My Houzz: Warm Wood and Sleek Finishes in an Open-plan Home
Traditional gets a modern twist in this renovated Canadian home, with plenty of clean lines and sleek finishes
Sometimes a dream home starts with a blank page. But for Michael and Susan Drover, their blank page simply led them to find a nearby house that they would transform into a modern, open-plan space. The couple ditched their new-build plans, sold a plot of land they had bought and refocused their attention on renovating a 1990s interior to meet the needs of their active family of five.
The home is on a large, landscaped plot of land in the centre of Newfoundland and Labrador. While it was traditional in style, it had lots of potential. As an interior designer, Susan looked past the walls, cabinets, flooring and cornicing and imagined the space just the way she wanted it for her family. The couple loves open-plan spaces, clean lines and lots of natural light, so the walls were the first thing that came down.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Michael and Susan Drover and their daughters, Olivia, Sarah and Sophie
Location Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Size 5 bedrooms, 4-5 bathrooms
The home is on a large, landscaped plot of land in the centre of Newfoundland and Labrador. While it was traditional in style, it had lots of potential. As an interior designer, Susan looked past the walls, cabinets, flooring and cornicing and imagined the space just the way she wanted it for her family. The couple loves open-plan spaces, clean lines and lots of natural light, so the walls were the first thing that came down.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Michael and Susan Drover and their daughters, Olivia, Sarah and Sophie
Location Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Size 5 bedrooms, 4-5 bathrooms
Warm walnut wood greets you as soon as you enter the home. The Drovers designed this customised staircase, sourcing the materials themselves. The stainless steel handrail came from Seattle, and the railings from a local steel maker. The walnut-clad steps were made by local company Classic Woodwork.
The renovated ground floor is now open-plan, with a central kitchen sandwiched by two living rooms. During the renovation, dealing with heating and ventilation pipes that ran through the walls proved to be Susan and Michael’s greatest design challenge. In trying to remove walls, they needed to be strategic with the walls they left up. They ended up hiding some pipes in the basement bulkheads.
A long kitchen island made of the same walnut as the steps on the staircase offers optimal worktop space around a gas cooker. The cooker features a retractable extraction fan that tucks down into the cupboard below.
The couple covered their integrated fride-freezer and for added visual consistency. The kitchen also features a build-in Miele coffee machine, which the couple can’t live without.
The couple covered their integrated fride-freezer and for added visual consistency. The kitchen also features a build-in Miele coffee machine, which the couple can’t live without.
The cupboards are a combination of customised walnut wood doors made by local shop Classic Woodwork and interior drawer features from Ikea.
Light shades: Lung, SAM Design
Light shades: Lung, SAM Design
This kitchen sits at the back of the home and overlooks a beautifully landscaped garden and view of the lake.
‘Our house felt like our home when we had finished installing the kitchen,’ Susan says. ‘Although there was still lots of work to be done, with the walls knocked out and the cupboards in we could really get a sense of how the space would work.’
Coffee maker: Miele; cooker: gas, Viking
‘Our house felt like our home when we had finished installing the kitchen,’ Susan says. ‘Although there was still lots of work to be done, with the walls knocked out and the cupboards in we could really get a sense of how the space would work.’
Coffee maker: Miele; cooker: gas, Viking
A wall of cupboards covers a section of the dining room wall. The doors pull out and are fitted with rollout shelves from Ikea.
At the end of the kitchen island is a small breakfast bar in a darker wood that’s used for quick family meals.
The windows show off the area blanketed in snow. The area is a fairly new suburb that’s popular with families. Susan says, ‘It is great that at any given time there are 20 girls within a year or two of our younger girls within 500 metres of our house.’
The windows show off the area blanketed in snow. The area is a fairly new suburb that’s popular with families. Susan says, ‘It is great that at any given time there are 20 girls within a year or two of our younger girls within 500 metres of our house.’
Behind the breakfast bar and at the end of the kitchen is this family home office. Floating shelves fit perfectly in the alcove, giving the look of a customised built-in shelves. The children sometimes use the area to do homework.
