Introducing the Aspen Abode

I have been patiently waiting for this day to come…the day when we could finally reveal one of my absolute favourite home projects to date. This one is special for many reasons – I got to work with my husband once again (which always makes for the smoothest renovation process), I instantly connected with the clients and absolutely fell in love with the concepts we created together. Plus, we got to collaborate with some truly amazing brands. Everything lined up perfectly. Not to mention, we got to complete the project just as the couple welcomed their first son into the world…how’s that for perfect timing?!

Before I get to the good stuff though, I really want you to appreciate the starting point…and see just how far we came with this adorable Aspen Gardens bungalow. In general, the home felt closed off and compartmentalized, which is so often the case with these 1950-1960’s builds. The finishes had seen their day in the sun and needed some revitalizing – a new style to reflect this young couple and their fresh start in the city! And lucky for them, they were able to sell a lot of the cabinetry, appliances and fixtures to save our landfill.

BEFORE

This was the dividing wall between the kitchen and living area, which, yes, was load bearing. You can also see the staircase leading to the back landing and basement. After removing this wall, we actually closed off this doorway completely (it’s where the new fridge ended up going) and relocated the basement stairs for a much better layout and open concept! The living room floors (which carried into the dining area and rest of the main floor) were in great shape so we kept them as is and used some extras to patch around the fireplace. Another area we did a major overhaul on – the ensuite bathroom. This layout was the pits…a tiny shower, tiny vanity and then this randomly massive toilet area. So we tore it all out and completely changed the entire floor plan.