House Tours
You'd Never Guess This Toronto Home Is A New-Build
Photography, Stephani Buchman
House Tours
You'd Never Guess This Toronto Home Is A New-Build
Designer Jessica Cinnamon used wood, stone and verdant colour to give balanced beauty to a new-build.
When a homeowner is passionate and knowledgeable about interior decor, what is the task of their designer? To hear Toronto pro Jessica Cinnamon tell it, it’s all in the details...and the restraint.
“This house was a real collaboration,” she says. “Our client has a strong sense of style, knows what she likes and had lots of inspiration. It was our job to build a house that really reflected her but was also well balanced because throwing every amazing detail into one room can be overwhelming. It takes away from the beauty of what you put in.”
So, to bring the 2,630-square-foot new-build to life, Jessica and her team had to wield their usual expertise in planning layouts and flow, and they also had to curate furnishings to make the home both gorgeous and livable for a busy family of four.
Weaving in the owner’s fave hue – a deep, jewel-toned green – and crafting custom furniture to suit the spaces to a T is all part of the job for Jessica. Here’s how the homeowner and Jessica and her team worked together to get the balance right.
Welcoming entryway
In the entry, oversized porcelain tile set into the hardwood stands in for a doormat.
Floor Tile, Cercan Tile. Omexco Wallpaper (On Ceiling), Metro Wallcoverings. Mirror, Cb2. Oversized Green Art, Crate And Barrel. Marble Catchall (On Table), Elte. Black Candle (On Table), Vancouver Candle Co. Pocket Door Paint (Right), Black Magic Sw 6991, Sherwin-Williams.
Green accents
DESIGN, custom DRAPERY, CHAIR, PILLOW, Jessica Cinnamon Design. ARCHITECT, Peter Higgins Architect. BUILDER, Cezanne Homes. RUG, CB2. DRAPERY FABRIC, Threadcount Textile & Design.
Along with the homeowner’s beloved green, designer Jessica Cinnamon repeated black, walnut and off-white tones throughout the home. “We used the same handful of finishes in different ways, varying the balance to create different feelings,” she says. In the home office, green is conservatively introduced in the floral artwork and pale olive sofa (the office can double as a sitting room). Off-white walls, leggy and see-through furniture, and a unique patchwork hide rug (over traditional red oak flooring) keep the hardworking room bright and welcoming.
Storytelling through design
Chairs, Cb2. Vinyl, Kravet. Table Design, Jessica Cinnamon Design. Sofa, West Elm. Rug, Elte. Art Prints, Jennifer Daily. Framing, On The Wall Framing. Plumbing Fixtures, Canaroma Bath & Tile.
In the breakfast area, Jessica used walnut sparingly – only for the table and floating shelves. “Whereas in the kitchen, the whole backside of the island is walnut, and we introduced lots of walnut on the family room built-in to make that area feel warmer,” she says. Likewise, the practical black vinyl on the banquette ties in with the frames of the bouclé- covered dining chairs and the inky granite on the waterfall island nearby.
"It was imperative that all of these spaces tell the same story, but in their own unique ways.”
Family room
Cabinetry Paint, Oxford White Cc-30, Benjamin Moore; Black Magic Sw 6991, Sherwin-Williams. Avant Garde Drapery Fabric, Master Fabrics.
In the family room, a liberal attitude toward colour and texture reigns. “The green sofas make a statement, but they feel cozy, not overpowering,” says the designer. Heavily veined Calacatta marble around the fireplace contrasts the walnut built-ins and echoes the kitchen backsplash. Where the two spaces share a wall, black framing delineates each zone. This room is the heart of the home. Jessica says: “Everyone is often in here together, cooking, talking, working on a computer at the table.”
Dining room
“We played around with the scale and quantity of legs for the dining table. You get a clear view of the table from the main hallway and from the home office, so we wanted it to be something special.”
Kravet Faux Leather, Threadcount Textile & Design. Dotted Painting, Rachelle Kearns.
While the dining room is undeniably elegant, a closer look reveals the sophisticated level of detail the designer achieved. Jessica designed a graceful sideboard with an emerald leatherette exterior, luxurious walnut interior and delicate gold trimming. The warm metal repeats on the unexpected dining table base, chair legs and lighting, and the sideboard’s piney hue is echoed in the dramatic deeper green on the tray ceiling. A black-painted servery (top right) leads to the kitchen.
Chairs, Elte. Paint, Pewter Green Sw 6208 (Ceiling), Crushed Ice Sw 7647 (Wall), Sherwin-Williams. Art (Above Sideboard), Kelly Money.
The dining room’s understated palette of greens and off-whites feels complex thanks to layers of colour and texture in the fabrics and accessories. “Everything works because the room has that balance of sophistication and simplicity, and then a few organic and playful details,” Jessica says. Moody artworks – one heavy with cloud, the other sparkly, like light refracted by raindrops – breathe intrigue into the quiet space.
Ensuite
Shower Tile, Cercan Tile. Plumbing Fixtures, Canaroma Bath & Tile.
Dynamic mosaic tiles in the spacious primary ensuite shower have the impact of an eye-catching wallpaper. “The chevron tiling is a combination of Calacatta marble and mother-of-pearl, and it adds such a luxe feeling to the space,” Jessica says. “The client completely fell in love with it, so, to make sure they can really appreciate the pattern and textures, we featured it on the vertical surfaces.” Alongside the shower, a sleek built-in has open shelves for display and towel storage up top, plus a bank of drawers below.
Vanity Paint, Black Magic Sw 6991, Sherwin-Williams. Plumbing Fixtures, Canaroma Bath & Tile.
Finished in the same moody black as the kitchen cabinets, the wide twin vanity in the ensuite balances all the lighter surfaces and also anchors the space. Incorporating both cool- and warm-toned metals helps give the room a sophisticated, layered look. Like the matte tiles in the chevron tilework, the counter is made of Calacatta marble. A skylight brings breezy natural light to the room.
Soft-toned bedroom
Custom Pillows, Roman Blind, Bench Cushion, Bedding, Jessica Cinnamon Design. Artwork, Tony Koukos.
The main floor’s gutsier greens give way to softer hues in the primary bedroom. Jessica filled the huge window seat – one of the owner’s key asks – with plump pillows in a mix of serene fabrics. By contrast, the fashion-forward loveseat by the bed is clad in couture-inspired black bouclé. “It’s so minimal in its clean lines and airiness, but it has this great texture. That makes it more interesting,” says Jessica.
“You walk in and, thanks to the bench and all the custom toss pillows, your eye is really drawn toward that big, beautiful window.”
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