Houzz Tours
House Tours
Houzz Tour: A Beige New Build is Transformed into a Fun Party House
This Toronto home goes from limp to lively with lots of colour, cool furniture and textures to suit a family's personality
This five-year-old home in Toronto was in pretty boring shape when its owners hired interior designer Shirley Meisels. ‘Although relatively new, it was pretty basic in terms of finishes… and it was decorated in boring beige,’ she says. The home lacked cornicing, light fixtures and character in general.
‘The clients wanted a family-friendly home that was as vibrant as they are; a happy place that both functioned well for their busy lifestyles and felt warm and inviting. They wanted character and colour with great attention to detail,’ Meisels says. The family also frequently hosts out-of-town guests and loves to entertain. ‘This is definitely the party house - every holiday and every long weekend this house is overflowing with people!’ she says.
Houzz at a Glance
Who Lives Here Duke, Cathy and their two children
Location Toronto, Canada
Size 4 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms and a granny flat
‘The clients wanted a family-friendly home that was as vibrant as they are; a happy place that both functioned well for their busy lifestyles and felt warm and inviting. They wanted character and colour with great attention to detail,’ Meisels says. The family also frequently hosts out-of-town guests and loves to entertain. ‘This is definitely the party house - every holiday and every long weekend this house is overflowing with people!’ she says.
Houzz at a Glance
Who Lives Here Duke, Cathy and their two children
Location Toronto, Canada
Size 4 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms and a granny flat
In this family room, built-in units help keep the television from dominating the scheme and add symmetry. They also hide unsightly elements. ‘Built-in units can be a great way to hide partition walls, wiring and plugs and all sorts of necessary but unattractive structural elements,’ Meisels says. ‘The unit on the left hides a plumbing pipe while the unit on the right is a functioning cabinet.’
The room strikes the perfect balance between masculine and feminine. ‘Whenever I create a room I tend to start from big to small,’ Meisels says. ‘I’m practical, so the larger furnishings/investment pieces that I buy are almost always super-clean and neutral. The “no frills” nature of these items tend to feel more masculine.’
As for the feminine? ‘I like to have more fun with pattern and color with smaller furnishings, like the lime green ottomans and bold armchairs. Here’s where the whimsical element comes into play and the more feminine touches,’ she says.
Chairs: Mitchell Gold
Theatre sofa: Design Within Reach
The room strikes the perfect balance between masculine and feminine. ‘Whenever I create a room I tend to start from big to small,’ Meisels says. ‘I’m practical, so the larger furnishings/investment pieces that I buy are almost always super-clean and neutral. The “no frills” nature of these items tend to feel more masculine.’
As for the feminine? ‘I like to have more fun with pattern and color with smaller furnishings, like the lime green ottomans and bold armchairs. Here’s where the whimsical element comes into play and the more feminine touches,’ she says.
Chairs: Mitchell Gold
Theatre sofa: Design Within Reach
The dining room has a clean and contemporary feel to it, while the cornicing and wall panelling Meisels designed lend a traditional feel. ‘This room was a blank canvas with bare walls and really no room for a sideboard,’ she says. ‘I decided to add panels to the walls to add interest and warm the space up. The cornicing also helped to make otherwise unattractive wall partitions look like an architectural feature.’
Chairs and sconces: Barbara Barry
Drapery fabric: Riad from Kravet
Chairs and sconces: Barbara Barry
Drapery fabric: Riad from Kravet
The family is very busy and the kitchen is the hub of the household. ‘We wanted the kitchen to be functional with as much storage as possible without feeling overwhelming,’ Meisels says. ‘We were looking for light and airy, and running the cabinets right up to the ceiling utilised every inch of storage while also creating the illusion of height. The glass cabinets are primarily for decorative display and break up the heaviness of all of the cabinetry. The reflection of glass adds a bit of sparkle as well.’
As for the splashback: Why herringbone? ‘Everyone loves the herringbone!’ Meisels says. ‘There seemed to be so much going on in this kitchen with the huge marble island and marble table (by the breakfast bar), so I was reluctant to use stone for the splashback as well. A kitchen like this demanded a luxurious finish, so I used a simple tile but with a sophisticated and interesting pattern.’
As for the splashback: Why herringbone? ‘Everyone loves the herringbone!’ Meisels says. ‘There seemed to be so much going on in this kitchen with the huge marble island and marble table (by the breakfast bar), so I was reluctant to use stone for the splashback as well. A kitchen like this demanded a luxurious finish, so I used a simple tile but with a sophisticated and interesting pattern.’
