Designer Sydney Carlaw plays with tension to make her neutral family retreat both interesting and relaxing.
Bottom line is often top of mind for Sydney Carlaw. Whether the designer is renovating for a homeowner, finishing a custom build for a contractor or decorating her own family home, she's got one eye on design and the other on dollars. It sounds calculated, but at the end of the day, Sydney's goal is to make an interior feel welcoming. Take her 4,200-square-foot house in Fort Langley, B.C., for instance - it exudes warmth. "My home is my refuge and a place where my family can relax," she says.
Creating a comfortable home for herself, her husband, Vance, and their two daughters required a careful balancing act: splurge-worthy pieces paired with inexpensive finds, rustic textures set against a polished neutral backdrop and a timeless aesthetic jazzed up with a few of the latest trends. "I'm always thinking about where I can create tension when I design," says Sydney.
Ultimately, it's the home's warm, soothing colour palette that brings cohesion to the multitude of juxtapositions. "A lot of people shy away from beige because they think it can be blah, but I love it," says Sydney. Far from boring, the neutral scheme plays host to a dynamic layering of textures and styles that serves this family's relaxed lifestyle. "I'm always looking for how I can bring meaning to the home -- on any budget."
Photo Gallery
Interior: Soothing neutral family home
Entryway
The polished chrome table lamp and rough wooden side table make an unexpected pairing in the entryway, where an oversized wingback chair creates a welcoming and convenient perch.
Interior: Soothing neutral family home
Entryway
The polished chrome table lamp and rough wooden side table make an unexpected pairing in the entryway, where an oversized wingback chair creates a welcoming and convenient perch.
Interior: Soothing neutral family home
Family room
“The family room is a retreat for my husband and me,” says Sydney. The TV is in a separate media room, so there are no distractions. “It’s an awesome place to sit and read a book, or enjoy a coffee and talk.”
Interior: Soothing neutral family home
Sleek seating
In the informal seating arrangement, a casual down-filled Restoration Hardware sofa lives happily next to a tailored slipper chair from a big box store, while a sleek coffee table sits atop a plush shag rug.
Interior: Soothing neutral family home
Open-space concept
The family room, with its warm beige walls and blonde-toned wood floors, best exemplifies her design sensibility. The space's soaring ceiling gives it the airy feel Sydney loves, but its dramatic height needed some grounding. "A huge chandelier brings the eye down, and the drapes close in the room, making it feel cozy," she says.
Interior: Soothing neutral family home
Kitchen island
The kitchen isn't large so Sydney opted for cream-coloured cabinets rather than pure white, which might have read as stark. She chose a more economical and practical quartz kitchen countertop for the busy family kitchen and a budget-friendly glass and stone mosaic backsplash. However, she didn't scrimp on the lighting. "You can create 'wow' in a room with lighting," she says. "It's like jewellery." Last but not least, the burlap-covered stools add the perfect dose of rusticity, tempering all the polished materials.
Interior: Soothing neutral family home
Kitchen desk
“Your kitchen is a gathering place for family and guests,” says Sydney. If there’s room, she recommends incorporating a desk area to store mail, car keys and even your purse. “That’s where people end up dropping stuff, so if you have somewhere to put it, it stays organized,” she says.
Interior: Soothing neutral family home
Dining table
Rusticity and elegance complement each other in the kitchen’s eat-in area. The pairing of the woven rattan chairs and a shiny lantern-style pendant light is a case in point. “I think it’s important that you don’t go too trendy and you do what works for your family,” says Sydney.
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