55
SPRING
2016
|
Not all homemakeovers require
a big
budget, teamsof tradesandmajordemolition.Whenmy
husband, two small children and I moved into this cute
Thornbury home five years ago, we arrived with big
dreamsand smallpockets. Luckily thebonesof thehouse
are solid, andwitha littleelbowgrease, paint and imag-
inationwe knewwe could create a cozy nest. The first
orderofbusinesswas toclearout thederelict furniture left
behind from theprevious tenant.
I readsomewhere thatacostumedesigner fora romantic
comedy cleverly added subconscious likability to a fe-
male character by dipping her entirewardrobe in light
pinkdye. Iwas inspired to trick thisuglyyellow living room
intobelieving it was a comfy, charming centreof life for
everyday family livingand entertaining.We choseBen-
jaminMoorepaint inCappuccinoFroth for thewallsand
Winter Sky for the trim. Bothhues contain subtlepink un-
dertoneswithout beingoverly feminine—addingwarmth
andcoziness to the space.
We sold the cumbersome gas fireplace, creatingmuch
needed space (anda little scratch towards the remodel),
but after removing thechimney,wewere leftwithaneye-
sore from theexhaust. It was thenwedecided tobuilda
fireplace,whichwouldbe the focalpointof the room.We
installed a no-fuss electric fireplace unit and built out a
housingboxwith2x4’s. Toachievea relaxedcabin feel
atminimal cost,wepurchasedboxesof thinveneer stone
tiles fromCityStone inThornbury.Available ineasy-to-in-
stall panels, the faceof this natural stone veneer gives a
non-uniform,uniquesurface toeachpiece.The installation
process was painless and the project was completed
within an hour or two.We now hada settingworthy of
showcasingour original JenniferWoodburn acrylic on
canvas painting “Never EndingSummer” (findmore of
Jen’sworkat the LoftGallery inClarksburg).
intoAHome
DIY
on a
Dime
WORDS
|
CARA WILLIAMS
PHOTOS
|
CLAY DOLAN
