When interior designer Gabi Miguel purchased her new home in Findlay Creek Village she wanted to tap into her architectural and design expertise to customize each room. Tamarack Homes’ Oxford model offered the talented designer the ideal floor plan to implement her signature details like reclaimed wood accent walls and contemporary panelling.
Working within the confines of the builder’s specifications, Gabi was able to add her own personal touches and extra features during the construction phase and afterwards.
Rustic vibe
The overall setting throughout the home is described as rustic contemporary with a relatively open floor plan that lends itself to the detailing nicely.
From the entrance, the eye is immediately drawn into the living room where Gabi’s talents are evident in the transformation of an ordinary wall into a stylish fireplace feature. A deep grey panelled wall with contemporary wood beams is a stand out element and the furnishings blend perfectly, combining textures like leather, metal, glass and wood to complement the rustic vibe.
A touch of glamour
In the adjacent dining room, Gabi introduced some luxurious elements. Side-by-side crystal chandeliers are suspended above a farm-style dining table, and mink-toned velvet chairs balance the rustic and glamorous features. Gabi created an accent wall from reclaimed wood that she distressed in her garage and installed herself. The heaviness of the wood is broken up with a mirror, which further enriches the glamour effect.
Light and airy
The Muskoka kitchen was designed by Gabi and enhanced with extras like a floating breakfast station that holds a built-in Miele coffee system. The overall feeling is light and airy yet sophisticated, with the addition of dark wood to the contemporary white cabinets.
The space is ideal for the family of four and includes a round wood dining table with practical, yet stylish, ghost chairs. The family room space carries the sophisticated practicality with a built-in entertainment wall created within the original fireplace wall.
Bonus space
The finished basement cleverly brings in rustic touches, ideally suited to family recreation. The area divides itself with a clever wine wall for dad, a play room for the kids, a TV room and a guest room. The necessary support beam that usually wreaks havoc on décor has been covered with reclaimed wood to blend perfectly into the surroundings.
Upgrade
The entire home is a tribute to Gabi’s talents and serves as inspiration for taking the bones of a great layout and customizing the space. Gabi offers up four essential upgrades when building new:
Paint: add some colour to the walls to personalize space.
Flooring: this is the base of the design that helps determine the overall décor style.
Lighting: it’s a pricey upgrade that is much easier to implement during the building stage.
Kitchen cabinets: install the best cabinets that your budget allows. This investment will pay off in the long term.
Contact Gabi at gabi@allaboutdetails.ca
Mary Taggart
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