DREAM MAKEOVER
In Wellington West
Often, a family’s first house can’t be their dream home. Whether it’s due to financial complications or not finding a home that fits what you desire, sometimes the only course of action is to purchase a less-than-ideal home in a nice neighbourhood to make it worthwhile. For some folks, investing in a fixer-upper is a nice area is the way to go. After a time, you can renovate the property and transform it into your dream house.
For a young couple in the Wellington West area, it was a matter of gutting the home both inside and out. Their original house, while in a lovely neighbourhood on Granville Avenue, had a very traditional floor plan. Each room felt inaccessible and closed off from the next. The front door opened into an intrusive staircase, the kitchen had a lack of counter space and no room to work in, and the exterior needed a facelift. The space was certainly there and had the potential to be transformed into something with grandeur, but it needed a lot of work.
Amsted Design Build stepped in and helped transform the young couple’s impractical home into a household built for entertaining. Functionality and practical use of space was at the top of the list. Amsted’s solution was to create a unique space that started from the front door. Amested created a through-and-through sightline from foyer to backyard to visually expand the space. The addition of an open staircase with solid hardwood treads added to the spacious feel.
The kitchen now houses a large island with casual seating and access to a patio and terraced garden. The dining room features a coffered ceiling and stone clad fireplace with custom mantel. The hallway between the two doubles as a butler’s pantry with glass storage, wine fridge and serving counter. Vibrant paint colours take over the home’s interior, giving it a bright and cheery feel while reflecting the owners’ personalities, and the floors are laid out in tropical walnut and stone tiles throughout.
The home’s exterior underwent its own transformation, as well. The original brick was removed and replaced with stone and then prefinished board and batten and shingle siding was added to unify the old home and the new addition. In the end, the home had a unique cohesive feel that continued from the outside in.
Amsted helped a young couple transform a traditional home with a cottage feel and unique roofline into a stunning “arts and crafts” inspired home with new stone, siding, a functioning speakeasy and a welcoming walnut craftsman-style front door.