MAKEOVER IN THE GLEBE
Victorian home updated
Planning a renovation can be an exciting new adventure. Homeowners have the opportunity to transform old dilapidated homes into classy contemporary structures, or perhaps unveil a clunky dining room’s true beauty. For Shoshanah Deaton, it meant undertaking a major renovation of her traditional Victorian home on First Avenue, in the Glebe.
“I had just inadvertently pulled off one more cabinet door in our old kitchen, and we recorded an all-time low of -2 C along its periphery. Our new furnace couldn’t keep up with the thermal losses, and on the coldest days, we could not heat our home above 16.5 C,” Deaton says.
“We didn’t want to spend any time in the back third of the house, and in any event, it was a death trap for our young kids and was off-limits to them because of an open stair plan that allowed them to fall into the basement.”
Deaton worked with Valerie Blasioli and Josee VanDromme at Amsted Design Build, a local renovation company. Amsted’s team focused on the needs of the young family and helped them find solutions to everything from storage issues to creating a private shower and dressing area within the main bathroom.
“We had always wanted a grand entrance that would belie our child-centric life and yet accommodate its dirt and chaos,” Deaton says.
Amsted removed the partial wall in the entryway and transformed the original gloomy entrance into a large foyer filled with light. A sleek black-and-white theme envelops the space and it looks and feels so much larger.
The team worked together to construct a centralized kitchen adjacent to a family room, dining room, mud room and breakfast area. The kitchen was also designed with dedicated “zone” areas; perimeter cabinets with work stations and appliances, island prep and seating, a butler pantry with small-appliance storage and a breakfast area with seating and concealed storage space were incorporated into the new space to enhance the family’s lifestyle.
Amsted deconstructed and rebuilt the existing addition from the ground up for comfortable year-round use. They also incorporated finishes and colour choices that respected the home’s Victorian roots, such as large plaster cove mouldings and central ceiling medallions.
After a year of planning and five months of renovating, the project was completed on time and on budget. The workmanship was incredible.
Deaton is now living very comfortably in her newer but still traditional Victorian home. The family enjoys their new dining room and showcase kitchen as well as a family room that overlooks their beautiful backyard.