House Tours
A Free-Flowing Home For A Fun-Loving Family
Photography Alex Lukey
House Tours
A Free-Flowing Home For A Fun-Loving Family
After 10 years of making do with an outdated floor plan, one Toronto family is finally jumping for joy – not just because their home’s new layout is swish, but also because there’s finally room enough to jump in the first place!
“When the family bought the house, its super-narrow first floor was chopped up into several rooms, including a formal living room,” explains Michelle Hurley. But “formal” is the last thing you’d call the fun-loving foursome who live here. “They’re always laughing and dashing around together,” says the designer. “So we eliminated the living room and removed every wall on the main floor. That let us fit in a spacious kitchen at the home’s centre.” It’s tucked between a dining space with a vibrant banquette on one side and an upbeat family room on the other. A host of invigorating blues is sprinkled throughout. “The blue is such a fresh through line between the light-filled, free-flowing spaces,” says Michelle. “And the house is a great place for everyone to be together, even when they’re doing different things.” Whether that finds the family joking at high volume at the banquette, flopping onto the sofa after a long day, or snacking at the countertop, the result is clear: after a decade of trying to fit their family into this home, they finally have a home that’s fit for their family.
Made to Order
“So, you have four people and a hockey bag pushing their way into a narrow room with no foyer. How does everyone fit and where does all the stuff go?” says designer Michelle Hurley. “This was a problem that I was passionate about solving.” Her solution: a mud room wall. It’s outfitted with hooks and baskets for everyone, and even has individual charging stations for phone and tablet storage. The floor and walls are tiled. “This wood grain tile is so practical for snowy and wet jackets,” says Michelle. And its look ties into the bench, which is real wood. “I like wood because it can handle a lot of wear and tear.”
Photography Alex Lukey
DESIGN, custom BENCH, Michelle Hurley Design. WOVEN BASKETS, Linen Chest. METAL BASKETS, HOOKS, Bed Bath and Beyond. TILE, SS Tile & Stone. WALL ART, Perigold.
Room for All
Photography Alex Lukey
“The herringbone sectional is extra-deep and extra-long,” says Michelle. “It’s the perfect solution to fitting an entire family into an already narrow and always busy family room.” A leather chair by the window swivels, tripling the viewing options to include the TV, a cozy fire and the great outdoors. The designer fell for the rug on first sight. “I was walking by a local shop when I spotted it in the window,” she says. “It stopped me in my tracks. I knew it would be perfect for this room.” The celestial blues intersect with coral bits that tie in nicely with the woven wooden blinds. The coffee table has panels that flip over to padded leather, so it can also be used as a bench.
Photography Alex Lukey
Custom walnut SHELVING and MILLWORK, Michelle Hurley Design. Custom SECTIONAL, Gresham House. SWIVEL CHAIR, Sunpan. rug, Silkco Rugs. COFFEE TABLE, FLOOR LAMP, Nuevo. WINDOW COVERINGS, Hunter Douglas. FIREPLACE, Regency Fireplace.
Open & Shut Case
Photography Alex Lukey
“Especially in city homes, functional storage for families is crucial,” says Michelle. Pottery, trophies and candlesticks serve as display on open shelves, while cabinetry below hides less pretty objects behind closed doors. She surrounded the marble fireplace with wood millwork fitted with modern laminate doors. “The sleek style of these doors is in deliberate contrast to the more classic Shaker-style cupboard doors in the kitchen,” says Michelle. “When you mix it up a little, you get a look that’s more dimensional.”
Photography Alex Lukey
“They didn’t want something too neutral or beige. They’re a story-telling family that loves to laugh. They don’t take themselves too seriously, and they wanted their home to reflect that.”
Bright Spot
Photography Alex Lukey
Tile, tile, everywhere! The U-shaped kitchen features floor-to-ceiling brick-shaped tile with a matte finish. “The colours and styles of the tile over the stove and on the peninsula overlap but deliver a richer look to the space because they are not exactly the same,” says Michelle. The countertops are soft grey with white veining. See-through pendants help to manifest the designer’s vision for a space that’s open and bright.
Photography Alex Lukey
“One of the best decisions we made was to centre the main floor around the kitchen.”
Photography Alex Lukey
Photography Alex Lukey
TILE (behind stove), Stone Impressions; (on peninsula), SS Tile & Stone. COUNTERTOPS, Cosentino. Custom CABINETRY, SHELVING, Michelle Hurley Design. PENDANT LIGHTING, Wayfair. WOOD DOORS, The Door Store. STOOLS, CB2.
