I am so excited to be sharing the beginnings of the reveal on all of Graham’s hard work in what we are now affectionately calling Noah’s pied-à-terre. Between the gorgeous bathroom {which is nearly done!}, his delicious bedroom {which is about 60-75% complete!} and this delightfully simple yet sophisticated hallway which connects the two, he might just be moving into the nicest part of the house when it’s all said and done!

I’ve trained him into understanding how lucky he is by saying, “Noah, repeat after me…I am spoiled” such that now all I have to say is “Noah, repeat after me…” and he replies with “I know, I know! I’m totally spoiled!”

It really does make my heart happy to be giving him such a beautiful space to move into now that we are taking over his old room for the new nursery. He’s a visual kid and is really into details {no idea where he gets it from!} so this feels like we are speaking his love-language in a really special way.

One more thing before I get to the photos: as a designer, I often find that hallways are overlooked opportunities in many homes, feeling more like wasted space or simply traffic areas rather than design moments given thoughtful attention to detail. I wanted to avoid that sense of visual neglect in this little hallway, and I think I can safely say “mission accomplished.” It’s clean, simple and classy, and the truth is, I rather love it.

The success of this space is really about 3 things: Pattern, Dimension and Colour.

PATTERN

The sense of pattern and texture is derived from the simple but decadent herringbone pattern of the floor. Using a simple striated porcelain tile {still can’t get over how much it looks like natural stone!}, we created this pattern out of about a thousand off-cuts and a lot of hard work on Graham’s part, and it was SO worth the effort. The floor is subtle and yet a total statement-maker. {Have I mentioned he is my own personal super-hero?}

DIMENSION

The dimension for this hallway is all about the paneling. Simple applied moulding can totally transform a space from yawn-worthy to yes! Adding architectural detailing is one of my favourite things to do in my clients’ spaces, and this is really the poor man’s version of the high-end custom raised paneling I often design for luxury homes. That said, it still creates major impact and takes the look from flat to fabulous, turning a small and boring hallway into an interesting experience.

COLOUR

I am a huge lover of a cream and dove grey colour palette. There’s something very elegant and soothing about this combination, and the French and Scandinavian references in this palette are truly classic. So taking my cues from the tile floor, I chose the gorgeous Pavillion Gray from Farrow + Ball for the baseboard, walls, applied moulding and crown moulding. With floor-to-ceiling dove grey gorgeousness, the feeling is one of being enveloped in quiet sophistication. I literally exhale and feel calmer just looking at it!

One quick designer’s side note: If you are going to use applied moulding to create paneling, please, please, please don’t paint it out a contrasting colour. It should be the same colour as the wall. Always. Some rules are made to be broken. This one is not.

I can’t thank Farrow + Ball enough for generously providing the paint for this project. I have used Farrow + Ball for many years on my design projects and love their amazing, historically-referenced colour palette. The saturation and sophistication of colour is like no other line out there. The truth is, I am not usually the one doing the painting on my design projects, so I’ve always chosen them for their premium quality, VOC-free healthy status and their gorgeous colour palette. But can I tell you, the paint applies like a dream? We chose semi-gloss for everything, which could have been a bit of a risk when painting it over old plaster rather than properly wood-panelled walls. Not with Farrow + Ball. This clay-based paint adheres beautifully and was very forgiving of our less-than-perfect plaster, as well as the old wood door at the end of the hall.

The only thing left to do for this hallway is replace the light fixture, which is on my to-do list for the New Year.

For now, though, the bathroom {the door on the left}, Noah’s room {the door on the right} and the nursery take top priority. It’s starting to feel like we are in the home stretch, and with 6 weeks left until my due date, that feels just about right!

Wishing all of my American friends an amazing Thanksgiving today, brimming with gratitude and gorgeous food, good conversation, enough laughter to make your ribs hurt, and memories made to carry with you into the next year.

xo
s.