{ Beach House Beauty }

Welcome to ComoxValleyDwellings.com!

We’re an online magazine for Interior Design and Renovations in the Comox Valley.

We, Kari Fisher and Bethany Pearce, would like to personally welcome you. We are beyond thrilled that this day has finally come. We have been getting major goose bumps over the last several months – we cannot express enough how happy we are to be here.

We’re not going to spend too much time distracting you from the very first feature, but we want you to know that you can find details about what we’re doing, who we are, and how to get involved by exploring the links at the top of this page.

Today is Tuesday, and that means it’s INTERIOR DESIGN HOME TOUR time! We love home tours, whether they be online, in person, or printed in a magazine. One of the greatest sources of inspiration for Interior Design and Renovations can be other people’s homes – real homes.

Our very first tour is actually Kari’s home. And it’s gorgeous!

Here’s Kari to give us the tour…

Enjoy.

~b

Greetings and Welcome to my house!  Photographing my home was a surreal and gratifying experience, and it is my pleasure to share it with you.

Living Room:

My husband Nolan and I consider ourselves expert DIY’ers and we got to work right away on transforming our space within days of moving to the Comox Valley. With a keen eye for hidden potential and a whack-load of creativity, this cozy beach inspired living room emerged.

{ Sweet Simple Sofa } – We purchased this sofa at a local second hand store, stripped it down, retro-fitted bead-board into the side panels, and then carefully painted the whole frame with a durable white paint.  The soft teal chenille upholstery for the back cushions was purchased from one of our favourite shops, “Buschlen Furniture”, in Courtenay’s trendy “Tin-Town” village.

{ Green Gem Cupboard } – Is Vintage Sears.  Nolan started by stripping the existing finish then applied lovely key lime green paint, installed new hardware, and replaced raised panel doors with fluted glass.

{ Farm Found Frames } – You may be able to find something like this at our local “Restore” on 10th street in Courtenay.  These pieces were painted a uniform flat black. For added distressed details, a reveal of the original wood frame was left around the individual panes.

I chose to use graphic black and white accents to add visual interest by adding contrast against the calming beach tones.  I also find that they are excellent neutrals that can be re-used when you decide to re-decorate…which I’ve been known to do frequently!!! The mixed collection of pillows in this room, most from Tab Imports, varies in texture and size to create a charming layered effect.

~Designer’s Tip – “When choosing accessories for your room, don’t be scared to invest in good neutral pieces, they are easy to re-purpose in any space.”~

Kitchen:

This photo is one of our favourites. What better way to capture a kitchen, than with movement? After all, a kitchen is rarely a still place!

{ TiskTask Table } – This classic enamel topped Baker’s table, complete with drawer, was a popular piece around the 40’s.  It lived in a rustic family cabin in Saskatchewan for many years before it came to live with me, and it is my favourite kitchen accessory.  I left the piece original, adoring the look of weathered antiques paired with classic white cabinets and modern stainless steel appliances…very eclectic!  Currently, the space under the table works well to store large canning equipment and provides convenient accessibility.

P.S. I love Canning – Beans, cherries, peaches, pears, blueberries, jams & syrups. We’re all about self-sufficiency, and having family of 5 we will eat it all… my daughter could polish off the peaches in days if she had her way!!!!  Where else can we purchase home created goodies? …. Comox Valley Farmer’s Market maybe? Leave a comment if you know where!

Dining room:

My dining room is modest, yet it can easily transform from an everyday eating hub, to an elegant dining area on special occasions.

{ Lovely Lined Linens } – I highly recommend popping into “Otter’s Kitchen Cove” on Comox Ave if you’re looking for long-lasting linens.  We stopped in recently and fell in love with table cloths by “Danica”.  Treated with Scotch-Guard, they are resistant to stains and have a starched feel that allows a seamless drape without access wrinkling or sagging.

{ Delightful Dining Ware } – If you’re a fan of Quality Foods in Comox, you probably know about the gem of a store located upstairs appropriately named “A Step Above”. Bethany and I saw a lovely display featuring black/white dining ware that would compliment any home, and make excellent investment pieces. If you don’t see it right away, ask a staff member. The displays are always changing, offering awesome selections.

~k

For the rest of the home tour, please visit our { Photo Gallery }
Today’s Photos were brought to you by:

Sarah Kerr Photography

Crystal Clear Photography

We want to thank our first sponsor, Tab Imports , in Downtown Courtenay for assisting us with our very first photo tour! If you’d like to get achieve this look in your own home, we suggest you pop in and speak with one of their knowledgeable staff members.

Thank-you so much for visiting us on our very first day. We welcome your feedback or questions.

pssst. What can you do here but not in a print magazine? Comment! We’d love to hear what you thought of this home tour. Other readers will appreciate your comments too – let’s get the conversation going :)

- see you tomorrow!

Tags: Home Tours, Projects + Ramblings