INSPIRING HOME#2

Could a bed look any more inviting! Don't you just want to sink into this cloud of perfection!
For this lovely home we designed and had upholstered this floral headboard and bed skirt. We had the euro cushions made for a pop of colour against the cool gray walls and slate gray silk curtains. When we showed our customer a variety of fabrics from Duralee they instantly fell for this bold floral which feels so young and fresh.
Working again with our customer for their dining room in their new house, we designed and built the walnut dining table and painted birch sideboard. Their palette is crisp and fresh with a traditional twist, so we designed pieces with that and longevity in mind. Both pieces are quite different from each other yet complement each other by highlighting their best qualities. The walnut table is lightly stained to bring out the depth and grain of the wood, so rich and yummy! And we chose to paint the sideboard to highlight the different features such as the varying depths and the beaded edging around the doors/drawers. The chairs we upholstered in Kravet fabric and are ordered from our supplier in Ontario, Jamco.
Okay we didn't have anything to do with these two lovely rooms above and below but we wish we did, they are just gorgeous! Wonderful local designer Nancie Phipps from Theakston Phipps Interiors needs to take all the credit, she did a brilliant job collaborating with her client to pull together these two delightful rooms that are both comfortable yet polished.
Working with our customers in their homes and collaborating with them and sometimes their designers, we really can come together as a whole and create spaces that are fresh and modern but will also stand the test of time. Customizing is not inexpensive, so we put a lot of thought into creating furniture, built-ins and soft furnishings that will be classic yet youthful and won't tire over time. Each piece we create are built solidly enough and are ensured to be passed down and fought over by future generations.

KIDS ROOMS

Why go the expected route of pink frills and princess themes? With longevity in mind, Sappho decided to decorate her girls rooms with a more sophisticated palette and smaller touches of girliness. For Hannah, who is six, she went with black and cream toile by Waverly with touches of hot pink and orange. The bed was tucked into a nook and then custom pillows were made to resemble a daybed and reading nook. Of coarse you can never have enough stuffies!
Here you see a black painted dresser by Henhouse and a newly upholstered vintage chair. The paper patch work "quilt" is conceived and stitched by an artistic friend as a baby shower gift.
Lila's room was transformed for her third birthday this past May. Out went the crib and in went vintage twin metal beds, custom duvet covers by Les Indiennes (carried by the Henhouse), braided carpet from Henhouse, and a vintage map and paintings found and collected. The dresser was a gift from Henhouse's furniture maker when Hannah was first born.
Walking cat by Dog Bite Steel and the abstract boats in the harbour painting by local artist Bernard Bowles

MASTER BEDROOM

The master bedroom carries on the global style with a vintage Indian folding screen as a focal point behind the bed. The side tables are newly made from Indonesia, the painting is from artist Trudi Smith. The bed linens are natural hemp ramie from Henhouse and the quilt is vintage.
The antique cupboard has simple vertical lines that echo the beadboard on the walls. The ocean painting was purchased at an antique auction in Pictou, NS when Sappho first moved here from Vancouver. The colours of the painting were the jumping off point for the colour scheme in their room.

DINING ROOM

This room is bathed in sunlight most of the day and with the built-in bench and a view of the Bedford Basin, it makes it the ideal spot for relaxed eating. The armoire was designed, antiqued and painted in a folk motif by Sappho a number of years ago - it holds their collection of vintage dishes. The pottery above the armoire is mostly vintage McCoy. The chairs are vintage office chairs that were reupholstered in ostrich skin vinyl which makes it great for easy clean up.
The bold Red & White sign came from Finer Things Antiques on Agricola St. and was snapped up for a bargain. The painting was a wedding present from Sappho's artistic cousins, the antique table came from Henhouse, and the light sconces are vintage.

KITCHEN

The kitchen is where Sappho and her husband did most of their changes when they first moved in in 2001. With a tight budget they decided to keep the 15 year old dated cabinetry that was still in good shape and just add a second row of uppers for needed storage. Then it was all hand painted in a soft white to unify the old and the new. They also added a floating checkerboard cork floor to cover the unsightly vinyl and the island is the very first prototype of an island for Henhouse designed by Sappho. The over sized lantern is vintage and originally came from the officer's mess hall in the Stadacona Lodge, Halifax.

