My (Sarah) deer run estates house had amazing bones. There was already paneling on the walls and hardwoods throughout when we bought it. However, the style of the home was for a different audience – an older audience – and did not match our taste or aesthetic.

The before photos are from the real estate listing – staged by the previous owners. Their style was earthy and eclectic.

We painted a few of the major areas, making the house feel more modern – turning cream to white, and brown to grey (budgetary restraints kept us from repainting all of the beige walls a light grey/white). A huge part of this was the wooden banisters that were previously a cream colour and looked really ‘tired’ – it was a huge project but it was totally worth it! We then changed light fixtures, bought new furniture, and decorated and unpacked all of our worldly, trendy, and meaningful decor to showcase and bring us joy every day.

Light and Bright Home Office

Since I work from home, it was imperative that my home office be light and bright, and inspiring. Wallpaper and a feature wall modernized this space instantly. I then used art and plants to breathe more ‘life’ into it and then personalized it to my taste with decor.

Zen Out Space

I also needed a spot to relax and ‘zen out’, and so I created a ‘zen room’ out of our second living room. This room has large windows perfect for growing plants and could be sectioned off from the open floor plan using a unique furniture layout. Everyone should have a zen room!

Cozy Modern Master

We used a dark colour in our bedroom to make it feel like it was ‘hugging’ us. Behind the headboard, we used a textured mosaic wallpaper so the room didn’t feel like a dark box, and it is absolutely stunning when you walk in – I fall more in love with the space every time I enter. This was the same wallpaper used in the office.

Floral Spare Bedroom

The spare bedroom was decorated with a feminine flair. We purchased wall decals from Etsy, snagged some sheer pink curtains from a stager going out of business, and treated the room with a new Wayfair bedspread. We only painted the one wall dark so the room stayed really bright and welcoming.

Fire Place Room

The fireplace room was decorated more traditionally. The wall paneling went from cream to white and was like night and day. Outside of that we didn’t do any other cosmetic upgrades and instead styled and decorated it to be a ‘twist’ on the ‘formal living room’ – because there is nothing ‘formal’ about me! The overall concept was still rooted in nature with greens, florals, and antlers playing a big part, but then modernized with gold accents!

Travelers TV Room

Lastly, the basement TV room was decorated by ‘theme’. We had just returned from a trip to Africa in which we were really inspired. This room is ‘all things safari’ focused mostly on elephants! It is filled with souvenirs from our travels and a few add-in pieces to bring the room together. And the couch was a huge win on Kijiji (but it may be staying with the house when we sell since I am not sure we will ever get it back out!).

So take a peek! More photos below of the whole house including our dining room and patio! How long will it stay like this? We will never know! As a designer, I am always mixing it up.

BEFORE