How one handy couple created a family home that’s cool, calm and collected.
"Bright and light with touches of fun." That's how marketing executive-turned-blogger Holly Baker describes her style-driven website, In the Fun Lane. Fittingly, the feel-good ethos that characterizes Holly's blog is also what gives her home its unabashedly happy and welcoming appeal. "I wanted a space my whole family could grow into: a blank canvas of white walls and dark flooring with pops of colour and layers of coziness." The fruition of Holly's vision is evident throughout the airy 2,400-square-foot West Edmonton house she shares with her husband, Sean, a managerial executive, and their five-year-old daughter, Wren."Our home is now very much a reflection of us," says Holly. But when they bought the house six years ago, it was definitely something (or rather, someone) else. "It was a loved house, for sure, lived in only by the original owners. There was lots of carpet, ceramic flooring and wallpaper - even the light-switch covers had been papered over," says Holly. Undaunted, five months pregnant and furniture challenged (they moved in with just a sideboard, sofa, dining table, armchair and bed), Holly tackled the space with the same gusto she applies to her blog.
Six years later, with a staircase and two bathrooms still on the to-do list, Holly can be forgiven for reno angst, but clearly it's not her style: "We have a lot of fun renovating - we're passionate about it because of this house."
Photo Gallery
Interior: One-of-a-kind family home
Black and white living room design
The living room’s black and white striped rug is a bold counterpoint to soft slipcovered furniture. Holly hung large pieces of driftwood for a unique, natural touch.
Interior: One-of-a-kind family home
Black and white living room design
The living room’s black and white striped rug is a bold counterpoint to soft slipcovered furniture. Holly hung large pieces of driftwood for a unique, natural touch.
Interior: One-of-a-kind family home
Mint cabinet
DIY inspiration abounds in homeowners Holly and Sean Baker’s cozy family room – from the fireplace surround to the coffee table (they cut a dining table down to size). Believe it or not, Holly found the mint-coloured cabinet exactly the way it is. “I like a little oddity in design,” she says.
Interior: One-of-a-kind family home
Kitchen
In a masterful mix of high and low, the kitchen’s DIY tongue-and-groove panelled ceiling (which hides a popcorn finish and some repair holes) looks down upon honed Carrara marble countertops and a chef-worthy stainless steel range.
Interior: One-of-a-kind family home
Maximizing kitchen storage
To maximize the kitchen's space, the couple (shown here with their daughter, Wren) eliminated the original upper cabinets and an awkward walk-in pantry, then added floor-to-ceiling cabinetry around the refrigerator to compensate for the sacrificed storage.
Interior: One-of-a-kind family home
Master bedroom
The distressed finish of the masculine dresser (used as a nightstand) grounds the soft tones and textures of the linen headboard in the master bedroom. An acrylic chandelier feels upscale and elegant.
Interior: One-of-a-kind family home
Girl's bedroom
Holly painted the thrift store bed frame powder blue and added Wren’s name to the headboard. Dressed up with an antique-look table lamp and heart wall decals – which Wren chose and helped apply – the space is a magical retreat for a little girl.
Interior: One-of-a-kind family home
Whimsical wardrobe
“I adore this wardrobe,” says Holly. When she first spied it at an antiques shop, it was over budget. She later snapped it up on clearance for a fraction of the price. Handmade tissue-paper pompoms add more playful colour to Wren’s bedroom.
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