Beyond the kitchen is a large dining room that comfortably sits eight people. A trio of budget-friendly pendant lights mixes with other modern-style furnishings from Susan’s downtown furniture store, SAM Design.
The living room is Susan’s favourite room in the house. Its G Romano sofa can comfortably sleep four. The room has floor-to-ceiling windows on one side and a fireplace on the other. The couple worked with Martin Palmer to install built-in seating in an amazing polished concrete.
Check out more alternatives to a three-piece suite for your living room
Check out more alternatives to a three-piece suite for your living room
All the walls and skirting boards plus the ceiling on the main level are painted in crisp Decorators White by Benjamin Moore as an ideal backdrop for the family’s colourful accessories, artwork and furniture. ‘I love the use of white and natural materials, particularly when infused with bold colour in the form of artwork, cushions or accessories,’ says Susan. One of her favorite interior designers is Britain’s Kelly Hoppen, whom she was able to train with in 2011.
‘We have just installed a Valcourt wood-burning fireplace,’ says Susan. ‘The only problem is that when the fire is lit, it takes about five minutes for me to fall asleep!’
The wood logs in the alcove are just for show. Susan wanted logs that all had the same length and diameter, and hand picked these from a pile of logs delivered to the house. ‘Most of the wood delivered was wet and hard to burn, but I won’t let Mike touch that pile,’ she says. ‘It is a design feature.’
Fireplace: Antoinette, Valcourt
The wood logs in the alcove are just for show. Susan wanted logs that all had the same length and diameter, and hand picked these from a pile of logs delivered to the house. ‘Most of the wood delivered was wet and hard to burn, but I won’t let Mike touch that pile,’ she says. ‘It is a design feature.’
Fireplace: Antoinette, Valcourt
All the spaces in this home are simple, relaxed and casual. Susan says, ‘The days of designing rooms in your home that you only frequent on special occasions seems long gone and irrelevant to most families I know.’
To the right of the front door is this large living room, which is often used for entertaining. ‘My style is definitely modern. I love to creatively mix iconic luxury items with budget-conscious accessories. If there is anywhere that I like to splurge, it is lighting,’ says Susan. A Cora Floor Lamp, originally designed by Pier Giacomo and Achille Castiglioni, makes a graceful bend over the seating.
Cushions: Marimekko
Cushions: Marimekko
Lots of natural light spills in through multiple windows. Susan says she's particularly attracted to a Scandinavian modern design philosophy.
A bold black and white Marimekko patterned wallpaper covers the bathroom walls. Beautiful black pendant lights hang on each side of the mirror, adding dramatic lighting in this small space.
See more cloakrooms with statement wallpaper
See more cloakrooms with statement wallpaper
Cream shag pile rugs define rooms in this open-plan home. The ‘floating’ staircase allows a clear view through the home and allows the light to spill through.
Staircase railing: AGS Stainless
Staircase railing: AGS Stainless
The stainless steel handrail and walnut steps on the staircase are dramatic in the home’s hallway. All the bedrooms are on the second floor.
Light fixture: Big Bang Suspension, Foscarini
Light fixture: Big Bang Suspension, Foscarini
Susan does not like clutter and likes to design spaces that hide mess. This front hallway holds only the necessities - an elegant bench and a beautiful piece of artwork by local artist Elena Popova.
A view from the top of the stairs looking down to the front hallway gives an idea of how open the space is, and shows the seamless flow the couple wanted to achieve. The same stainless steel handrail and stringers are repeated on the second floor. ‘I think the weirdest thing about our house at this point is the lack of wall space for art,’ says Susan. ‘We have eliminated most interior partitions, so finding a surface on which to hang art is becoming increasingly challenging.’
This shared home office in the loft is between two of the girls’ bedrooms. While the Drover family is now settled in, next on their project list is to complete the bedrooms, upstairs bathrooms and the basement.
Like the warm wood and sleek finishes of this home? Tell us why in the Comments below.
Like the warm wood and sleek finishes of this home? Tell us why in the Comments below.
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