Decorating & Design
February 26, 2016
Senior Editor Sally Armstrong’s Fun Family Home
Senior editor and mother of three Sally Armstrong knows a thing or two about living stylishly with kids. She walks us through her renovated Toronto house, which is filled with pops of color, playful patterns and fun accessories.
Tour Sally’s home on H&H TV.
My husband, Ted, and I with our children (from left) Annie, Luke and Holly. The short stairwell, just behind us, leads to the new mudroom and side door.
I wanted a patterned tile for our main entrance. I showed Edgewater Studio my inspiration shot and asked if they could make a similar design. I chose the yellow wallpaper from Y&Co so guests are greeted by a happy color at the front door.
I asked for open shelving in the mudroom, so I could add storage buckets in playful printed fabrics — one for each person in the family.
I ordered the sectional from Silva in a silvery grey fabric I found at Designer Fabrics. It’s a trim shape, but it’s comfy and casual enough for the whole family to pile onto and watch movies. The carved-wood coffee table from West Elm and eclectic pillows strike an exotic note.
The built-ins flow from the kitchen to the family room in a single unbroken line. The Pro Tec sliding doors are installed so that the two end doors slide open and the center doors stay fixed, which suits the flow of the house. For softness, I added floor-length linen drapes in a purple-greige color.
I opened up the wall between the kitchen and dining room, and installed a discreet pocket door so I can hide either room when it’s a mess. We use the small dining area for casual meals, with Tolix stools from Design Within Reach that sit under the new breakfast bar and don’t sacrifice too much lower cabinet space.
We raised the sunken family room to increase usable floor space and make furniture placement less awkward. It really helped to create great flow.
A cooktop gave a sleeker look than a range. Above it is a Bertazzoni fan hood.
We removed a rarely used staircase to the basement to make room for a pantry. Square white ceramic tiles from Downtown Lumber give it a bistro look.
The family room built-ins display books and objets. Cupboards below hide DVDs, photo albums and extra glassware.
Black Circus pendant lights from Oliver Yaphe have visual heft above the Philipp Mainzer dining table from Klaus. In lieu of more art, I hung a watercolor wallpaper by Eskayel.
Virginia Macdonald
House & Home February 2013
Sally Armstrong