Botanical accents and bright sunlight make fine companions in this rural Ontario home.

When designer Cynthia Weber first encountered this four-bedroom 3,200-square-foot house, it hadn’t even been built yet. Clients Katie DeBlock and Justin Boersma were eager to design it in a way that would pair Katie’s deep appreciation for nature with a need for high-functioning spaces for their two growing daughters.

Photography: Robin Stubbert

Cynthia started with Katie’s love of botanicals. Drawing on textiles that feature lovely leafy motifs, she developed an elegant-yet-bohemian palette of teals, blues and greens. Rustic details, such as exposed ceiling beams and wide-plank floors, were balanced with softer elements like sheer drapery and airy spaces. To keep the busy family organized, Cynthia designed genius storage solutions and brilliant multi-purpose furnishings, including slide-out drying racks in the laundry room and movable window benches in the living area. Says Cynthia: “It’s a home that really pops with personality at the same time as being delightfully grounded in reality.”

Colour Meets Curves

Photography: Robin Stubbert | Grand Lotus Gold Large CHANDELIER, Currey & Company; round dining room extension TABLE with barley twist base, curved front SIDEBOARD, custom through Cynthia Weber Design; DINING CHAIRS, to the trade, Gresham House Furniture; FABRIC, DRAPERY HARDWARE, trade only, JF Fabrics; dining table DISHES, Sophie Conran; EMBROIDERED LINEN sheer fabric, Jeffrey Alan Marks through Kravet; vintage RUG, ecarpetgallery.

“The colour on the custom sideboard and chairs is the same as the paint inside the shelves in the living room,” explains designer Cynthia Weber. This ensures that the spaces, which open to each other, feel continuous. As in the living room, the rug is vintage. Its verdant tones reflect the homeowner’s love of plants. A lotus-inspired ceiling pendant does the same. The custom pedestal dining table was whitewashed to give it a sense of age. A towering fox-shaped vase on the sideboard plays host to blooms from the family’s property.

White Meets Warm

Photography: Robin Stubbert | Farmhouse undermount SINK, Franke; Bright Brass FAUCET, Rubinet; Cambria Brittanica COUNTERTOP and BACKSPLASH (behind stove), through Allen interiors; CABINETRY, custom through Cynthia Weber Design; Somerset Globe PENDANTS, Hinkley Lighting; Waucoba Arm LAMP in Satin Nickel, Wayfair; BARSTOOLS, Gresham House Furniture; BARSTOOL FABRIC, Evan 98J7721 (seat and front); Duralee Glasgow in Seafoam (back), TEA-TOWEL HOOKS and TOWEL BAR, custom-made from drapery hardware, trade only, JF Fabrics; Torriana WALL CLOCK, Uttermost.

“I love designing cabinetry,” says Cynthia. The family-sized island is huge, ideal for entertaining friends and also equipped with plenty of storage. It’s topped with a showy marble that echoes the swishy marble backsplash. Walls of windows let the sunshine in all day and frame the greener countryside beyond; a trio of moon-glow pendants illuminates at night. Cynthia fashioned the tea-towel rack from drapery hardware – how clever! – and the stools are upholstered in the botanical print that was the starting point for the home’s palette. A vintage-style clock accents the rustic wide-plank flooring.

Photography: Robin Stubbert

Romantic Meets Rustic

Photography: Robin Stubbert | SOFA and LOVESEATS, fireplace BENCH, square OTTOMAN, trade only, Gresham House Furniture; FABRIC, sofas, accent cushion, bench by fireplace, ottoman, JF Fabrics; vintage overdyed RUG, ecarpetgallery; Zoa S/2 ACCENT TABLES, Uttermost; THROW, trade only, Linenway.

Cynthia derived the living room’s palette of greens and teals from the durable fabric on the ottoman, which appears on the kitchen bar stools and dining chairs, as well. Blue sofas and green cushions impart an unexpected freshness to the rustic room. “And the rug is overdyed, which provides a sense of timelessness to the brand-new space,” says Cynthia. She emphasized the recessed shelving with a deep tone of paint that ties to the fireplace. Warm metals pick up on the gold tones in the ceiling beams.

Crisp Meets Clever

Photography: Robin Stubbert

Nothing says clean like a bright, function-forward laundry space. Racks slide out for air-drying; laundry carts slide in and out of cubbies; upper cabinetry squeezes out seasonal storage space. “There’s even a pull-out ironing board,” said Cynthia. The easy-mop tile floor matches the one in the main bathroom for continuity.

Swirls Meet Simplicity

Photography: Robin Stubbert | Memoirs undermount SINK, Kohler; FAUCET, Riobel; Cambria COUNTERTOP, Dunmore; Lacour CODLAGR FLOOR TILE, Centura Tile; custom CABINETRY, Cynthia Weber Design; Kiley four-light VANITY LIGHT, Williston Forge.

“The fluidity of the tile pattern on the floor is beautiful yet strong,” says Cynthia. The solid, linear vanity was designed with a cubby for a stool that the girls can use to reach the sink, or to hold a display item, as shown here. The black-and-glass lighting fixture, countertop, black squirrel and wall prints echo the scrolls in the floor tile.

Photography: Robin Stubbert

Garden Meets Variety

Photography: Robin Stubbert | Raina three-drawer Greek Key NIGHTSTAND, Safavieh; HEADBOARD FABRIC, DRAPERY HARDWARE, trade only, JF Fabrics; Dublin Linen DRAPERY FABRIC, Kravet; Custom HEADBOARD, custom BAGGAGE STAND with removable tray top, Cynthia Weber Design; THROW on bed, (trade) Linenway; Kiley THREE-LIGHT PENDANT, Williston Forge.

Poetic botanical prints in the headboard, bed skirt and drapery are paired with a soft grey throw. Clear baubles in the chandelier are countered by dark baubles in the bedside lamps. “The tray lifts off its legs, ideal for breakfast in bed,” explains Cynthia. Faded silver tones in the rug mimic the whisper of sheer drapes. Rustic flooring and heavy nightstands provide masculine elements as a counterpoint.