Today Kari is taking us to a lovely 40’s Craftsman Home in the heart of Courtenay. Like Kari, I adore homes from this era – and the Comox Valley is filled with them. These homes shine when given some special attention to bring them back into their former glory. Talented home owners, such as the owners of this home, deserve every bit of joy they receive from living in such a soulful home. Thanks for sharing your lovely home with us D & S!

Enjoy!

Hello Everyone, thanks for joining me!

The spirit of this Craftsman Cutie really captivated me, as well as the small details that give it a unique and cozy feeling.  Since the home is older, it exudes a certain kind of personality that is authentic and inspiring.  The home owner told me they found a meter stick in one of the walls during a renovation project which leads me to believe that every nook and cranny has a story to tell…if only these four walls could talk!

Living room:

{Super Suede Sofa} – The home owners have a young son, and for those of us that have small children, we know how important it is to have resilient fabrics for our furniture.  They’ve selected a great sturdy sofa with a soft suede finish that offers snuggling comfort and peace of mind durability, but doesn’t sacrifice style.  Tab Imports supplied us with some additional throw pillows, which helped to accent the neutral coloured sofa, and continue the red theme through the rest of the house.

~Designer’s Tip:~ ” There are many great upholstery fabrics available for families with young children, so keep the little ones in mind when selecting soft coverings for your furniture…you’ll be thanking yourself down the road!”

{Craftsman Coffee Table} – The design of this table lends itself to craftsman style, and mimics the existing architectural details throughout the home.   Accessorizing the table top can be tricky with little hands within grabbing reach; so these items were selected again from Tab Imports, with the kiddo in mind.  The wooden bowls are durable and can be filled with items that are kid friendly, and the whimsical birds can be quickly whisked away in the wicker tray if necessary.

Kitchen:

This couple and I share a love for older houses.  Before my husband and I moved to Comox we restored a beautiful 98 year old period home in the core of bustling downtown.  We were drawn to the home because of its quirky personality and architectural details that can be difficult to recapture in a newer home.  One of those rewarding details was the massive window behind the sink, like the one in this kitchen.  I used to peer out the window and mindlessly daydream while doing the dishes…I wonder if they do the same thing?

{Stunning Sunny Sink} – I LOVE a white sink in the kitchen, especially one surrounded by brick laid subway tile backsplash, beautiful wood countertops, and simple white shaker cabinets.  Also, how fantastic to have a deep window sill above the sink to perfectly perch freshly picked bouquets, and creating a stunning focal point for the room.

{Irresistible Island} – How handy and adorable is this portable island!  Having an island on wheels is a great solution for flexible storage, and provides an opportunity to re-purpose the unit in other areas of the kitchen when needed (use as a buffet at a dinner party).  The additional work surface is also an added bonus, and I love the vintage artwork and practical towel hooks.  The bead board panels and stainless steel top blend perfectly with the rest of the kitchen decor, and kudos to the home owners on choosing this fantastic red colour that really makes the accessories pop!

{Cute Cozy Corner} – This little corner showcases some of the fantastic original trims and mouldings that the home owner has decided to salvage.  The colourful artwork is captivating, and draws attention to this space.  This distinctive spot provides a perfect opportunity to display their charming kitchen collection.

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

Sarah Kerr Photography

We want to say thanks again to Tab Imports, in Downtown Courtenay for allowing us to use their fantastic accessories for this 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.

I adore some of the new home products coming out with a “Green” focus. We’ve seen sustainable bamboo curtains, hemp sofas, and new furniture hand-crafted with reclaimed lumber.

But I’m also a fan of all things “used”. My neighbour put it right when she said, “I could buy my son every eco-toy imaginable, but often the best ’green’ toy I could buy him is a recycled one.”  So.True.

It may be an earth-friendly (and budget-friendly!) option, but Second-Hand-Store shopping isn’t easy for everyone. It takes a good eye, lots of time, a broad imagination, and – did I mention a lot of time?. While I have deffinitly found some amazing pieces, I have spent too many precious hours just hanging around finding nothing.

oh, how this has changed.

Now Open in Courtenay - “Red Living – Recycled Everyday Design”

Every time I set foot into “Red Living” on Cliffe Ave in Courtenay I find treasure. No wasted time. No stretching the imagination. No hunting.

These guys have seriously done all the hard work for us! By hunting down faboulous pieces and displaying them in a design-savy way, they completely take the guess work out of incorporating recycled goods into stylish living.

Joey and Anthony (Tony) at ‘Red Living’ are a design duo you MUST get to know if you’re interested in Interior Design.  Originally from Ontario, Joey and Tony developed their eye for style in the design-forward neighbourhoods of Toronto. They have brought that knowlege here to the west-coast – providing our small community with a much-needed venue for all things Recycled Living.

Kari and I have a major design-crush on this store. We think you’ll like it too!

- RED LIVING -
“Recycled Everyday Design”
2790 Cliffe Ave.
Courtenay, BC
250-871-1325
www.RedLiving.ca

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!