Words by Michelle Heslop. Photos by Jody Beck.
After twelve years in their home, this professional couple decided that it was time to reimagine the main floor and bring their own personal style to their View Royal home. The original kitchen felt dated and drab, the island was awkwardly small, there was no backsplash and the countertops had deep grout lines. The flooring that delineated the kitchen from the dining area created an unwelcomed hard line and it was important to the couple to create an inviting sense of flow. Josée Lalonde from Josée Lalonde Design revitalized the space with quality materials that will stand the test of time while featuring bold pops of colour for added personality and charm.
The existing cabinets were in great condition so Lalonde suggested a fresh coat of paint and polished bronze hardware to bring them up-to-date. “NuEdge Painting used Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel in Alabaster by Sherwin Williams for the cabinets and the result is amazing,” says Lalonde. To resolve the divisive line separating the kitchen from the dining area, Lalonde had Matt Hansen, owner of Versa-Tile, cut into the original hardwood flooring in a hexagonal shape to insert Queen Stone Hexagon in Luxor tile to create a sense of expansiveness. The result is a less compartmentalized living space with a more welcoming transition.
Eternal Calacatta Gold Silestone graces the kitchen countertops including the island. Silestone is a combination of natural quartz and other raw materials that are non-porous and resistant to staining by coffee, wine and oils. The Nova Hex series backsplash tiles in Bevel-Out Steel are glazed and add reflective light to the kitchen. Polished bronze cabinet pulls by Richelieu enliven the cabinets and add a contemporary feel.
Lalonde adds that “we were able to increase the size of the island by visually extending the kitchen into the dining area with flooring, as well as rounding the corners of the island to create ample walk-through breathing space.” A modern Blanco Silgranit sink replaced the previous white sink that proved difficult to clean. Light grey bar stools with teak base offer a fresh Scandinavian feel to the contemporary space.
Dating back to colonial times, the multipurpose room adjacent to the kitchen was often called ‘the keeping room.’ It was meant to be a cozy sidekick to the kitchen where you can bring people together, but not in your space, while you cook. Sherwin Williams paint in Salty Dog adorns the accent walls of this keeping room to reflect the same hue on the base of the island. The owner’s guitars are hung on the wall as decor and ready to use. In fact, Lalonde muses that some of her colour choices were based on the colours of the homeowner’s dream guitar.