In this image you can see how the display cabinets punctuate the room with light.
Tip: When deciding on an island size, tape it off on the floor and experiment. ‘A great deal of time was spent debating the size and function of this island,’ Meisels says. ‘We taped off the floor several times, taking great care in measuring the distance from all of the appliances, walls, etcetera. I had the homeowner walk from imaginary fridge to stove to sink just to make sure the island wouldn’t feel too overwhelming for her.’
The marble-topped island turned out just right. It has plenty of storage for rubbish bins, recycling, food containers and cookbooks. It also contains a sink, dishwasher and microwave. Out of season crockery is stored on the stool side.
Pendants: Robert Abbey
Marble: Statuario
Stools: Custom-made with Sunbrella fabric from Robert Allen
Tip: When deciding on an island size, tape it off on the floor and experiment. ‘A great deal of time was spent debating the size and function of this island,’ Meisels says. ‘We taped off the floor several times, taking great care in measuring the distance from all of the appliances, walls, etcetera. I had the homeowner walk from imaginary fridge to stove to sink just to make sure the island wouldn’t feel too overwhelming for her.’
The marble-topped island turned out just right. It has plenty of storage for rubbish bins, recycling, food containers and cookbooks. It also contains a sink, dishwasher and microwave. Out of season crockery is stored on the stool side.
Pendants: Robert Abbey
Marble: Statuario
Stools: Custom-made with Sunbrella fabric from Robert Allen
This breakfast nook is at the end of the kitchen and opens up to a decking area overlooking the beautifully landscaped garden. ‘The room is square, so it made most sense to use a round table both for proportion and flow to the outdoors,’ Meisels says.
Tip: When decorating walls, think beyond framed artwork or photos. ‘Walls can be tricky to decorate in an interesting way. The default is always to use art or family photos… but I find that so dull and flat when used over and over again in every room,’ Meisels says. As an alternative, she creates a rhythm throughout a home using skirting board, wallpaper, cornicing and other sculptural elements. ‘Because the room was a kitchen, I chose plates to add a touch of casual fun and colour and also to echo the round shape of the table,’ Meisels says.
How to create a plate composition: ‘I had such a good time pulling the plate collection together!’ she says. I simply went to a china shop, picked a bunch of my favourites, laid them all out on the floor and started to mix and match. Anything that stood out as being too odd I eliminated while being mindful not to chose them all from the same designer. There is a common thread between all of the plates and platters, either through colour or pattern. I also used a variety of sizes and shapes to keep the collection interesting.’
Table: Saarinen Tulip Table by Knoll
Chandelier: Robert Abby
Bowl: Crate and Barrel
Tip: When decorating walls, think beyond framed artwork or photos. ‘Walls can be tricky to decorate in an interesting way. The default is always to use art or family photos… but I find that so dull and flat when used over and over again in every room,’ Meisels says. As an alternative, she creates a rhythm throughout a home using skirting board, wallpaper, cornicing and other sculptural elements. ‘Because the room was a kitchen, I chose plates to add a touch of casual fun and colour and also to echo the round shape of the table,’ Meisels says.
How to create a plate composition: ‘I had such a good time pulling the plate collection together!’ she says. I simply went to a china shop, picked a bunch of my favourites, laid them all out on the floor and started to mix and match. Anything that stood out as being too odd I eliminated while being mindful not to chose them all from the same designer. There is a common thread between all of the plates and platters, either through colour or pattern. I also used a variety of sizes and shapes to keep the collection interesting.’
Table: Saarinen Tulip Table by Knoll
Chandelier: Robert Abby
Bowl: Crate and Barrel
Usually, we assume furniture is planned around a baby grand piano, but in this case, the homeowners decided they wanted to add one after all of the furniture had been purchased. ‘Luckily I tend not to overfill a space with furniture so we had enough room to play and shift things around,’ Meisels says. ‘The only thing that was replaced was the original coffee table, which was larger and bulkier. I went with a glass coffee table instead to give the room some breathing space.’
Drapery fabric: Riad by Kravet
Sofa: Celia by Mitchell Gold
Wool and silk rug: The Rug Company
Drapery fabric: Riad by Kravet
Sofa: Celia by Mitchell Gold
Wool and silk rug: The Rug Company
The master bedroom is serene and beautiful. ‘Master bedrooms are for rest and relaxation, so I chose fabrics, colours and textures to embody this,’ Meisels says. ‘Shades of greys and silvery taupes are both sophisticated and soothing.’
