Decorating & Design
Step Inside A Georgian-Style Home With Classic & Contemporary Details
Published on April 6, 2021
Who says traditional design is stuck in the past? Not Toronto designer Lindsay Mens Craig. In this gracious Georgian-style house for a family of three, rich colors and mixed materials turn up the volume “The house has classic elements, in terms of the trim profiles and molding details,” says Lindsay, a partner at TOM Interior Design Studio, who designed the space for her former firm, Sarah Richardson Design, with assistance from Kelsey Eurig. “But I wanted to strike that balance between classic and contemporary.”
She met the homeowners, Shannon Curé and Frank Ieraci — she’s in fashion, he’s in finance — five years ago. “They’re young and fun, so I didn’t want the house to feel serious,” she says of the couple, who are in their early 40s and have a seven-year-old daughter, Victoria. “Shannon is quite stylish; I didn’t want the inside to be too stuffy.”
At the time, the family felt squeezed out of their 1,200-square-foot house. A hunt for new digs led them to Etobicoke, in Toronto’s west end, where they tore down a tired side-split to make room for a new house. Tucked deep into the lot beneath towering trees, the 5,000-square-foot brick home is classic Georgian, but cheeky details, like the soaring windows, look fresh.
Such drama required a special eye, which is why Lindsay was on the scene from almost day one, devising the layout, plotting the electrical plan and making overall decorating choices to ensure the house felt lived-in and inviting. “It seems a lot easier to put a design together than what’s actually involved,” says Shannon. “But it takes an eye like Lindsay’s to pull rooms together so beautifully. Her skill of mixing old with new is something I’ve admired from the beginning.”
Scroll down to see more of this charming traditional home!
In this gracious house for a family of three, the foyer is a piquant shade of beet. The black and white marble floors, laid out in a striking zigzag pattern, command attention. And just beyond, wallpaper in a stormy cloud motif sweeps across the dining room walls.
The painted-black dining table is a contemporary counterpoint to the opulent chandelier.
“It’s a dream to be involved from the beginning because sometimes designers think differently than architects and contractors,” says Lindsay of the roughly year-long project. “Designers think of the day-to-day things, like where an electrical plug is handy for a hair dryer.”
Breakfast is eaten at the 10-foot-long island, where durable outdoor fabric covers the stools.
High windows bring sunlight into the living room, where juicy teal fabrics offset the neutral furniture.
Lindsay planned for plenty of built-ins to show off the owners’ collection of family heirlooms. “The millwork makes the house feel cozy and complete,” says Lindsay. “And Shannon loves accessories and layers, and she makes it look effortless. As a traditional home, it makes sense stylistically.”
In Frank’s office, linen botanical-print drapery is a kicky contrast to gray millwork.
The retro still life on the landing complements the home’s overall color palette. “It had the blacks, charcoals and plums, and that amazing gold frame,” says Lindsay. You’d never suspect it was a steal from a vintage shop.
The traditional, divided-room layout creates lots of empty spaces that needed to be filled. Wall paneling gives the principal bedroom texture and coziness. “We painted it out in one color, so it doesn’t feel busy,” says Lindsay. Splashy art adds punch.
Antique glass sconces and an oversized mirror amplify the light in this airy bathroom.
Light-filtering linen drapery and an antique rug soften the principal bathroom.
The wallpaper was a splurge in Victoria’s budget-friendly bedroom, but the side tables were inexpensive vintage finds painted blue.
Small- and large-scale tile gives Victoria’s bathroom a push-pull energy.
Patrick Biller
House & Home March 2021
Lindsay Mens Craig; Architecture by David Small Designs