INSPIRED DESIGN
Home renovator finds examples of her ideal look using Pinterest
Goretti De Matos knew what she wanted out of her newly-built living space, and she felt she didn’t need an architect or design expert to help her express her own style.
De Matos flipped through several interior design magazines but mostly relied on the popular photo sharing website Pinterest to find inspiration for her new space she imagined as modern rustic.
Pinterest is a virtual smorgasbord for design lovers. Simply plug in “home design” in the search bar and thousands of images pop up, giving decor enthusiasts a mountain of ideas at their fingertips. The user can simply create a personalized page to compile all the examples.
“I like the idea that you can type in a few keywords, I usually have an idea in my head, so I just need someone else to put the idea together,” said De Matos, who said the decision to forgo a designer was also a cost-saving measure.
De Matos and her husband had been living in their century-old Overbrook home for 10 years. Now with two young children in the household, they decided they needed more space. And given they have a double lot, they were able to build an addition — their second renovation — to their home with the help and guidance of EUROPRO Construction & Interiors.
“When we built the first addition we spoke to architects and it seemed like a lot of money and I have an idea of what I like and so I felt like it wasn’t necessary. And also it was the same builder as the last time, so we felt we had a good enough relationship that we could go back and forth (with the builder).”
The original section of the traditional, two-storey three-bedroom home now transitions into a new living space with birch hardwood floors, dramatic 21-foot ceilings with a wall of windows, a loft and basement play area for the kids. A skylight — with an exterior dormer design to match the windows from the original section of the home — allows more light to stream through.
One of the focal points of the room is the custom ceiling under the upper loft made with reclaimed wood. The rustic detail, with recessed pot lights, adds a warm element to the modern space.
“One of the things I saw on Pinterest I really liked was the idea of barn board on the ceiling ... it’s from an amazing reclaimed wood store called Atmosphere et Bois.”
The store’s showroom is located in a rebuilt 1870s barn in Manotick. The manager, Arnaud Mockel, says their product — whether used for tables, walls, mantels or floors — is popular because recycled wood tells a story.
“There is a story behind the reclaimed wood because we are not only selling barn board, we sell also other types of old wood from Europe and from Canada,” said Mockel, who says his prices average $6 or $7 per square foot.
“So every time we are selling wood we are telling a story to the customers and they love that because they feel conscious of what’s happening. They are not cutting trees and using new wood from the forest, every wood was used before for something else.”
Another focal point in the room is the large wood-burning fireplace with a mantel. De Matos knew she wanted a modern look and worked with the contractor to draw up a plan. But she felt the original design was too simple, so she went back to Pinterest and looked for examples that incorporated wood storage.
“I typed in ‘fireplace with mantel and wood storage’ and I got this idea with the little nook to put the wood in by the fireplace, so it was more substantial than the original design and — it’s both nice to look at and it’s also functional because the firewood is right there, you can just pop it into the fireplace.”
They hired local company The Painter’s Daughter to paint the tricky space; and the furnishings were pulled together through a variety of retail options.
The two-toned geometric area rug and the two modern farmhouse-style pendant lights were purchased through Wayfair.ca, which offered door-to-door delivery.
The beige sofas are from The Bay, the large coffee table was purchased through Kijiji, and she purchased mid-century-modern side tables through local furniture refinisher Vanier Moderns.
Now that De Matos has turned her inspirations into reality, she is inspiring others who are drawn to the details, particularly the barn board ceiling.
“People are pretty impressed — we had a birthday party for our daughter and people were coming in and asking ‘can we take pictures, I’m inspired to do something like this at home,’ so that’s exciting.”