For over a decade, Canadian designer Brooke Butler has been creating beautiful homes with the same guiding mantra in mind. “My goal is to design spaces that marry form with function and have a deep connection with nature,” says Brooke. In a recent cross-country move from Ontario to Alberta, Brooke brought it home in the transformation of a circa-1986 bungalow. The ranch-style house sits on a private golf course and is only one hour from Canmore. “It’s a rare blend of natural beauty and tranquillity within a city like Calgary,” says Brooke. As for the design style, it was evident from the first time she saw it. “I was drawn to this house for its mid-century modern vibe,” says Brooke.

See how Brooke weaves mid-century modern elements throughout her home, including the preservation of wood-clad ceilings, a sunken living room, a wood-burning fireplace and a handful of mid-century light fixtures. “My design approach is rooted in mid-century principles while my aesthetic is defined by clean, contemporary lines coupled with textures, materials and hues inspired by nature.”

We chatted with Brooke on her coast-to-coast move and what went into re-imagining this mid-century modern house. Scroll down to see the full transformation!

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Designer Jaime Polan Zimmerman of JPZ Interiors fell in love with this semi-detached Victorian house the moment she saw it. “It looked nothing like it does now, but its core foundation was absolutely remarkable,” she says. “There were high ceilings, stained glass windows and so much potential.” See how Jaime modernized each room of the house, including a beautiful marble kitchen, spacious walk-in closet and a fabulous home office for her design studio. Watch the full tour here!

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“We leaned into this British country manor home vibe,” says designer Emily Griffin of Griffin Houghton. In this Victorian house makeover, the design duo mastered the mix of new and old by restoring antiques, designing bespoke furniture and adding a two-storey addition. Favorite moments include the oak-panelled bar area, a great room with exposed beams and the airy principal bedroom with a peaked roof and marble fireplace. “We’ve always done traditional homes — it feels second nature to us!” says Emily. Get the full tour here!

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When this family outgrew living in the upstairs apartment of their triplex, they called on designer Nicole Lanteigne to help them turn the space into a duplex. “As time evolved and the family grew, they realized they needed the space for themselves,” says Nicole. Emerald green cabinets, custom wall paneling and a luxe black and white kitchen are some of the elegant design moments you’ll find inside. Plus, don’t miss the third floor which is now a cool kids’ hangout space. Watch the full tour here!

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When designer Emilia Wisnieski of Studio 1NINE1 first saw her client’s ground floor apartment in downtown Toronto, it lacked function and flow. See how Emilia used custom storage to define zones and create a luxe look with a neutral palette and soft, tactile furniture. Plus, don’t miss the bold laundry room! “Laundry is so boring, so why not make that space a little more fun and exciting?” says Emilia. Watch the full tour here!

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Good design is balanced, thoughtful and detail oriented. That’s the guiding mantra for Delia Mamann, a Toronto designer who recently helped her clients, a young family of four, turn their builder-basic house into a luxe retreat. When Delia showed up to their North Toronto property, it was a “beautiful, typical Toronto house but everything was dated,” she says. There was wall panelling in all the wrong places, sterile bathrooms and a kitchen that was stuck in the ’90s. Without making any structural changes, Delia reimagined each space with modern finishes, smart storage and plenty of cool, edgy moments — including hits of off black in almost every room.

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Designer Kate Dickson of Dickson Design Group knows the next trend is always around the corner, so when it came to designing her own house, she made sure to choose details that were timeless, yet modern and of the moment. See how Kate combines stylish elements with functionality in every space, including an eat-in kitchen island with heat-resistant porcelain counters and plenty of custom storage.

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“I wanted to create drama in this space,” says Designer Svetlana Tryaskina, principal designer of Estee Design Interiors. See how Svetlana used luxe finishes, durable materials and custom elements in her client’s two-bedroom apartment in downtown Mississauga. Watch the full tour here!

Presented by Valor Fireplaces

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When designer Jack Creasy was asked to design his friend’s Victorian house in Toronto’s east end, it was a hodgepodge of architectural styles. See how he infused the space with classic Victorian elements and South Asian influences. “I love drama and boldness — those jewel tones and deep saturated hues,” says Jack. The designer used custom millwork to maximize storage, conceal radiators and equip the house for holiday meals and cocktail parties! Get the full tour here.

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Trained to spot a gem, realtor Ruthie Shugarman saw potential when this 1970s-era waterfront Bowen Island cabin came to market in 2019. She and her lawyer husband, Danny, had long been searching for the perfect cabin in the Pacific Northwest to enjoy with their two teen children, Talia and Cooper, and this one hit all the right notes. Its clean-lined, three-story frame sat perched on Grafton Bay and captured perfect sunsets, while its almost 3,100-square-foot interiors, lined in cedar paneling with a 1970s galley kitchen in citrus hues, presented opportunities to riff on a design era Ruthie loved. It all went swimmingly—until the tide turned.

“At first, I embraced the little yellow kitchen,” says Ruthie. “It felt like a perennial pop of sunshine during the pandemic’s first cold, rainy winter.” But by the spring of 2020, the family found themselves spending more time here and Ruthie struggled to make the small space work. She tried adding updates like pastel-colored Smeg appliances—a pink toaster, an aqua blender, but it always felt wrong. “It started to feel like a lemonade stand,” she laughs.

The following spring, the couple made the decision: it was time for the cramped lemon kitchen to undergo a facelift.  She turned to friend and trained architect-turned-designer Jocelyn Ross of JRStudioworks. Jocelyn envisioned a space that felt both maritime-like without being kitschy, but also something that didn’t feel precious. Instead of eschewing the 1970s cedar, the designer leaned into it. Cabinets would be navy contrasted with white backsplash tile all framed in cedar.

We chatted with the architectural designer to find out how this kitchen went from bright to bold in a few key steps.

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