Real Homes

At home with Anne and Rob in British Columbia. The first house for this young, stylish, Canadian family was purchased three years ago when Rob's career required them to move from the province of Alberta to British Columbia. At the time, the house was still under construction, so they were able to select some of the home's features and colors. Anne chose an earth tone palette for the walls, birch chestnut hardwood floors for the main level, granite counters for the kitchen and ceramic tiles for the bathrooms and laundry room.

The home's interior design is a mix of styles. With help from her mother, a major source of decorating advice, Anne combined traditional, country and modern elements to create a comfortable and stylish home environment. Additional decorating inspirations come from her favorite home furnishings store, Restoration Hardware, along with regular shopping trips to Homesense, Pier One, Target and Farmhouse.

For this young couple, their home is their refuge - a place where they can relax with family and enjoy the convenience and comfort of in-home features like an exercise room and a big screen TV room. Creating the perfect retreat has required some additional home decor splurges. High-end laminate in the basement, limestone counters in the master bathroom and top quality coverings (Polywood Shutters and Hunter Douglas Woven Woods) on all the windows.

In the kitchen

The central island is the focal point and can provide seating for three. The granite counters are matched perfectly with the honey brown oak cabinets and the stainless steel appliances add a contemporary edge.

A collection of overhead baskets bring additional texture to the room and a simple glass jar of lemons and cherries add a spark of color and interest.

According to Anne, her favorite kitchen item is the stainless sink with spray nozzle and garburator (an appliance she swears never again to live without). For her next kitchen, she has wants higher-end stainless steel appliances and an undermount kitchen sink.

Good Ideas:

An overhead rack keeps pots within reach and acts as a fabulous decorative showpiece.

The custom-built pantry door doubles as a practical, yet attractive home organizer. The chalkboard, stainless steel panel and corkboard (inside door) offer lots of room for posting messages, photos and recipes.

The family / great room

Anne and Rob's favorite interior space, the open concept family/great room, is located at the back of the house and includes a kitchen, family room and eating area. In this central area, the entire family can gather together and enjoy cooking, dining or watching TV. Accessories in this space include two of Anne's most favorite items, the 'monkey' bowl, a family heirloom from her great, great, great grandmother and a very comfortable fruit wood and rattan lounge chair.

Good Ideas:

Above the fireplace, leaning the artwork against the wall, rather than mounting it. This creates a casual feel and also makes it easy to change your art display.

Using bowls, modern artwork and other accessories, that compliment your rooms color scheme.

In the nursery

Breaking from traditional baby decor, Anne purchased large black country modern furniture, designed to last well past the baby years. Other items in the nursery room include the very trendy 'crib to college' baby bed and a black and white rocker chair.

Good Ideas:

Using a decorative chandelier or ornate light fixture for a touch of luxury in an unexpected space.

Selecting furniture pieces that coordinate with the rest of your home decor so they can have multiple future uses. Anne's baby changing table and storage cabinet can later be used as a beautiful piece in an office or dining room.

Home exterior

The family's favorite exterior feature, the large front porch, is a great place to view the neighborhood community and gather with family friends. In this space, Anne has done a fabulous job of decorating the entry with plants, decorative pots and large outdoor chairs.

Good Idea:

The large black urns by the front door create a grand entrance, welcoming visitors to the home. These decorative pots can be regularly changed to display the latest in outdoor design.

Other good ideas in this home

Rather than standard light fixtures they used decorative ceiling fans in the office and upstairs bedrooms. These fixtures can add interest to a room while keeping the house cooler during summer months.

Built-in window seating and shelving along the long upstairs hallway.

Decorating the 'forgotten spaces' like stairways, entryways, and empty corners.

Future Plans

With the addition of a newborn to their family last year, these homeowners are ready for an even bigger dwelling. This past week, in a neighboring community, they broke ground on a custom-built 4,000 square foot home.

We look forward to seeing all the features of what guarantees to be another beautiful BC home!

See lots more photos of this feature home in the Home Gallery.

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