When they couldn’t find their ideal house, these homeowners decided to gut a space and start with a clean slate – with a little help from a designer friend.
Just when they started to think they'd be searching for their dream home forever, Lindsi and Lorne Rose saw the light at the end of the tunnel. The couple (she’s an elementary school teacher, he’s a lawyer) had been unlucky in their search for a new house. “The market was crazy, and it was hard to find something in our desired neighbourhood within our budget,” says Lindsi. But they were also open to a fixer-upper. “None of the freshly renovated places we saw were done to our taste,” she says. “Buying a house at a lower price and renovating it made more and more sense.”
So when a 2,500-square-foot three-storey home in midtown Toronto that Lindsi had her eye on dropped its price for the third time in 2013, the couple acted fast. Designer Montana Burnett – a close family friend who designed Lindsi’s last two homes – oversaw the entire transformation, down to the smallest detail. “It was a clean slate, so we chose everything from the drywall to the door hinges,” she says. “Everything was completely at our discretion.”
The resulting space is bright and airy, glamorous and beachy. “I wanted to bring in a California boho-gypsy vibe that speaks to Lindsi’s style, as evidenced in both her wardrobe and her previous homes,” says Montana. So a mix of natural and luxe materials, from rattan and sisal to Lucite and velvet, is layered throughout the place, along with a collection of colourful artwork curated by Lorne, an art aficionado.
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House tour: Boho-modern dream home
Family room after: Modern design, unique style
The Rose clan relaxes and watches TV here in the family room on the second floor. “My husband insisted that we not have a television on the first floor,” says Lindsi. “When we’re eating with the kids, we want to be talking with them.” The artwork above the fireplace was featured on the popular TV show Gossip Girl. “The artist signed the back, ‘XoXo Richard Phillips,’” adds Lindsi. It’s a reference to how each episode of the show ends (“XoXo Gossip Girl”).
House tour: Boho-modern dream home
No dreams (or lights) are too big
Bright, airy and minimalistic, this beachy-chic dining room feels fresh and inviting. Though homeowner Lindsi Rose fell in love with the light fixture the moment she spotted it in-store, she worried it was too big for the space. “But I love how it casts the most beautiful shadows on the wall at night,” she says.
House tour: Boho-modern dream home
Kitchen after: Chic and functional
A photo on Pinterest inspired Lindsi to paint the kitchen island base blue. "And the rest of the design unfolded from there. Just think how different the whole house would look if I had chosen another colour," she says. Lindsi had originally picked cabinetry hardware in a brass finish, “but the black linked the look to the second floor,” she adds.
House tour: Boho-modern dream home
Stylish living room
“I love the symmetry and airiness of the living room,” says designer Montana Burnett, who paired luxe velvet armchairs and a plush berber-style rug with refurbished antiques, such as the stools.
House tour: Boho-modern dream home
Choosing artwork
Lindsi may be passionate about design, but it's her husband, Lorne, who chose all the artwork for their home, such as the photo of the bowl of pills above the living room fireplace.
House tour: Boho-modern dream home
Porcelain perfect powder room
The main floor’s porcelain powder room floor tiles were cut in half and laid in a herringbone pattern with contrasting white grout to add visual interest to the otherwise minimal space.
House tour: Boho-modern dream home
Stars with no stripes
The night before she had her son, Lindsi stayed up measuring, mapping out and applying the nursery’s star wall decals. “When my husband walked in, he asked why I had put an American flag on the wall,” says Lindsi with a laugh.
House tour: Boho-modern dream home
Black is back and sticking around
The master bath has a clear connection to the master bedroom, boasting the same black walls and colourful artwork that matches the bedroom’s tie-dye-like rug.
House tour: Boho-modern dream home
Bedroom after: Dramatic and fun
"Lindsi and I always knew we wanted a black feature wall with white articulating sconces,” says Montana of the bold graphic boho master bedroom, where the street-art-inspired prints found a perfect home. If they look familiar, it’s because the artist behind them is famous for these works and others, such as the iconic poster of president Barack Obama titled Obama Hope. The nightstand is a vintage Eaton’s piece, dug out from Lindsi’s mom’s basement and powder-coated white.
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