Welcome to our 2014 home tour as part of the Canadian Blogger Home Tour 2014! I’m excited to be co-organizing this tour with Shannon of AKA Design + Life, and I’m happy to be giving you a tour of my own home today. In case you are new here, here’s a quick background on Our DIY House: We started building our home by ourselves in 2012 (we lived in an 800 square foot garage on our property previously). We moved in July 2013 and have been puttering around since then and working on the finishing details. You can see our basic floor plan here. We love our new home, but it’s definitely been a challenge to finish it on a budget and while we are raising 3 kids and while Hubby has his contracting business. Welcome to our work-in-progress!
Disclaimer #1: My house is never this clean all at once. These photos were all taken at different times. One of the reasons that I can tackle so many projects is because I put housecleaning on the back burner. Often. My motto is: “As long as it’s not filthy…!” I realize that this is a HORRIBLE housekeeping motto.
Disclaimer #2: I love my home, but I love my family more. When we were in our tiny house, we were perfectly happy. (Squished, but happy.) No matter the size or the state of your home, please know that it’s not your house that ultimately matters, but it’s the people inside. Designing and decorating my house are passions of mine, but if it ever burned to the ground (aaaaah!) I hope I’d remember that it’s just a THING.
Sometimes, I try to describe my decorating style in one or two words. I really can’t. (If you can, please comment at the bottom and tell me what it is!) My house’s style is some combination of vintage industrial, modern french county, and bohemian. I would also describe our home decor as very family and budget friendly. It’s all about happy colours, thrifty finds and unbreakables.
Welcome to Our DIY House in 2014! I’ll link to related detail & tutorial posts underneath the photos.
Exterior:
I chose a simple four square style house plan for it’s heritage look and for the fact that it’s simpler to build.
You’ll quickly learn that I’m a huge fan of teals and turquoises…
Our Front Entry:
When you walk in the door, you’re instantly greeted by a craftsman style staircase with dark ebony stained railings and white painted posts. My parents did all of the beautiful finishing trim work on the stair treads and sides.
We recently installed a shoe cupboard at our entrance and painted our door a striking black.
Our Living Room:
Our living room is the first room to the right of our entry that you see. It’s where we hang out the most. We have our TV and fireplace in this room, and I recently put a gallery wall around our TV.
The flooring throughout our home is a laminate by Allen + Roth from Lowe’s called “Provence Oak”. We totally love it and it’s great for pets and kids.
All of the furniture in this room is from our old house, and I’ve tried to give it new life with new DIY throw pillows and a light wall colour.
You can see the doors to my craft room / office at the end of the living room, and we have a little corner there with some chalkboard art and a wee craft table for the girls. Our fireplace and mantel were designed by me and my mom, and we built it ourselves.
My Office & Craft Room:
I love having an office & craft room on our main floor where I can supervise the kids or close the doors if needed. I love the unique pendant light in this room (here’s a post about all of the light fixtures in our home).
It houses my sewing machines and all of my crafty supplies.
Our Kitchen & Breakfast Nook:
Our vintage industrial kitchen is one of my favourite parts of our home, and we certainly spend a lot of time here! The cupboard are from Ikea and we designed the layout and installed them ourselves.
I made the colourful drapes, and the kid’s art wall is a curtain rod and clip rings.
The table was passed down to me from my mom and I painted it with DIY chalk paint, and the stools were also painted with chalk paint.
Coffee Nook:
There’s a fun little nook across from our powder room and between our kitchen & formal room that I’ve made into a dedicated coffee area. I love it! It’s my little oasis in a houseful of babies and kids.
Our Formal Front Room:
This room is still a work in progress, but here’s a shot of a side of it that is done. It’s the room you see as you walk in our home to the left of our entry.
My vision for this room is to have it be a formal, pretty room that’s mostly for adults. All of the other rooms in our home are very kid-friendly, so I thought it’d be OK if there was one that was more for us adults.
The settee is from Henry’s in Edmonton, and the table was upcycled and painted. I have two vintage side chairs that I need to paint and reupholster to go in this room too.
Little C’s Bedroom:
Little C’s room is one of the most… electric in our home. She chose the jaw-dropping purple paint, and we worked on the hot pink and turquoise accessories together.
