Last winter was when it first really hit me. I looked around our living room and felt a strong desire to give it a major face lift. As you will be able to see from the before & after photos, our space before the refresh was very dark and den-like. Literally everything from the walls, cabinets, floors, furniture, to the decor was a rich, chocolate brown tone. It took me over a year of planning/convincing Dav, but we finally did it! Say hello to our fresh, new living room + kitchen!
First things first.
The very first thing I did was contact Kathy from Elite Kitchens & Decor. She gave our walls upstairs a fresh, bright coat of paint. For those that would like to know the colour, the shade we went with is called “Shell Tint” from Cloverdale. Kathy & Eleesha found the perfect paint colour to overall lighten + compliment the darker tones of our cabinets, trim, and doors. They were an absolute dream to work with. I have been recommending them to anyone & everyone who is looking to update their home! Check out Elite Kitchens & Decor if you’re looking to have your walls, cabinets, ceilings, doors, trim, etc painted – they will hook you up!
The very next thing I did (and probably the smartest decision I made during this entire refresh), was partner with Carli. Carli is the designer behind Citizen Design Co and the shop owner of Citizen + Co Shop.
Carli and her assistant Olivia, helped me SO much with the overall design and vibe of our refresh. They were my sounding board for all the design/decor questions I had. From recommending the pendant/dining room lighting, explaining why a larger area rug works better in my space, to how to properly hang my drapes – they were a huge reason our refresh turned out so well! They also provided this faux plant from Carli’s online shop, Citizen + Co. Isn’t it a beaut?! My favourite thing about my new plant is it’ll stay green forever and I’ll never have to remember to water it! LOL
Now, onto the particulars of our refresh.
Both our pendant lights and dining room light are from Cartwright Lighting + Furniture which is a company located in Calgary, AB. They have so many different lighting options to choose from! Whether it’s indoor or outdoor lights, flush mounts, lamps or fans.. you will be able to find exactly what you need at an affordable price! They are also able to ship items if you do not live in Calgary. Cartwright Lighting + Furniture is a local, family owned business – which I love to support when I can!
Speaking of local – our two beautiful, white couches are from New Age Electronics & Home Furnishings.
New Age is located in my hometown of Weyburn, SK! I knew I wanted lighter furniture this time around, but had a scary visual of my kids destroying anything white. The team at New Age Electronics & Home Furnishings helped me find couches that were made of a synthetic leather-like fabric that have already proven to withstand the toddler/baby test. Violet has “accidentally” drawn on one of the arm rests and Leo has tested out his new chompers on the seat cushion. They are still looking as clean & crisp white as the day we brought them home! I am in love with our couches and think they add so much to the overall vibe of our refresh. Be sure to check out this great local business in store (if you also live in Weybs) or online!
Last but certainly not least, we had custom end tables and a coffee table designed by Citizen Design Co and brought to life by Iron + Elm. Iron + Elm is a husband wife duo located in Regina, SK that creates beautiful, custom furniture. Brenden (the craftsman) and MaKayla (the brand guru + founder of Socialbird) make the best team! Check out Iron + Elm’s insta page and send them a DM if you are interested in having custom furniture made! While you’re chatting, ask to see a visual of the bigass mirror they created for the entry way of someone’s home – I’m level 10 obsessed with it!!
To be honest, this refresh was such a labor of love. There was a lot going on behind the scenes in regards to work, planning, and scheduling/rescheduling! It took a lot more time and effort to complete than I initially assumed it would. I am so thankful for all of the businesses that partnered with me on this project – we have some fantastic local home + design stores so close by! Though I love how the refresh turned out, and I’m SO happy we did it – I won’t be changing the direction of my blog to home & lifestyle anytime soon! LOL.
*Most images were taken by Stellar Social Co. All images were edited with the same preset, with the same exposure setting. Isn’t that before & after craycray?!
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