Old Meets New
Photography Alex Lukey
“Early on, I had the idea to incorporate antique wood doors for the pantry. They have a sense of age and break up the black colour of the cabinetry,” says Michelle. The kids hop up onto shapely leather stools at breakfast as Dad, the main cook in the family, grabs essentials from the wood shelves.
On Display
Photography Alex Lukey
A knee wall at the front entryway is fitted with custom wood shelving. It showcases a pottery collection and has room near the bottom for the parents to stash sunglasses and keys as they come through the front door. Bright blooms pop against the dining area’s azure banquette.
All Together
Photography Alex Lukey
“I was obsessed with finding the perfect shade of blue – not navy, not royal – for the banquette,” says Michelle. The 10-foot faux leather bench makes it easy for kids to crawl in and out. And when pals drop by, there’s plenty of room for all. The warm wood table with its brass base is surrounded by sleek chairs; the rug marries warm and cool tones. “The rug’s blues are a more watery version of colours in the family room rug,” says Michelle.
BANQUETTE, RE:Style Studio. TABLE, CHAIRS, Nuevo. RUG, Loloi. ART by Elizabeth Brizzi, PI Fine Art. CANDLESTICK, At Home. VASE, Crate and Barrel. Cushions, Urban Barn.
All Hide, No Seek
Photography Alex Lukey
Michelle replaced the original closets in the primary bedroom with a custom wall of storage. The crosshatch texture of the doors’ metal mesh openings is a mini-version of the pattern on the drapes. The room’s closets, floors and drapes were kept light and bright to offset the deeper tones near the bed.
“I’m not looking to design a house that only looks good for seven or eight years. I want it to last, so each choice is an investment.”
Photography Alex Lukey
Custom CLOSETS, Michelle Hurley Design. DRAPES, Tonic Living.
Tucked In
Photography Alex Lukey
“The clients loved the cocooned feeling of dark charcoal walls,” says Michelle. They create a dramatic backdrop for vibrant art and luminous throw pillows. Waffle textures in the bedding and antique pieces, such as the end tables, add interesting shadows and texture. “The antique end tables and trunk belong to the clients. By placing beloved objects in a brand new room, you bring an equal sense of history,” says Michelle.
ART, All Modern. Bedspread, HomeSense. PILLOWS, Surya. SCONCES, Robinson Lighting & Bath.
Water Ways
Photography Alex Lukey
“This bathroom was definitely a his and hers moment,” says Michelle. “He likes to shower and wanted a lot of elbow room. She loves her baths and wanted to sink into deep water.” For the walls, Michelle was drawn to geometric tiles. “Unusual shapes result in a look that’s timeless,” she says. The matte porcelain tiles contrast with the shimmering pendant above the tub.
TUB, Wayfair. TILE, SS Tile & Stone. VANITY, Perigold. Brizo FAUCETS, Roman Bath. PENDANT, Cornerstone Furniture. SCONCES, All Modern. TIN WITH FLOWERS, Elle & Eve. CIRCULAR WALL SHELF, HomeSense.
Details, Details
Photography Alex Lukey
Like the home’s rugs, this tea tin features a range of blues and warmer tones. It’s perked up with a pop of joyous pink blooms.
Conflicting Interests
Photography Alex Lukey
The vanity drawers provide a boon of storage. “I purposefully chose a traditional wood vanity to contrast with the black and white,” says Michelle, who then layered in brass fixtures. “I love using fixtures that are made of the same material and by the same manufacturers but are totally different in style.” The ones on the vanity are traditional, yet the ones for the shower are very modern.
Hocus Pocus
Photography Alex Lukey
To create a hidden laundry room in the basement, Michelle borrowed space from the furnace room. “You pull open the double bifold doors, and behold, it feels like a room, not a closet!” she says. “But what really makes the space is its tiled wall. They’re ceramic, but they look like tin. And since they’re away from the rest of the house, they can be their own thing.” The industrial pipe-style shelves are a play on the laundry nook’s location.
“Don’t worry about tile looking too traditional or serious. There are dozens of ways to make it look really fun.”
TILE, SS Tile & Stone. Custom CABINETRY, Michelle Hurley Design. SHELVING, Surya.
Great Lines
Photography Alex Lukey
“We wanted to go bold and budget friendly for the kids’ bathroom on the second floor,” says Michelle. She made stripes by alternating inexpensive black and white tiles. Then she created a tiled accent wall with a pretend wood grain pattern. “I call it the comic book version of wood panelling,” says Michelle, laughing. Glass wall shelves hover above the modern sink and vanity.
Photography Alex Lukey
Floor and wall TILE, SS Tile & Stone. BATH MAT, HomeSense. Vanity LIGHT FIXTURE, Robinson Lighting & Bath.
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