Avenue Magazine: Inside a Warm, Modern Home in Bearspaw
SCID is thrilled to be featured in Avenue Magazine Calgary, November 2019.
Faced with the challenge of redesigning a lived-in space, a team of designers add brightness and warmth to a home that was dark and dated.
Featured in Avenue Magazine Calgary | Nov 2019 | Article by Nathan Kunz
LEFT: Designers Kristin Peila (seated) and Stephanie Charest. ABOVE: The bedroom design was enhanced by textured wallpaper and a leather bench.
Photographs by Jared Sych
Five tips for brightening and warming up a home
Not every home has ideal natural light. Designer Stephanie Charest shares her tips on brightening and warming interiors with limited sunlight.
Go beyond the glow. It may seem like a no-brainer, but bringing in a new light fixture can be essential to brightening a room. “Lighting is a game-changer,” says Charest. “It can completely transform a home and change the whole atmosphere of a room.” But don’t just think in terms of brightness. Replacing a dated and heavy fixture with something more streamlined and modern can be just as important as the light itself.
Don’t fear light fabrics. Sticking with the black leather and red woods popular in decades past can be detrimental to the feel of a living room. Light upholstery and natural woods are your friends when brightening up a space. With today’s stain- and soil-resistant treatments, light fabrics shouldn’t be something to shy away from, even if you have pets or children.
Small touches make a big difference. “I often hear new clients say their houses just don’t feel finished, and most often it is the finishing touches they’ve cut corners on,” says Charest. In the case of Baxter’s home, brass decor elements and area rugs, such as the cowhide in the dining room, add another layer of warmth.
Take the plunge with a fresh coat of paint. New paint is a quick way to change the feeling in a space. Try lighter shades to brighten a formerly dark room. In Baxter’s home, a fresh, light-grey spray treatment on the kitchen cabinets immediately added brightness.
Work with drapes to add warmth. Drapery can make a world of difference, adding softness as well as softening sounds and acting as a finishing touch to make a space feel warmer. “People are always amazed at the impact good quality draperies make in a home,” says Charest. “They add the warmth people are often looking for but don’t think they need.”