Decorating & Design
Step Inside A Whimsical Home With Eclectic Style
Updated on July 27, 2020
After living in Manhattan for 12 years, former model Quinn Cooper and her entrepreneur husband, Mike Baker, were ready to move back to Toronto to be closer to friends and family. They had 18-month-old daughter Ryan in tow and another, Cleo, on the way, but they were in no rush — first, they wanted a comfortable home to move in to. Sooner than expected, they found and purchased the perfect place, an almost 3,600-square-foot stone and stucco house in Forest Hill, a sought-after neighborhood just above midtown.
Andrew Hill and Jennifer Kudlats of StudioAC led the design with Quinn weighing in from New York, with a goal of transforming the dated and drab interiors into modern and airy spaces. “I wanted a home where the girls felt like they could go into every room and touch everything,” says Quinn. Ten months later, the job was done. Today, the home’s now cleaner and more contemporary architecture artfully dovetails with Quinn’s eclectic, playful decorating — which she’s parlayed into an interior decorating business all her own.
Scroll down to tour this wonderfully whimsical home!
“It took a long time to find the pink sofas for the living room,” says Quinn. “I wanted something light and easy in the first room you see when you walk in the house.”
A long black table adds drama in the dining room. It’s paired with mid-century modern Danish chairs that were purchased in L.A.
In the kitchen, engineered European white oak flooring continues up the wall and overhead to define the space. The 12-foot-long island is wrapped in Neolith, and white lacquered cabinets and subway tile make for a simple backdrop.
Mike, Quinn and their daughters, Ryan, 5, and Cleo, 3, in the breakfast area. Quinn created a simple light fixture with a vintage fishing net and hanging bulb.
In the family room, the ceilings are 10 feet high and the sectional is 12 feet long, so Quinn searched for art that wouldn’t look too small. A series of six Max Wanger prints solved the problem while adding a dose of color to the otherwise neutral room.
In Ryan’s bedroom, a bunk bed with curtains and whimsical accessories amp up the fun factor. The Eeyore artwork is from a street vendor in New York.
Quinn selected the Calypso Dancers wallpaper in Ryan’s bathroom on a whim. “I like everything to have a bit of an edge and feel cool, or even weird.”
A gray coverlet and braided wool rug complete the principal bedroom with cozy layers.
The seating area effectively turns the space into a second family room. “This room and the family room downstairs get the most use,” says Quinn.
StudioAC designed solid wood vanity drawers for the principal bathroom as a nod to the flooring. A double-sided fireplace clad in natural stone can be enjoyed from the principal bath or bedroom.
Stephani Buchman
House & Home April 2020
Architecture and design by StudioAC; Interior decorating by Quinn Cooper