It wasn’t the dust, debris or delays that posed the biggest challenge during Kelsey MacDermaid’s five-year project to create her dream home. No, it was the “sheer amount of decision-making.†Paint colours, layout, hardware, design plans, fixtures, finishes: the options were endless.
“I found it difficult to … trust my gut that I was making the right choices,†admits the owner of a century semi-detached house in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½.
The kitchen needed a major makeover to improve storage, functionality and esthetic appeal. The results included a “pretty†dining nook with an upholstered banquette flanked on one side by cabinetry with fluted glass doors. “I love the look of my kitchen,†says MacDermaid, who’s not so keen on the “mess†left behind by Charbonneau’s culinary adventures. She thinks easier-to-clean surfaces might be better.
Nick Lachance ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ StarMacDermaid has spent 15 years showcasing her creativity, design talents and DIY skills as one half of The Sorry Girls. (Becky Wright is the other Sorry Girl, named in a nod to Canadians’ reputation for over-apologizing.)
They’re a digital media brand that promotes sustainability in interior design and aims to inspire others to pick up a tool or two.
In her YouTube series “Making ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½,†MacDermaid chronicles the transformation, which involves countless wieldings of drill, jigsaw and paintbrush, and plenty of sweat equity.
Kelsey MacDermaid in her kitchen.
Nick Lachance ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ StarWhen she bought the two-storey, three-bedroom house in 2019, it had great bones and was in good shape but lacked storage space and functionality. MacDermaid also planned to create an upstairs rental unit and separate suite on the main floor and basement where she would live.
The unfinished basement required the most work, from plumbing and electrical to new heating system and concrete floor. It now comprises a walk-through dressing room, primary bedroom, toilet room and primary bathroom.
Once a “dumping ground†for old furniture, the media room on the reclaimed second floor is now “gorgeous and moody†with its dark green paint and wall of matching curtains MacDermaid made. A DIY tiled console table behind the tan leather sectional, a custom wall-mounted media unit, new lighting fixtures and refreshed artwork complete the space.
Nick Lachance ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ StarShe explains it’s difficult to attach a final price tag to the entire project because of all the work she did and cost-cutting through hacks and budget-friendly purchases.
Thrifting and buying second-hand goods “makes the final result all the more special,†she says. “I just love having … these pieces because they’re so beautiful and made so well.â€
After moving the old clawfoot tub from upstairs to the primary bathroom in the basement, MacDermaid refreshed it with green paint to contrast with the glossy white tiled walls. She repurposed a second-hand mid-century modern dresser for the vanity and added black fixtures. In the adjoining toilet room, she applied multiple shade samples to the walls before picking a clay brown.
Nick Lachance ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ StarMacDermaid picked up many of her DIY skills from her parents: sewing from her mother, and renovating and design from her father.
“I enjoy the process and love decorating,†she notes.
After moving the old clawfoot tub from upstairs to the primary bathroom in the basement, MacDermaid refreshed it with green paint to contrast with the glossy white tiled walls. She repurposed a second-hand mid-century modern dresser for the vanity and added black fixtures. In the adjoining toilet room, she applied multiple shade samples to the walls before picking a clay brown.
Nick Lachance ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ StarShe’s even willing to redo something she’s already done, such as the second-floor living space when the tenant moved out and her partner Elliott Charbonneau moved in. The upstairs kitchen became his home office and another space was given new life as their media room.
In a final DIY feat that really takes the cake, the couple recently threw a party in their backyard to celebrate their secret marriage.
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation