Homes
June 3, 2012
Photo Gallery: The Bryk Family’s Home Makeover
See impressive before and after shots from the home of decorator Denielle Nicholas.
Danielle and Greg pose with their kids Dempsey, Ella and Billy, and their boxer, Lucky.
Danielle uncovered the hallway’s original brick wall during the renovation. She loved the texture, but painted it white for a crisp look.
This staircase was beautiful but tired.
Before Danielle renovated her entry, the heavy wood looked beat up and made the tight space too dark.
Paint woodwork a crisp white for a uniform look.
The entry’s mix of clean white walls and dark hardwood flooring punctuated by a colourful Eames Hang-It-All sets the tone for the home.
Exposed wood floors are easy to keep clean.
The living room’s casual sectional seats a crowd. Instead of a standard coffee table, two occasional tables can be moved around to accommodate extra guests and impromptu dance parties.
An industrial-chic pendant offers contrast and personality.
“In our previous homes, we had blown out all of the walls in favour of an open plan, but I realized I found that type of living space distracting,” notes homeowner Danielle Nicholas. So in this house, the dining room was left separate for a sense of formality, but a rustic farmhouse table and eclectic pairing of mid-century modern chairs give it casual elegance.
Tour the rest of the house in our Online TV segment, or browse our photo gallery.
A mismatched, unadorned space.
Before Danielle and Greg renovated their kitchen, the cabinets were outdated and the linoleum floor was worn out.
Use salvaged beams for open shelving.
After structural and water issues demolished their home reno budget, Danielle Nicholas and husband Greg Bryk, from the W Network show Building Bryks, made cost-cutting decisions with their kitchen. Beams salvaged during the renovation became handsome but inexpensive shelves, and the poured concrete counters are virtually indestructible.
A room lacking colour and life.
The principal bedroom had a non-functional fireplace and limited closet space.
A bergere chair reupholstered in sky blue fabric adds a pop of colour.
To create an oasis of calm in a sea of chaos, Danielle layered shades of white in different textures — a pin-tucked duvet, a faux-fur throw, crisp marble tile — to give the principal bedroom visual interest while maintaining a singular palette.
An extra bedroom is converted into a spacious ensuite.
Danielle indulged herself in the ensuite with luxurious wall-to-wall honed travertine flooring and a floor-mounted tub filler. To balance the cost, she refurbished the home’s original clawfoot tub.
Blue walls were uninspiring.
Before Danielle renovated Ella’s bedroom, the plaster walls were cracked and the flooring was damaged.
A tiny kimono robe injects bold colour.
As in the kitchen, rustic wood beams saved during the reno’s demolition phase were cut down and stained by a carpenter to create storage and display shelves in Ella’s room.
A trendy yet timeless vibe.
Family heirlooms mix with sea and surf motifs in Dempsey’s bedroom.
House & Home February 2012 issue
Danielle Nicholas