News — kitchen

A Toronto designer escapes an overheated housing market and creates her own perfect weekend escape on the cooler shores of Lake Huron. I just knew this was it!” says Toronto designer Tiffany Piotrowski, describing her first visit to the cottage. “It was only the second property I saw, and I put in an offer right away.” Other prospective buyers with less imagination may not have felt the same way. The interior left much to be desired, with dark wood panelling, popcorn ceilings, and orange and brown patterned carpeting. However, the location couldn’t be beat: the 800-square-foot cottage was just two...

Emma Hatfield Watkins’ use of a subtle palette and thoughtful touches brought the character back to her elegant, much-loved 18th-century property. When Emma Hatfield Watkins’ husband, Iain, was a teenager and mowing his neighbour’s lawn to earn pocket money, he never imagined that, one day, he would buy the house he’d often admired from across the garden. Over the years, the property, which is surrounded by barns, has witnessed a number of reincarnations. ‘During the Seventies, an occupant sold the house and moved into one of the barns which they’d converted,’ explains Emma. ‘The surrounding garden was then divided up...

Black accents in bathroom design are modern and appear luxurious – they contribute to the bathroom with an incorruptible character. KEUCO offers a new finish in brushedblack where the furniture of EDITION 11 is concerned. The unobtrusive and rectilinear design of EDITION 11 furniture is characterized by an optic without handles. In addition to the vanity units, sideboards, highboards and lowboards are available with this new special finish. The noble matt black look exudes a secretive extravagance and at the same time gives the bathroom a comforting atmosphere. The haptic eminent, cosy, velvet matt quality is reflected in a special...

WEATHERBOARD WALLS AND WHITEWASHED INTERIORS HAVE BREATHED NEW LIFE INTO A FIFTIES HOUSE, TRANSFORMING IT INTO A RELAXED COUNTRY HOME WITH AN EAST COAST FEEL. With its weatherboard cladding, peak-roofed dormer windows and Atlantic grey exterior paint, this house would look at home in a New England town on America’s East Coast. In fact, it’s tucked down a narrow track in a hamlet in the heart of the Chiltern Hills, close to Marlow and with views across open countryside. It’s home to Sue and Tony Blakeley, who spotted it three years ago when property renovation expert Sue was looking for...

THE BACKSTORY When deciding whether or not to renovate your kitchen, there are always reasons to put it off — despite growing collections of dog-eared magazines. For the couple who live in this Vancouver home with their oneyear-old son, having an open-concept kitchen with plenty of seating and kid-friendly finishes were the main motivators to finally take the plunge. “At the top of their list was a large island with seating and a designated bar area,” says designer Melanie Finkleman, who runs the Vancouver firm Hazel + Brown Design with her husband, Ben. With three boys of her own, Melanie...