining room and living room,” says Marlo, “I love that we can all be together doing what we want as a family, and still feel connected but not crowded.”

You can find more HOME and Cabin features in every issue of Downhome magazine!

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