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yesterday & tomorrow by MARGARET ANNE FEHR photos by DUALITY PHOTOGRAPHIC
MAKE IT HOME ACHIEVES SHOW HOME AMBIENCE
It was 1987 when Suzanne and family bought their St. James bungalow, a fashionable show home that served the family well for over 30 years. Life unfolded, their child grew up, but sadly Suzanne’s husband recently passed leaving her to contemplate her ‘what’s next’ situation and how to move on while honouring the past. “I thought about moving, but looking around I realized that the features I wanted were pretty much what I already had. It’s a single level with an attached garage so that was a major advantage,” says Suzanne. There were many features in the 1250 square foot bungalow that boded well for creating an accessible floor plan that would allow Suzanne to age in place for years to come. “There wasn’t anything in the market that would be any better than my present situation so I decided to go ahead with a full-scale renovation to create that show home feeling of 30 years ago.” Suzanne sourced Doreen Gauthier, President of Make it Home LTD, to navigate the renovation and the process was officially underway! “When I hooked up with Doreen, I had a good sense of what I wanted 16
Home Decor & Renovations | June–July, 2020
but working with her, everything just became more elevated!” The first step of the renovation was to remove the non-supporting wall between the kitchen and living room/ dining room that allowed natural light to infuse the space. “It was always so dark before,” recalls Suzanne, “but now it just glows with light!” The new kitchen configuration and the centrepiece island have created lots more surface space for prepping, cooking and congregating. The island houses a sink, dishwasher, multiple storage drawers and a pair of cupboards on the opposite side. The island is topped with a 9 foot quartz counter that is a sparkling melange of taupes and browns and the overhang provides ample seating for three. The island is defined with a Taupe Fedora hue that provides subtle contrast with the Soft Chamois of the painted maple cabinetry on the perimeter. The textured 3” by 12” Marlow subway tile called Desert defines the backsplash. The rear kitchen window was replaced with a sliding patio door to the deck while the standard back door became a window, both contributing to an enhanced backyard view and
AFTER