Tip: Random colour and texture matches make things more interesting. ‘I am not into finding an exact match; as long as the colors and textures are in the right ballpark I’ll throw them together,’ Meisels says. ‘My grey woods are close, but are not the same, the curtains are a similar shade to the grasscloth wallpaper, the zebra print is charcoal, the bed frame is more of a blue/grey and so on. This layering of shades and textures that are close but not perfect for me adds warmth and interest.’
Bed frame: Micheal Weiss
Nightstands: Bolier
Tip: Random colour and texture matches make things more interesting. ‘I am not into finding an exact match; as long as the colors and textures are in the right ballpark I’ll throw them together,’ Meisels says. ‘My grey woods are close, but are not the same, the curtains are a similar shade to the grasscloth wallpaper, the zebra print is charcoal, the bed frame is more of a blue/grey and so on. This layering of shades and textures that are close but not perfect for me adds warmth and interest.’
Bed frame: Micheal Weiss
Nightstands: Bolier
The colour palette from the master bedroom continues into the en-suite bathroom. ‘I wanted both rooms to feel unified so I carried the soft silver grey palette right through to the en suite,’ Meisels says.
An unexpected mix of materials adds light to this relatively small en-suite bathroom, reflecting the natural light from two windows opposite the sink unit. ‘I wanted to make up for what this room lacked in size with exceptional finishes. Thus the choice to tile the entire sink unit wall with Vero glass mosaic. These add texture, sparkle and really emphasises the sink unit creating a wonderful focal wall.’ The tiles also pick up the dark grey pattern of the limestone used on the floor and shower walls.
A sink unit with legs also adds openness to the room. ‘I love sink units that feel like furniture; they feel so much more elegant, especially in en suite bathrooms,’n she says.
Get tips on decorating with coffee tones
An unexpected mix of materials adds light to this relatively small en-suite bathroom, reflecting the natural light from two windows opposite the sink unit. ‘I wanted to make up for what this room lacked in size with exceptional finishes. Thus the choice to tile the entire sink unit wall with Vero glass mosaic. These add texture, sparkle and really emphasises the sink unit creating a wonderful focal wall.’ The tiles also pick up the dark grey pattern of the limestone used on the floor and shower walls.
A sink unit with legs also adds openness to the room. ‘I love sink units that feel like furniture; they feel so much more elegant, especially in en suite bathrooms,’n she says.
Get tips on decorating with coffee tones
Tip: Mix grown-up pieces into a child’s bedroom. This bedroom was designed for the couple’s 3-year-old son. ‘I am not a fan of “themed” rooms for children. Having one myself, I know how quickly their interests can change,’ Meisels says. ‘Rather, I like to integrate very adult elements into the design of a child’s room, like the upholstered custom-made bed, with fun patterns, colours and shapes. We chose robot wallpaper, but stopped short of a robot rug and robot bedlinen. I think the mix of a little of this and a little of that ultimately will last longer as the child grows.’
Desk: Vintage
Bedding: IKEA and West Elm (throw and cushions are custom)
Rug: Madeline Weinrib
Nightstands: Crate and Barrel
Desk: Vintage
Bedding: IKEA and West Elm (throw and cushions are custom)
Rug: Madeline Weinrib
Nightstands: Crate and Barrel
Tip: Involve young children in design decisions. Meisels designed this room for the couple’s 5-year-old daughter. ‘I do like to involve children in the design of their rooms; they love having a voice in the decision making. Of course I’m a design control freak so I’d never ask “what do you want for your room?” Instead, I present three choices that both the parent and myself have already decided on – it’s a negotiation where all parties involved walk away happy!’
Bed: Custom
Nightstands and bench: Crate and Barrel
Wallpaper: Sanssouci from Designers Guild
Bed: Custom
Nightstands and bench: Crate and Barrel
Wallpaper: Sanssouci from Designers Guild
Remember that last-minute baby grand piano in the living room? This dressing table was originally purchased for the living room but lost its intended spot to the piano. ‘Dare I say it? I sprayed a Barbara Barry dressing table bubble gum pink!’ Meisels says. ‘I put a glass topper on it to protect the surface and one day it will make a great desk for homework.’
This kind of versatility and problem-solving are what make a designer great.
Which room is your favourite? Let us know in the Comments below.
This kind of versatility and problem-solving are what make a designer great.
Which room is your favourite? Let us know in the Comments below.
Check out more bold wallpaper patterns