The dresser is upcycled and painted, I glued fabric to the black-out shades, and we modified her bed slightly.
Little A’s Bedroom:
I secretly love Little A’s bedroom the best out of all of our bedrooms. It’s just so darn cute, and I love the colours!
I made her teepee play tent, recovered the rocking chair, and made the monogram artwork.
Baby B’s Bedroom:
I also love Baby B’s boho-inspired nursery. We found out we were pregnant with her the same weekend we moved into Our DIY House, so we were certainly thankful we had built a four bedroom home!
The quilt was made by me, and inspired the colours in the room.
I moved the rocking chair from Little A’s room to Baby B’s room, and did the same treatment to the black out shades as I did to Little C’s shades.
Our Master Bedroom:
Our master bedroom is also still a work in progress, but I recently did a quick finishing of our bed and side table area.
I find the neutral tones so calming and serene. We are currently working on finishing our walk-in closet and ensuite, and hopefully we’ll have those done soon so we can enjoy our little “retreat” fully! It’s wonderful so far considering we didn’t really have any space for ourselves in our little house.
Other current “in progress” rooms in our home include our front porch, laundry room, powder room, and kid’s bathroom. We also still need to caulk and paint all of our trim and doors (a job I find incredibly boring, but I know it will make the house look even better).
Thanks for coming along for my home tour! I’m sure we’ll be working on it bit-by-bit for a while, but we are enjoying the process of making it truly ours.
Please follow along with the Canadian Bloggers Home Tour, and visit each of these talented bloggers on their home tour days:
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
chris says
August 18, 2014 at 7:16 amOmg what an amazing house….I am on a similar journey to yours…these things take time. thanks for putting on a great house tour…
Chris
chris recently posted..Canadian Bloggers Home Tour is coming up soon
Christina Dennis says
August 18, 2014 at 10:14 pmThanks, Chris! Yes, it sure does seem like it takes FOREVER!
Courtenay @ The Creek Line House says
August 18, 2014 at 8:15 amYour house is just stunning! What a dream to be able to build exactly what you want! I love your whimsical style too. 🙂
Courtenay @ The Creek Line House recently posted..Easy Molding and Trim Work Trick: Figuring out what to do about tricky angles.
Christina Dennis says
August 18, 2014 at 10:14 pmThank you, Courtenay. Yes, we were so incredibly grateful to be able to build after living in such a squishy house for so long! I’m looking forward to seeing your home soon!
Jenn says
August 18, 2014 at 8:29 amGorgeous home! I love your front door! Everything looks so welcoming – and that kitchen is fab!
Jenn
Jenn recently posted..Chocolate Chip Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
Christina Dennis says
August 18, 2014 at 10:13 pmThanks a bunch, Jenn! Looking forward to your tour!
Jen @ RamblingRenovators says
August 18, 2014 at 9:37 amYour home is so beautiful and welcoming! I love all the DIY touches and the teal. I know how difficult it is to get work on the house done with kids underfoot but you’ve done a wonderful job. The kids rooms are so precious. Thanks for hosting the tour!
Christina Dennis says
August 18, 2014 at 10:16 pmThank you, Jen! It sure is tricky to work with little ones, but some of the best moments have been when they’ve helped with their room designs and were excited with the finished product. So special! I’m looking forward to seeing your space!
Christina Dennis recently posted..Motivational Monday #12: Craft, DIY & Home Decor Link Party
Kerri says
August 18, 2014 at 10:09 amI love how colourful and welcoming your home is, especially that kitchen! Truly gorgeous! Thanks to you and Shannon for including me on the tour! -Kerri
Kerri recently posted..Canadian Bloggers Home Tour: Next Week!
Christina Dennis says
August 18, 2014 at 10:11 pmThank you, Kerri! You are so welcome – I can’t wait to see your space this week.
Megan @ Our Pinteresting Family says
August 18, 2014 at 10:10 amYour home is absolutely stunning. I love everything about it.
Megan @ Our Pinteresting Family recently posted..Waterfall Chest
Christina Dennis says
August 18, 2014 at 10:10 pmThanks so much, Megan! You’re so sweet!
