Grace Street Victorian: Chapter Two
Early on in our renovation, we decided to replace all the windows to help insulate the house. This made a HUGE difference in the overall brightness and gave us an early glimpse of what the house would eventually look like.
The Main Floor Part 2
The existing kitchen was in perfect condition since it had been used as a show kitchen, typical of houses from that era. It was in mint condition, including the “whisper quiet” KitchenAid dishwasher from the 70s. We utilized these appliances and enjoyed more storage than someone in their 20s in downtown Toronto could dream of.
KITCHEN: BEFORE
KITCHEN: AFTER
Reluctant to give this up as big cooks, we decided to expand further. By turning our newly opened-up kitchen into a galley with a peninsula, we optimised the layout exponentially. This allowed us to open up the “top” half of the kitchen completely on one side (except for the decorative picture ledges I turned into cookbook shelves). On the other side, we had open shelves, which, for a maximalist cook like me, offered more than enough storage space.
As an avid organiser, I believe in decanting my pantry ingredients, so they are displayed on the open shelves, showcasing a very real part of my life. Working within my budget, I decided to mix custom elements with IKEA products, and I am quite happy with the result. This collection has simple velvet-finish fronts with integrated handles that don't eat into the storage. For elements I couldn't get from IKEA, I balanced the white with a white oak veneer in a rift cut. This allowed me to integrate our panel-ready Fisher and Paykel fridge, among other things.
KITCHEN: DURING
KITCHEN: AFTER
The great thing about IKEA kitchens is the extensive customization options. If you have the budget for full custom, that will always be my preference, but when limited, mixing in IKEA is an easy way to save. We used quartz for our counters and selected a finish that is tone-on-tone with everything else. Black accents help ground the kitchen, and our modern bridge-mount faucet was a splurge, but after much debate, I am thrilled we went for it.
KITCHEN: BEFORE
KITCHEN: AFTER
Another splurge was the backsplash. It may be hard to believe, but my partner Merrick and I installed this Cle Tile zellige backsplash ourselves. The imperfections add to the beauty of these tiles. It was not a simple task, but it's an important part of the character of the space since it is an all-white kitchen.
KITCHEN: DURING
KITCHEN: AFTER
One of the biggest hurdles and “mistakes” we made on this project was altering the footprint of the extension. At the time, the extra few inches felt crucial, but this decision caused more headaches than I care to think about! We had to go through the Committee of Adjustments—a tedious and treacherous process—and the added cost didn’t really make sense in the end. Lesson learned!
What we did gain was a light-filled back mudroom with a laundry area and a powder room. Though the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze, these add-ons were a luxury we loved. I am a HUGE fan of the upstairs laundry room since it makes the chore much less tedious when it isn’t down in the basement.
EXTENSION: DURING
POWDER ROOM: AFTER
Our next kitchen will be in sharp contrast—just wait for all the colour our next house will bring. Having the opportunity to play with different styles is my FAVOURITE part of the job, and we are taking a big leap from this style to the next.