The colour of the living room was a deep red with hues of purple and maroon, making the room seem small despite the large west facing picture window that lets in lots of afternoon light. The furniture was a mix match clutter of pieces collected over the years (I think the couch dated back to the early 90's… and I also think my Dad won it in a golf tournament)! The oversized wood finish pieces took over the room, blocking any sense of flow and space.
First thing we all decided on was to paint out all the walls; everything was painted out Benjamin Moore Decorator's White, except for the wall that housed the original stone fireplace. We decided to paint that wall Benjamin Moore "cement grey" to draw the eye to the feature wall and bring out the colours of the natural stone fireplace. What a difference the paint alone made, all of a sudden the room was brighter and airy, and made the oak floors stand out so much more due to the contrast in tones that was not there before.
We replaced the couch and area rug with two great finds from Homesense, and most of the accessories were found there as well. The couch is a more modern streamline piece that contrasts with the traditional wingback chairs. Two items that I knew I wanted to keep were the two wingback chairs my parents had selected when they were newlyweds. The chairs are a beautiful design and well made pieces, however the fabric was old and fraying. I went to Designer Fabric Outlets in Parkdale and selected a few fabrics to choose from. We all decided on a light grey and white one with a slight geometric pattern, and had them reupholstered by the talented crew at Gavinchi in Toronto. They did an amazing job and the chairs looks good as new.
For a budget renovation this space has completely transformed into a bright and spacious living room that touches on all of the amazing characteristics in the history of this home.
