KM Decor: Our Second Home

We moved into this home in Fall 2011 and it has been a work-in-progress since then. As you'll see here, most of the house has yet to be completed. But, as I continue to make my way through the never-ending to-do list, I will make sure to keep you all updated with the changes. In the near future, I will also make sure to give you detailed posts on what I've done to these rooms and what is left to tackle on each room's to-do list.

Welcome to our home!

We live in a four bedroom, 2,300 square foot home on a corner lot in a new development in the suburbs of Ottawa, Canada. The exterior of our home has yet to be tackled, but it's in the long term plans - something we'll look to start within the next year or two. We did, however, replace the outside builder-grade lights to lantern-style lights instead. We also added upgraded soffit lights along the upper corners of the house.

Foyer

*In Progress*

The only change that we did to the foyer is change out the standard flushmount light to an orb chandelier. The new chandelier offers plenty of light and some visual interest as you enter the home.

Living Room

*In Progress*

To the right of the foyer is the open-to-above living room. We bought mostly new furniture for this room, with the exception of the coffee and end tables. We also reused the art over the sofa that we had in our first home. Plus, I also added black ribbon to the side lamps.

The artwork over the slipper chairs was a DIY project. I enlarged photos that I took in the winter of the garden where we were married and framed them. I wanted black and white prints that were inspired by a gallery, but had a hard time finding anything that appealed to me. So, this DIY project worked great in the space.

Because the living room is open to above, deciding on a window treatment that would be both functional and beautiful (and also within budget) was tricky. We decided to do custom curtains. The curtains are solely decorative, so we saved on a motorized rod. We decided on faux wood blinds that we ordered online, and installed ourselves. We keep the blinds on the upper window slightly closed so they still allow light and privacy at the same time.

Dining Room

*In Progress*

The dining room is just off the foyer and living room, and on your way to the back of the home. We haven't done anything in this room yet other than changing the light fixture to a sheer drum chandelier, hang an art piece, and install curtains. But, believe me - I have lots on my wish list for this room.

Powder Room

*Complete*

The powder room was the first completed project in this home. You can read more about the process here.

Family Room

*In Progress*

The family room is in the back of the house along with the kitchen and breakfast nook. This is another room that we haven't done much to yet other than decorating, adding some artwork and hanging curtains. But, we have lots of ideas for this space.

Kitchen/Breakfast Nook

*In Progress*

Although this house was built brand new, we made a huge number of changes to the kitchen to get it to look like it does now. You can read more about the process here. I also still have a few tricks up my sleeve that I want to do to this room also.

Master Bedroom

*Complete*

The master bedroom was the second room that was completed in our new home. You can read about the process including the wall stencil here. You can also read about the master closet makeover here.

Ensuite Bathroom

*In Progress*

The ensuite bathroom was very builder basic when we took possession, but soon after we moved in, we changed the light fixture, installed granite countertops, an undermount sink, a new faucet, and painted the beige walls a light gray. You can read more on the paint colour here.

Spare Room

*In Progress*

This room is the optional fourth bedroom in our house. Had we not upgraded, this room would have been a loft and open to the living room below. We are currently using this room as a bonus space and entertainment area combination. Eventually, we will repaint, change the couch, and make this room flow (compared to the way it works now).

Nursery
*Complete*

The nursery was a blank slate when we started with it (we used this room as a spare bedroom before we redid it). You can read about the complete reveal here. This room saw painting, lattice wainscoting, new lighting, and several DIY projects.

Home Office

*Complete*

The home office is in the fourth and smallest bedroom in our home and was completely empty before starting the room makeover. You can read about the complete reveal here. This room saw painting, DIY curtains, a gallery wall, and a reupholstered desk chair.