Decorating & Design
December 7, 2023
An Inside Look At Designers’ Own Rooms
We always love it when designers open the doors to their own homes for a peek inside their ‘natural habitats.’ These spaces not only reflect the designers’ creative freedom, but also illustrate the signature style their clients are drawn to. From Brian Gluckstein’s sleek black and white kitchen to Lynda Reeves’s cozy lakehouse dining room, scroll down to see how these experts’ designed their own spaces.
Fenwick Bonnell
Midtown Toronto holds a special place for Fenwick Bonnell, co-founder of Powell & Bonnell, a boutique design firm and designer of luxury furniture, lighting and textiles. It’s where he lives, works and enjoys the nearby ravine and paths, where you can easily forget you’re in the middle of the city. “I’m a runner, so I like to get out and use the trails,” he says.
In the living room of his condo, a wall of millwork conceals a Murphy bed that can be pulled down to accommodate guests; a privacy drape blocks off the area when needed. “Not having a dedicated guest room means that you can have a bigger living space for the 350 days of the year you’re not hosting overnight guests,” says Fenwick.
Brian Gluckstein
The 2022 House & Home designer of the Year, Brian Gluckstein, with his partner Gary Sarantopoulos, in his newly renovated kitchen.
Brian updated the traditional style of his 1913 kitchen by staining the wood cabinets a dark, smoky brown and swapping out the Gothic fretwork for something cleaner. “I elevated the fireplace so you can see it from anywhere in the kitchen,’ Brian says. “In the winter, it’s wonderful to have that fire going when it’s snowing outside.”
“I don’t want a shiny perfect able,” says Brian of this English breakfast table in the kitchen nook. “The patina makes it special and shows the way we live.”
Jo Levitan
Jo Levitan with her husband, Sam, and their daughters Lou (left) and Stella renovated their home with the help of her design partner, Maayan Kessler. When Jo came across a midtown Tudor-style house she called Maayan. It was clear they were on the same page: the look would be modern European — they’d keep enough of the original architecture to preserve the character, then gut the rest.
Although Maayan leans toward an open, modern look, Jo skews traditional. “We come together on a lot of our aesthetic choices,” says Jo. They added to the existing crown molding and introduced chair rails and panelling. Antique pieces and heated black and cream checkered floors provide a warm welcome in the foyer.
New wall panelling and a vintage Italian chandelier complement the dining room’s original leaded glass windows.
Sappho Griffin
Designer Sappho Griffin, principal of Henhouse Interiors, stumbled across her new home in Bedford, N.S., in 2017. Built in the 1940s with original details like the decorative plaster ceilings still in place, the raised ranch house has two bedrooms (each with its own lounge) on the lower level for their two teens, along with a laundry room, full bath and storage room.
Sappho splurged on a handcrafted table for the dining room. “I’m attracted to color, but I kept reminding myself that this house is soft and quiet, like an English cottage.”
Olivia Botrie
Designer Olivia Botrie, principal designer of Toronto’s Dart Studio. and her husband Tim’s new, semidetached brick house. She worked her magic to transform the house into a dreamy dwelling that was polished but retained its century-old charm. “I like it when houses are updated but look original and feel historical,” says Olivia of the six-month-long renovation. “The character was there, including all the original trim and molding, and we liked the configuration — it had two fireplaces!”
The standout is the English-style kitchen, a tea-sipping, pie-making charmer, where Shaker-style doors and historical green cabinets were inspired by Britain’s deVOL Kitchens. “I fixated on that khaki green early on,” says Olivia, referring to Farrow & Ball’s Treron hue. “I love the look of it with the medium brown floors and the brass.” Her overall design goal was to create a kitchen that felt lived in and warm. “Like it had been here forever,” she says.
Kyle Timothy Blood
Kyle Timothy Blood (shown right) wanted to reflect the rich history of the picturesque Prince Edward Island farmhouse he and husband Dean Perry calls home. For the Maine-born NYC designer, this Victorian farmhouse with a rich history was calling their names.
The kitchen was the only space that underwent a full renovation. A dividing wall was removed to create one larger area and a local craftsman was enlisted to build new cabinets. “While trying to find the perfect putty shade for the cabinets, I was initiated into — and tormented by — P.E.I.’s deceptive, beguiling light,” says Kyle. “Nineteen sample pots later, we found a winner.”
Lynda Reeves
For Lynda Reeves, the renovation of her 100-year-old lakehouse was a labor of love. “It’s so grand, and yet casual — warm and inviting, supremely comfortable and totally romantic.”
The dining table was made from a solid slab of Claro walnut, with chairs from House & Home’s line at HomeSense and two 1930s Murano glass pendants. Lynda houses her dishes in the armoire from Provence, while the art is by Hunkpapa Lakota artist Dana Claxton of Saskachewan.
Nyla Free
When renovating her own Calgary home, designer Nyla Free says the biggest challenge throughout the renovation was making choices that excited her professionally but also worked for her family. “I learned just how humbling the process is,” says Nyla, pictured here with (from left) Ava, Mya, Lola (the Frenchie) and Cory. “To be on the other side of what I do with my team every day — from a marriage and family perspective to the relationships with trades and even within my own team — we all grew through this process.”
Nyla chose two glass chandeliers to emphasize the length of the dining room. A striking photograph by Jane Ibbotson adds drama to the space.
Gillian Gillies
The kitchen in designer and Edinburgh expat Gillian Gillies’ homes nearly doubled in size to 215-square-feet during her renovation to host as many family members and friends as Gillian can handle. Roomy cabinetry houses glasses, oversized baking dishes and small appliances, and drawers below store tableware and Gillian’s beloved kitchen linens.
Tour the traditional kitchen on H&H TV.
Gillian wanted her kitchen to work with the other rooms in her home, something she encourages all renovators to consider. “It’s about knowing and owning your own personal style,” she says. “Ours had to be inviting and relaxing, with touches of quintessential British eclecticism.”
A small dining nook off the kitchen is perfect for two. “Everyone loves a window seat so, during the renovation, we pushed out the window and created one,” says Gillian. The antique pine drop-leaf table was shipped over from Edinburgh.