BARE NECESSITIES
Industrial chic meets California cool in a Toronto interior that puts comfort above all else.
Industrial chic meets California cool in a Toronto interior that puts comfort above all else
love being in the house barefoot,” says Lynne McEachern of her west- end Toronto home. “The rugs are plush to walk on, the sofas are comfy to cuddle up on and our bed is hard to get out of in the morning.” Lynne and her husband, Hamid Arabzadeh, purchased their 3,400square-foot turn-of-the-century house 11 years ago after transplanting from Boston. The Canadian couple – she grew up in Halifax, he’s from Montreal – work in the tech industry and their careers have taken them all over the world, including London, where they met. When it came time to settle back in Canada, they decided to try out Toronto. “We liked the layout of the city, which reminded us of London, with all the great neighbourhoods,” she says.
When the couple found this house, they loved its trendy location as well as its open plan and move-in-ready status – the space had been given a distinctive loft- style look, featuring cherrywood, slate and concrete by its previous owner. “In Boston, we had just completed a painful two-year reno and really didn’t want to go through the process again,” says Lynne.
But after living in this home for 10 years, the couple – who now share the house with their twin eight-year-old sons, Aidan and Camden – craved a change, wanting to give the dark, masculine interior a fresh pick-me-up. “We
had made a few updates over the years,” says Lynne. “We tweaked the kitchen, updated part of the basement, added a room upstairs and built a new garage. But then, the house needed more light and a look that better reflected our California coastal style.”
To achieve an airy, beachy feel that still honoured the home’s loft-like urban character, the couple hired designer Jacquelyn Clark. As former editor of Style Me Pretty Living (the design arm of the popular wedding website Style Me Pretty) and the writer of her own lifestyle blog called Lark & Linen, Jacquelyn has gained a solid reputation for her savvy design sense. “I trusted her eye,” says Lynne. “I was familiar with her blog, and I like how she’s curated her look.”
Jacquelyn brightened the space by refinishing certain architectural details, such as bleaching the floors and painting the dark wood ceilings white, while leaving other features – the big beams, exposed brick and wrought-iron railing – striking a beautiful balance between coastal and industrial. “I wanted to showcase the existing structure,” she explains. “The hardwood and exposed brick add a bit of warmth.”
Jacquelyn employed a neutral palette throughout the house, with a few hits of watery blue to achieve that coastal look, while clean-lined furnishings offer calming consistency and deliver comfort. “The more modern furniture plays off all the rustic architectural details,” says Jacquelyn. “They’re a young, busy family, and I really just wanted to create a space that felt simple, elegant and timeless.” The barefootfriendly comfort is an added bonus.