One room, three looks
Timeline Portfolio
I have always loved interior design and DIY. I was always redecorating my room and redecorating our family living room. I painted my bedroom at age 15 and sanded down a table (by hand) and stained it at age 16. I also reupholstered some dining room chairs and in my early 20s reupholstered some French Louis armchairs for fun. I love finding ways of decorating on a budget and that was uniquely me. All things French and vintage has always been my love.
Lately, I find myself gravitating towards more of a clean, modern aesthetic but my love of vintage will never die. I think a collected look with new and vintage is what makes a home truly unique and personal.
For me, my surroundings have always been so important. I need my spaces to be designed and organized in the way I live, to inspire creativity, and create calmness. I’ve created a haven in each tiny apartment I’ve lived in until the home I live in now.
Here is a timeline portfolio of some of my spaces throughout the years.
(You can see more details of all these homes on my blog)
2016-Now
Our current home is one that I thought I’d be moved from after a year or two but we’re still here. With a hot Vancouver real estate market in 2015, I put bids on three different houses and was finally able to make this one my home.
The main floor was completely gutted removing two walls in the kitchen, turning a small family room into the dining room, and gutting the two upstairs bathrooms.
2014-Whistler Townhome
Our townhouse in the ski resort of Whistler looks rustic on the outside but on the inside was very modern. It was fun to add some rustic-ness by adding a faux deer head with antique skis along with some old barn wood shipped up from the southern United States.
2006-2015
Moving from the westside of Vancouver to the North Shore (specifically West Vancouver) was a huge move for me as I was now away from my friends and the conveniences of downtown living. I’ve come to love the North Shore just as much as Vancouver now and Vancouver is only a short 5 min drive over the bridge (that is, with no traffic).
This house was a quick renovation project and many decisions needed to be made in a short amount of time before move-in day. There were many DIY projects that included painting the dining room three times, a last minute decision to spray paint the fireplaces and a few mini renovations along the way. There was a lot of unusable space in this house which made it unique but larger than it needed it to be. It was fun to make it into a home.
2006
2006 – My first full DIY house renovation was in 2006 with this beautiful 100-year-old custom built home that was so full of character. We did minimal renovations by removing the carpet (along with clay underlay!), removed layers of wallpaper, skimmed plaster walls, painted doors and trims in rooms where they’d already been painted and made sure to leave plenty of the character. I miss this home and this area on the westside of Vancouver near UBC.
1994-2006
1994-2006 I lived in so many different apartments in the Vancouver area and each one always had lots of character (hardwood floors, arched doorways, milk doors, and telephone nooks). I’d beg my landlord to paint the walls and cabinets if they needed it apart.
My first home purchase was a very cool loft in False Creek. It was the first modern place I’d lived in as an adult and the views of downtown Vancouver were amazing! I added character by adding an antique library ladder to my double story windows.
