Decorating & Design
June 29, 2020
This Makeover Proves You Don’t Need To Knock Down Walls To See Results
When it comes to a renovation, walls are usually the first to go. The easiest (and priciest) thing to do is to smash everything to smithereens, then start fresh. But designer Allison Willson did the very opposite: she radically revamped a home in Toronto’s sought-after Moore Park neighborhood without removing a single wall, and the results are extraordinary.
Her clients — busy professionals with two kids under the age of six — bought the five-bedroom house five years ago. Though stately, a pastiche of additions by previous owners had left the 4,000-square-foot house without a feeling of consistency or flow from a design perspective. Allison’s instinct was to create a “fresh and edgy take on traditional.” She retained the footprint (it already worked well) but rethought the function of some rooms and enhanced others. “I like to strike a balance in design — new with vintage, traditional with contemporary, texture with solids.”
Scroll down to learn more about this transformation, which was completed in just four months!
In the foyer, wallpaper and mouldings create “a textural layer that you’ll never tire of,” says Allison.
An inviting seating area in the living room is flooded with natural light from the bay window.
Natural fibers, from the jute rug to the caning on the cabinet, bring texture to this corner of the living room.
The living room fireplace once had flanking built-ins. “I wanted it to be a stand-alone feature,” says Allison. New panelling on the walls adds punch, and two radiators are fitted with custom metal consoles.
“Including a mix of new and vintage pieces, patinated accents, different textures, and playing with simple and ornate forms add to a more collected look,” says Allison. An oil-rubbed bronze pendant anchors the living room’s modern furniture.
In the dining room, durable vinyl on the cane-back dining chairs and banquette makes them kid-friendly. The pendant was fitted with frosted glass for a softer glow, and splayed sconces have a pleasing symmetry.
“You can kick your feet up and enjoy the dining room from this small seating area,” says Allison. “The bouclé fabric is super cozy.”
Custom cabinets with handsome ridge detailing refreshed the kitchen. “We used Caesarstone for the counters and backsplashes,” says the designer. “Though not a budget component, it’s practical and you’re not paying the cost of marble slabs. And we didn’t need to buy new appliances — that was a big save.”
A faucet and filtered water tap in a gold finish are a splurge in the kitchen.
New white oak built-ins and olive green grasscloth ground the family room and add warmth. The oak floors were refinished to calm down the original red tones.
The previously scrawny ceiling beams were reclad in fresh millwork.
Grasscloth, a fabric headboard and layered bed linens are pretty choices in the principal bedroom. “When you’re investing in wallpaper, sometimes it’s good to go neutral,” says Allison. “You can redecorate the room a few times without changing the walls.”
Patrick Biller
House & Home June 2020
Allison Willson