“My late husband and I wanted to live in a beautiful house with good bones,” she says. But that doesn’t mean there was no work to do in this 1950s bungalow.
The original, sectioned-off main living space was opened up, and in went the main floor’s feature piece: a large black walnut table custom made by Holly Carmichael of Truwood Artisans. “We actually designed the room around the table. Holly came in before the renovations were done to determine its exact size and placement, to ensure it was perfectly centred under the lights.” High-end style and comfort was key to the design. Mertz Plumbing & Heating retrofitted a hot water system that radiates heat from under the soft cork floors. In addition to redoing all the windows and doors, Marchand Houston added a front hallway to reach the former front garage, now a workout studio, as well as a multi-tiered deck and new detached garage out back.
“There are many great builders and plumbers and wood workers, but we wanted companies that can really balance comfort and style. We were looking for a certain lifestyle, which includes having many people over and making a mess — especially my husband. I wanted to make sure it wasn’t what I call a ‘suck-your-teeth’ house, where you’re constantly worried that someone’s gonna hurt it. It’s got cork floors that the dogs can’t hurt. It’s got quartz counters that nobody can hurt. It’s even got laminate doors.”
It’s an undeniably modern home, but in the warmest, livable sense, filled with lots of local art. “We had this guy in his 30s over, not long after we completed it. He said, ‘I didn’t think you would have a hipster house, I thought it would be like my mom’s house from the ’80s.’ And I said, well, I’m not your mom.”
Ballet Edmonton’s Home Tour successfully took place on September 18 & 19, 2021. This annual fundraiser allows patrons to see inside custom homes while supporting the arts in Edmonton.
This article appears in the September 2021 issue of Edify
This content was produced in partnership with the advertiser by Odvod Publishing for commercial purposes.
