Home Tour: Curated, Contemporary

The morning light beams through the oversized windows and onto the clean white walls of this newly built home in Outer Cove. It may have taken homeowners Lindsey and Chad years to pick out a house plan, but they knew from the beginning that they wanted fresh white walls throughout and no standard “cookie cutter” finishes.

Pulling up to the home, you see a simple, colonial style white house with black trim, built by JD Myles Construction. From the outside this house seems classic; however, you are pleasantly surprised as you enter the home’s foyer, with its black-and-white patterned hexagon tile, which just happens to match their boston terrier, Cooper. You quickly realize there was thought put into every detail.

Lindsey and Chad wanted the home to have clean lines and a modern, yet inviting feel. White walls painted in Benjamin Moore’s decorator’s white are carried throughout, with accents of black everywhere your eye wanders: light fixtures, kitchen hardware, counter stools, décor and accents. The homeowners consciously selected everything in this home, giving it a definite sense of cohesion.

Past the hexagon-tiled foyer, you enter an open, flowing space through a dining area, living room, breakfast nook and kitchen. Your eye is immediately drawn to the propane fireplace surrounded by oversized 2’x2’ concrete-looking tile that reaches to the ceiling. With your eyes in awe of the warm, sunlit living space, they wander up the fireplace and are met by a glass railing surrounding the second floor mezzanine. As you take in the alluring fireplace and glass-railed second floor mezzanine, your feet are feeling nothing but comfort and warmth on the 100% wool rug.

The style of this home may be modern, but there are aspects of comfort and home everywhere you look and touch. From blush pink throws and cushions, to wood stumps and wicker baskets, there is texture throughout this modern white canvas. Speaking of texture, if you look hard enough you can see a green velvet sofa through the double-sided fireplace and it is screaming comfort.

On the opposite side of the main living room fireplace is a quaint and cozy sitting room with its lush sofa. This room is often used as a getaway from the openness of the remainder of the home. You close the French door and put your feet up on the soft, velvet chaise or the cowhide ottoman and escape from your day. If the green sofa doesn’t make you feel like you’re in a tropical oasis, the plants that fill the room certainly will. The homeowners felt plants were an important design element in this home, and they certainly benefit from all of the natural light that pours in. The fireplace has a warmer feel on this side of the wall, as it is surrounded by black painted shiplap which mimics the white shiplap in the dining room. Chad and Lindsey describe this room as their favourite space in the home and it’s easy to see why.

The tile throughout this house is definitely not what Lindsey would call “cookie cutter.” It is unique, original and makes this home stand out among others. “The pattern hex when you walk in the front foyer and the black 24-inch by 24-inch tile on the fireplace gives the house a dramatic look we were looking for. The colour scheme of tile in the master bath is stunning with a clean fresh look of white and indigo blue,” says Lindsey.

Before moving in to their new home, Lindsey and Chad spent a year collecting new items from local shops and online. When move-in day came, they were ready to bring it all together. It can be difficult to pull this off – they had many unanswered questions. Will we still like things we purchased a year ago? Will it all go together? Will we have a place for everything? But when they started unpacking and placing their curated goods throughout the new home, it came together just like a professionally designed space – even though neither Lindsey or Chad are professional designers. There may have been a clear vision of what this home would look like, but not everything was chosen with ease.

“Our black light fixtures, that took a really long time to decide on,” says Lindsey. “They are one of my favourite items in the house, particularly the Kichler lights above the island and in the great room and upper stairway.”

Despite the homeowners’ uncertainty, the pieces in this home complement each other to create the cohesive look they had hoped for.