Krista @ the happy housie says
August 18, 2014 at 10:15 amSo beautiful Christina!! We share the same love of turquoise and teal…I love all your accents throughout the house and your drapery is amazing!! We don’t have any drapes yet…my husband isn’t a fan. Our old house had beautiful floral drapes that I made, much like yours…I miss them greatly and am plotting ways to get them back:) lol. So great to meet you through this tour- thanks for organizing it. I am following you across the board now!
Krista @ the happy housie recently posted..25 Amazing Room Revamps! {Get Your DIY On Features}
Christina Dennis says
August 18, 2014 at 10:10 pmThank you so much, Krista. Yes, turquoise is just so gorgeous. You use it so well in your home from what I’ve seen! Maybe you can just put some up one day and not say anything and see if he notices an what he says? 😉 That’s usually my tactic. Thanks so much for following me and sharing my tour; I can’t wait to see yours!
[email protected] Blue Clear Sky says
August 18, 2014 at 11:57 amYour home is lovely and I especially enjoy the kitchen area with the pretty colours and contrast. Thanks for the tour.
Christina Dennis says
August 18, 2014 at 10:08 pmThanks so much, Elizabeth. The kitchen is one of my favourite spots too!
Julie says
August 18, 2014 at 12:31 pmI love it all! That shoe cupboard is brilliant! Fits right in! I love how well you mix patterns and colours!
Christina Dennis says
August 18, 2014 at 10:08 pmThanks so much, Julie. Yes, the shoe cupboard was a great find and the dimensions happened to be perfect for that spot! I’m excited to see your home tour this week!
Cheryl @ The Creative Me and My McG says
August 18, 2014 at 12:43 pmFound you thru AKA Design…It’s great to find other Canadian blogs – I am a new follower!
Cheryl @ The Creative Me and My McG recently posted..Cool Temperatures and Thoughts of Fall
Christina Dennis says
August 18, 2014 at 10:08 pmThanks so much for visiting, Cheryl! Great to meet you!
Virginia Fynes says
August 18, 2014 at 1:27 pmBEAUTIFUL HOME!!! You totally deserve all the caps, love the colors and patterns. Your kiddos rooms are so sweet!
Virginia Fynes recently posted..Kitchen Makeover Coming Soon
Christina Dennis says
August 18, 2014 at 10:07 pmThank you, Virginia! Decorating the girls’ rooms was so fun!
Jamie says
August 18, 2014 at 2:50 pmLove your home tour, girl!! Off to share on my FB page 😉
Hugs,
Jamie
Christina Dennis says
August 18, 2014 at 10:07 pmThanks so much, Jamie. I appreciate you sharing, too! 🙂
Marijean says
August 18, 2014 at 3:26 pmLove your home. It is beautiful!
Christina Dennis says
August 18, 2014 at 10:06 pmThanks, Marijean!
Laura @ The Turquoise Home says
August 18, 2014 at 3:33 pmI absolutely LOVE your home! It’s GORGEOUS! I’m so glad Krista from The Happy Housie shared it on her FB page. I’m pinning a bunch of stuff from your home right now!! 🙂
Laura @ The Turquoise Home recently posted..How to Start a Room Makeover
Christina Dennis says
August 18, 2014 at 10:06 pmThank you so much. I love Krista’s home too!
Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom says
August 18, 2014 at 4:11 pmI love every inch of your house! I feel I am in a constant decorating project in every room of my house right now, I wish it looked as polished and complete as yours! This gives me inspiration!
Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom recently posted..What We Checked Off Our Summer Bucket List and Meal Plan, Week 24
Christina Dennis says
August 18, 2014 at 10:02 pmThank you so much, Carrie! I know how you feel. I found that the only way I could stay sane with our house is to focus on one room at a time, get it “mostly” done, and then move on to the next room!
Terry says
August 19, 2014 at 6:22 amYour home just has the best personality and is decorated so cozy and welcoming!
Christina Dennis says
August 24, 2014 at 11:21 pmThanks so much, Terry!
[email protected] of Laughter says
August 20, 2014 at 7:15 pmI adore your new home Christina! The colors and decor are fabulous! You are so talented! And the touches of turquoise….love, love, love! Angie xo
Christina Dennis says
August 24, 2014 at 11:19 pmThanks bunches, Angie! I loved your home tour too- it was so happy and colourful and inspiring. Thanks for being a part of this!
