HAPPY PLACE
A decorator and contractor lift an old house out of its funk to create a pleasant abode for their family of six.
A decorator and a contractor lift an old house out of its funk to create a pleasant abode
Jennifer Reid and Chad Kulchyski know how to turn a frown upside down. From booboos to boy trouble, the parents of four kids under the age of 16 have had plenty of practice. The decorator and contractor duo is equally adept at uplifting the spirits of a drab home, and their 2,500-square-foot abode in Toronto’s Armour Heights neighbourhood is a case in point.
“It was too nice to demolish, but every room needed renovating,” recalls Jennifer of the 1950s build she and Chad bought in 2016. The couple stripped the home back to the studs and rebuilt it with style, starting with a bright contemporary backdrop of white walls, black-framed windows and engineered oak flooring. Then each room got some special attention: “I wanted a bit of drama in the kitchen,” says the decorator, who achieved it with contrasting cabinetry, oversized pendant lights and a graphic mosaic backsplash. The living room was reimagined with a new marble-tiled fireplace facade and a parade of cheerful accessories; the dining room with stunning custom furniture and a geometric chandelier.
And that pink sofa in the master bedroom? Jennifer calls it an epiphany. The rest of the decor, including sharp black and white furniture and custom-matted Etsy photography, fell easily into place from there. “I haven’t changed a thing. That speaks to how well it works – especially for a decorator!” Jennifer says, proving that, like mom, decorator knows best.
“The master bedroom came together with complete ease. That’s how you know the design “is just right.