The fridge surround was custom made and designed by Sappho to give a more "fitted" look with shelving for everyday dry goods. Glass jars are an everyday item at Henhouse.

OFFICE/PLAYROOM

Welcome to the playroom slash office. This was originally the formal dining room but out of necessity and lack of dinner parties since the kids were born, it has turned into a space that can be used on a day to day basis. Sappho and her husband decided to reinvent the closet in this room to an out of the way office that was designed by Sappho and brought to life by Henhouse's cabinet maker. It can all be closed up at a moments notice.
The girls have fun in this room with their toys and art work on display. They feel so proud to show off their art to anyone who drops in and it instantly gives warmth and fun to this room. Having a dedicated wall to your kids art will give them the confidence that their efforts mean something to you and they will enjoy adding to it over time. The hemp carpet is from Tabrizi on Bedford Highway. Green bookshelf for toy storage from Henhouse.

LIVING ROOM

The living room in this 1890's home is such a warm cozy room. The walls and ceilings in this house are all original beadboard which have been mostly painted white to showcase Sappho's collection of custom designed and primitive antique furniture. Her style, as she refers to it, is "collected". Her furniture, art, decor, etc. have been amassed and edited over a period of 15 years. The common thread is a folky global style that she feels most comfortable with.
To help brighten up her North facing living room, she chose light and airy linen curtains by Thom Filicia from Kravet. They have the sweetest and tiniest silhouette of seagulls, just a hint of something fun and a reminder that this home is only two blocks from the ocean. The pouf is leather from Morrocco. The chest came from Folkart Interiors. The antique glass floats, shells balls and urchin wax candles came from Henhouse.
Here you get a glimpse of the original ceiling in it's unusual design. Sappho used that same design when coming up with ideas for the South Shore kitchen she designed and featured here on our blog in the South Shore Series Part 3. The mirror and TV Armoire are both designed and finished by Sappho for Henhouse. Baskets from Henhouse a few years back.

INSPIRING HOMES #1

This is the front entry way of home owner Sappho Griffin's house. The Zebra print cowhide rug is a recent purchase. It will withstand the dirt from shoes and the graphic appeal is perfect against the more rough-hewn old pine floorboards and green painted antique cabinet. The painting is vintage from Quebec and a gift from mentor Dave Johnson from Folkart Interiors in Vancouver, BC.
This is the back entrance and most often used where a good amount of shoe clutter is concealed behind the vintage textile from India in lieu of closet doors, a gift from her parents' travels. The black framed mirror is custom made from Henhouse and Sappho decided to paint the colour block a rich red (her favorite colour) to define the entry hall area and to help hide dirty fingerprints.

INSPIRING HOMES #1

Metal pumpkin faces above and below by artist Jean Pierre Schoss from Dog Bite Steel in Uxbridge, Ontario. Items from the Henhouse a few years back.
Here at Henhouse, we receive many requests for holiday decorating tips this time of year. Our customers love to know how we decorate our homes and so with this in mind we felt, with our new blog, that this is the perfect venue for show and tell. We would like to showcase your homes that have inspired us and share our homes in hopes that they inspire you.

We will start off with co-owner Sappho Griffin's home that is shared by her husband and their two girls in old Bedford. The house is circa 1890 and has been updated slowly over the last 10 years. Last year they dedicated their efforts to the exterior by fencing in the yard, creating an estate-like feeling (and the added bonus of keeping the children safe!), added a new front porch and french doors where none existed, a pergola over a side deck for outdoor eating, new lower windows (by Norwood), all new doors (by Marvin) and a mini tree/playhouse for the kids. The green/gray colour of the body of the house and soft putty trim colour painted in '01 help it blend in with the natural surroundings. They decided to add a statement with bold black for all the doors/decking and red hot roof shingles. Here is the exterior of their home decorated for Fall and Halloween. Stay tuned for interior shots....