Decorating & Design
Makeover: A Bland Montreal Home Gets A Major Style Boost
Updated on June 1, 2020
What happens when a talented designer takes on a major reno for her spunky sister? A stunning house with a style all its own. Designer Mélanie Cherrier of Blanc Marine Living knew her sister Julie’s home needed to be bold — and a bit spicy — because her style is far from subdued. “We were after un design racé — a racy design, something very sexy but also classy,” says Mélanie. To achieve the look, she paired saturated hues with vintage accessories and contemporary furniture.
Today, the reinvigorated 5,000-square-foot home has shed its former flatness. And with the reno finally wrapped, the sisters couldn’t be happier. “It’s like I’m living in a magazine,” says Julie. Click through and slide the arrow on the images to see the incredible before and after.
The renewed entryway’s transom window, classic checkered floors and panelled walls give it loads of character. Previously boring beige, the deep plum-colored walls foreshadow the dramatic hues found throughout the home. Julie chose the vibrant contemporary poster as a foil to the antique credenza.
Frida Kahlo presides over a jewel-toned velvet settee, a dusty blue rug and a beaded chandelier just off the front entry. The eclectic room is a popular gathering spot for guests during parties.
Mélanie sourced the sunroom’s arched interior windows at a salvage shop and had the frames sanded down and refinished. They’re painted on one side and left with the wood exposed on the side facing the sunroom.
Here is Julie in the new sunroom. This space was designed to be a serene place for the family to unwind, so there’s no TV. New windows flood the room with sunlight.
The deep green walls of the powder room have a historical feel that complements the glass-fronted cabinet the family uses to store linens and bathroom accessories.
Juliette and Justin enjoy breakfast at the peninsula, but other meals take place around the rustic kitchen table in the adjoining dining area. “We wanted to create a sense of togetherness,” says Mélanie. She designed the kitchen to feel as open as possible, “without a beast of an island at the center.”
The spacious dining area is open to the kitchen. The medley of dining chairs is a happy mix of styles and design eras.
Pale walls and floors set off the elegant armchair and luxe, blue velvet headboard in the principal bedroom. “We had so much fun mixing and matching posters for this collection,” says Julie of the room’s three-piece art wall. “We put them in cheap antique frames that I just love.”
In the newly created principal bathroom, black walls, coordinating marble-look floor tiles and a dramatic shower enclosure are edgy and striking. (The tiles on the shower floor are the same ones used behind the oven in the kitchen.) A wooden vanity softens the high-contrast color scheme.
In daughter Juliette’s bedroom, thin, decorative bricks cover a previously plain white wall. The bricks have genuine cement and mortar joints to give the illusion that they’re original to the home.
André Rider
House & Home April 2018
Mélanie Cherrier, Blanc Marine Living