Turning a New Build into a Beautiful Home: the Details that Complete It (Part 2)
Upstairs, Downstairs, & the Rooms That Continue the Story
In Part 1 of this home tour, we explored the beautifully layered main floor of our clients’ Quispamsis home — from the soaring entrance and serene office to the sun-filled great room and kitchen.
If you happened to miss it, we encourage you to take a look after reading this chapter of the story.
In Part 2, we head upstairs and downstairs to explore more of the home, including a cozy family room, two guest washrooms, another beautiful office, and one of my personal favourite spaces — our client’s home gym.
Kelly Lawson captured the photographs in this feature.
Downstairs Family Room:
Shop the Look: PI Shelves, Roller Max Sideboard, Loren Blue Brick Rug, Lyla Chair Sheepskin Camel.
During our first visit to the home, our clients toured us through their stunning upper levels before finishing in the basement. They introduced us to a space they didn’t love and admitted they rarely used it.
They already owned this comfortable sofa in great condition. However, the layout and overall feel of the room just weren’t working. So we gave the space some love. We reimagined the layout, swapped the living areas, and added new rugs, tables, wallpaper—and, you guessed it, a few beautiful Ethnicraft storage pieces.
Shop the Look: Woods Wallpaper, Roller Max Sideboard, Hubba Arched Mirror, Loren Brick Midnight Rug, Earth, Wind & Fire Planters, Round Tray Side Table Set, Jakob Chair & Melalucula.
Downstairs Powder room:
Shop the Look: Black French Stripe Bath Towels, Loire Mirror, Aged Brass Baird Triple Sconce, Tinta Stripe Wallpaper, Brooks Ink Rug 2'3" x 3'9" & White Waffled Shower Curtain.
Next we move to the downstairs powder room. This space was already nearly perfect and simply needed a few thoughtful decorative elements to bring it fully to life.
To anchor the vanity wall, we introduced a handsome striped wallpaper, paired with a beautiful mirror — a smaller cousin to the larger one you’ll see later in the home gym.
A set of elegant shelves provides space for decorative objects, while a runner adds warmth and texture underfoot, completing the room with just the right amount of detail.
Home Gym:
Shop the Look: Loire Grand Floor Mirror, Utilitile Wall Hanger Black, Boothe Ladder & Arden Pedestal Fan.
When I first saw our client’s home gym, it felt a bit perfunctory. Like many home gyms, it did the job but lacked a sense of inspiration — or dare I say, motivation. A very bright blue covered the space from wall to wall, and while perfectly reasonable, I knew it had the potential to become something much more special.
Unlike some people I know (myself included), our client works out religiously every single day. If anyone deserved a beautiful gym, it was her.
The design began with the wallpaper. I realize it's an unusual starting point for a gym. But our client has the most striking brown eyes that always remind me of a deer, and she is just as agile and strong. That image became the inspiration for the room.
From there we built a bold black-and-white palette around it, and of course added touches of gold — because who wouldn’t want a sexy gym?
Shop the Look: Dunkirk Flush Mount, Avigail Clock, Jumping Bambis Linen Wallpaper, Roller Max Paper Basket, Rattlesnake Aritificial Plant,& 330ml Boxed Water.
Second Floor Home Office:
Shop the Look: Tabwa Sideboard, Stripe Curry Wallpaper, Monoclinic Slate, Everyday Sectional in Arezzo Gold, Boomerang Coffee Table, Muji Lamp, Atrani Vessel, Relic Vase, Snake Plant, Virgina Pillow, Olive Pillow, Magnolia Stems, Humphrey Natural Moss Rug & Tabwa TV Cupboard.
As people who work from home, it was important for us to design a comfortable, practical home office for him, too! If you missed his wife’s office, be sure to check out Part One.
Designing this space was also an opportunity to connect the client’s work with the character of the room. His industry is rooted in rail, so we looked for subtle ways to reflect that story without becoming too literal.
The carved wood Tabwa cupboards from Ethnicraft became the perfect anchor. Their geometric carvings create a rhythm across the cabinet fronts. This almost reads like a network of railroad tracks, offering a quiet nod to the work that happens here every day.
These incredibly soft rugs help add coziness and define both the workspace and the lounge area, while the comfortable sofa creates a place to step away from the desk and take calls in a more relaxed seat. The result is a home office that feels calm, personal, and functional.
Second Floor Guest Bedroom:
Shop the Look: Odeon Bed, Belmont End Table, Sweet Bay Magnolia & Lenna Denim Sand Rug.
We designed this guest room as a calm, welcoming retreat where visitors can truly relax. The elements center around this beautiful Gus* Modern Odeon Bed that grounds the space with its warm, solid walnut construction. We paired it with the Gus* Modern Belmont End Table, sculptural Four Hands lamp, and a Loloi Rug for added coziness.
Second Floor Guest bathroom:
Featuring: Mosaicum Coal Wallpaper, Montpellier Shower Curtain & Bradley Coca Rug.
This guest washroom also doubles as our client’s daily washroom thanks to its proximity to his second-floor home office. We fell for the mosaic wallpaper right away—it also subtly reminded us of train tracks. A bit of a stretch? Maybe. But somehow it works beautifully. Wrapping the entire room in the paper gives the small space an organic, cozy feeling. We added an exaggerated velour shower curtain to conceal the shower, which is only used when guests visit. We chose decorative objects to match with the client’s existing mirror and sconces so the room feels cohesive rather than overly styled.
Working with this wonderful couple over the years has been such a joy. We’re so grateful they trusted us with their home—and we have a feeling we might not be quite done dreaming up projects together!
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