Patience Pays Off
Story Sarah Hoy | Photography Gordon King
The vibe in this home is calm and modern, the design and décor deliberate. The overall aesthetic is a tribute to the owners and their designer Valerie Chartrand of Valia Designs.
A great amount of energy was allotted to hand select every single piece of furniture in the home,” says Valerie. Sofas were custom-ordered from Europe. Materials were carefully selected. The homeowners didn’t mind waiting in search of the perfect furnishings. Once everything was ordered, the waiting game began.
Despite the perceived perfection of this home’s design, beyond the walls lies the kind of story no family wants to experience.
Disaster struck just as their extensive redecorating wrapped up and the family (including baby number two who arrived during the project) was settling into their new, inviting home. An ice dam on the roof caused substantial leaks through the attic and flooded the upstairs bathroom. The water fell to the entrance and hallway below, then to the basement.
The home was essentially destroyed, and the timing was particularly crushing.
“It was devastating for the family,” says Valerie. Then it got worse. Not only did they have water damage, upon inspection they discovered asbestos and were forced to move out. “Most of the items we had just carefully selected for the home were disposed of, in the blink of an eye. All the hard work we had just done over the period of eight months was literally thrown into the dumpster,” says Valerie.
After two-and-a-half months, renovations were complete and the family was able to move back in and continued with their original decorating. “The homeowners wanted to keep a very fresh, uncluttered look for the home. They also wanted to showcase nature through large windows and bring the outdoors in,” says Valerie.
In its current iteration, the split level has a stairway and glass railings by Ottawa Classic Stairs & Bannisters Inc. that lead to the upper level. The front door takes visitors through a large foyer that opens up to the cosy family room and children’s play area. A statement fireplace from The Fireplace Center & Patio Shop forms a wall between the family room and the second floor, where the kitchen and living room are located.
The kitchen by Deslaurier Custom Cabinetry features white perimeter cabinets, a dark island, a subway-tiled backsplash and lots of storage. The large black pendants over the island complement the Sputnik chandelier that hangs above a modern live-edge table from Dala Décor in the nearby dining room.
Live-edge furniture inspires the design in several rooms, including the counter in the powder room.
Valerie has been working with the family since they bought the house and through their redecorating journey. She was contacted to help select colours, materials and furniture.
“It was clear after the first few meetings that we were going to need to make choices that would make her happy and make other choices that would make him happy,” recalls Valerie. “We started by understanding their tastes by looking through different rooms with different styles, pointing out things they liked and things they didn’t. We had to compromise on a lot of items so both parties would be happy.”
The upstairs completes the home with spacious bedrooms for both children and parents. The master features a large walk-in closet that satisfies both owners. The basement acts as a media room where the family watches movies and relaxes on a beautiful feather sofa. There is also a bathroom with a shower and a separate custom-built laundry room in the basement.
The project is close to Valerie’s heart. “My favourite part of working on this project was definitely meeting the family and helping them create a comfortable space they can live in and create memories for a lifetime. I’m extremely lucky to have met them and I now consider them my friends.”
This is a home with a story, and there are many more chapters to add. OH