Kristi says
August 22, 2014 at 8:06 amYour house is STUNNING! Those curtains in your dining area are gorgeous and I am totally crushing on your lovely craft room – how could you not feel inspired in there?
This is SOOOOO much fun! I can’t wait to peek inside of all of these brilliant Canadian homes!!!
Kristi recently posted..Summer Spotlight {featuring} making it in the mountains
Christina Dennis says
August 24, 2014 at 11:19 pmThanks, Kristi! My curtains are one of my favourite things, and I LOVE my craft room (though it is REALLY messy right now). Thanks for the kind comment!
Kendra @ www.joyinourhome.com says
August 22, 2014 at 9:51 amYour home is beautiful, Christina! Love everything from your front door to the kitchen and the little touches! 🙂
Christina Dennis says
August 24, 2014 at 11:18 pmThank you SO much, Kendra!
Amy | Canary Street Crafts says
August 22, 2014 at 12:04 pmHow did you manage to make your house look stunningly gorgeous and cozy comfortable at the same time?! Love how you have a great mix of industrial and vintage looks. It all comes together beautifully!!
Amy | Canary Street Crafts recently posted..Family Room Inspiration Board
Christina Dennis says
August 24, 2014 at 11:15 pmAw, thanks so much Amy! I am really happy with our home so far and we do really love it and it finally is feeling like OURS. Thanks for the lovely comment!
Sue Ellen says
August 23, 2014 at 5:37 amLove your home!! Can you tell me where you got the floral pillows or fabric on the white sofa?
Christina Dennis says
August 24, 2014 at 11:13 pmThank you so much. The floral pillows were purchased along with the settee at Henryès in Edmonton.
Kelsey says
August 24, 2014 at 11:00 amAbsolutely gorgeous! Thanks for sharing. 🙂 Do you know the color y’all used for the stair trim? It is stunning!
Christina Dennis says
August 24, 2014 at 11:06 pmThanks so much, Kelsey! The stairs are stained in Minwax Ebony and painted in Valspar Ultra White.
Rebekah says
August 25, 2014 at 8:01 amHello! I absolutely love your home! We are looking at building something similar right now and I’m so inspired by your floor plan and decor! I do have a question though, I’m coming from a small home and I don’t like how small my living room is, and it’s looks similar to yours. Do you find that it feels too small or does it seem larger than the picture shows? Thanks for the inspiration!! -Rebekah
Christina Dennis says
August 25, 2014 at 10:14 pmThanks so much, Rebekah! The living room is quite large in my opinion – about 20 x 14 feet. Our furniture is very large scale and is centered in the room, so it could look smaller than it is. It’s a great size!
Michelle Lepak @ Dandelion Patina says
December 22, 2014 at 1:17 pmHey there! Happy Holidays! Your home is stunning decorated in teal & green. I love the DIY house home tour with all you wonderful Canadian bloggers!
Thanks for the link up!
Michelle
Christina Dennis says
January 3, 2015 at 8:40 pmThanks so much, Michelle! Happy New Year!
Margaret says
May 14, 2015 at 9:37 amHey there! Beautiful and inspiring. Will be copying the window trims 🙂 Please tell me the colour you used for the neutral shade (the grey? beige? paint in your bedroom, for example). I’ve been looking for just that shade…
Cindy says
December 31, 2015 at 5:33 pmYour house is beautiful! I can’t believe you created that fireplace! What talented ladies you and your mom are! I live on the east side of the prairies in the beautiful city of Winnipeg.
Christina Dennis says
January 4, 2016 at 8:36 pmThanks so much, Cindy! It’s wonderful to meet a fellow Canadian. I’ve been to Winnipeg before!
Teri Scott says
May 8, 2016 at 1:26 pmWhat a gorgeous home! I love all the colors and especially the teal door! May I ask the paint name of your front door and also the exterior? It’s a perfect welcome! Thanks for sharing!
Christina Dennis says
May 11, 2016 at 9:12 pmThanks, Teri! The door is “Gypsy Teal” by Valspar.