The No-Reno Redesign

The

no-reno

redesign

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACKLYN BARBER

Here’s how Shannon Balm of East Design House helped Jacqueline Daubney and Neil Said expand their house into a dream home – one step at a time.

The House Shannon Balm of East Design House has become part of Jacqueline Daubney and Neil Said’s family by this point. After Mark Richards managed the purchase of their Kingswood Road home five years ago, Balm has helped Daubney and Said get the most out of their house during every life stage – from first child to third.

The Dream Daubney and Said were living in a condo when they found a dream home they could grow with. Pregnant with their first child, they saw the Kingswood Road house as a designer’s dream with stunning bones to work with. Balm approached the redesign in phases to avoid disrupting family life in the home – and give Daubney and Said the flexibility to feel out what they needed as their family grew and needs evolved.

Balm optimized the budget by building a room-by-room design plan and a forward-thinking approach to give spaces and furniture added longevity. Any transitional spaces (for instance, a nursery into a child’s room) were carefully considered.

Phase One The first phase of Balm’s redesign focused on the main floor, primary bedroom, nursery, and guest bedroom.

The main floor was a literal blank canvas with its white, modern kitchen. To add finesse and make it more family-friendly, Balm focused on details like an eat-in kitchen and oversized dining room table. Durable fabrics, wipeable surfaces, and soft corners were incorporated.

In the original nursery for Taylor, Daubney’s step-dad constructed a window bench set. Balm had a custom bench cushion created by Rob at Scarboro Interiors & Custom Upholstery to accent the seat.

After five years of thoughtful planning, Daubney and Said are ready for whatever the future holds.

Phase Two During the second phase of the project, Balm focused on a new bedroom for Taylor so young Riley could move into the nursery. Balm also transformed the basement into a fun and colourful play space to help keep a busy Taylor entertained.

Splurge

Custom drapery and window coverings, produced by Cocoon Interiors in Fergus, Ontario, provided an “over-the-top beautiful” backdrop in the home.

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The wear-and-tear on area rugs makes them the ideal item to save on. (from Wayfair)

Splurge

Core pieces like the sofas, bed frames, and dining table ensure that the space is indestructible for a young family. (from Restoration Hardware and Elte)

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Sourcing one-of-a-kind pieces from Etsy can bring some life into a neutral space. To see more work by East Design House visit EastDesignHouse.com

Phase Three For this most recent redesign phase, Balm has turned the guest bedroom into a new nursery, created a second child’s bedroom for Riley, and given the two girls a shared bathroom.

Balm admits she went over-the-top with the girls’ rooms so each space can evolve as the girls grow into teens.

Riley is now in the original nursery, which means that two uses have emerged from the original space. Both girls’ bedrooms are located at the end of the hallway, so Balm wanted to pull-in similarities but still give each room its own identity to reflect each girl’s personality.

Balm has created a retreat centred on a double-sided fireplace for their busy parents that looks through to the bathroom. Balm worked more with textures versus colour, and this neutral palette keeps the space feeling calm and serene. Mix and matched furniture looks cohesive, but not like they were bought in a set, which gives the family flexibility to integrate high- and low-cost items.

Phase Four and Beyond After five years of thoughtful planning, Daubney and Said are ready for whatever the future holds. Balm’s strategic approach means that simple switches of rugging, bedding and wallpaper will be all that’s required to transform each space as trends shift and the family grows.