Houzz Tours
My Houzz: Warm Walnut Rules in an Open-Concept Canadian Home
Traditional takes a turn for the modern in this remodeled St. John's home, newly focused on clean lines and sleek finishes
Sometimes a dream home starts with an empty lot. But for Michael and Susan Drover, their empty lot simply led them to find a nearby house that they would reimagine as a modern, open-concept space. The couple ditched their new-construction plans, sold their lot and refocused their attention on redoing a 1990s interior to meet the needs of their active family of five.
The home is on a large, landscaped lot in the center of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. While it was traditional in style, it had good bones. As an interior designer, Susan looked past the walls, cabinets, flooring and trim and imagined the space just the way she wanted it for her family. The couple loves open-concept spaces, clean lines and lots of natural light, so the walls were the first thing that came down.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Michael and Susan Drover and their daughters, Olivia, Sarah and Sophie
Location: King William Estates neighborhood of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Size: 6,000 square feet; 5 bedrooms, 4 1/2 bathrooms
The home is on a large, landscaped lot in the center of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. While it was traditional in style, it had good bones. As an interior designer, Susan looked past the walls, cabinets, flooring and trim and imagined the space just the way she wanted it for her family. The couple loves open-concept spaces, clean lines and lots of natural light, so the walls were the first thing that came down.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Michael and Susan Drover and their daughters, Olivia, Sarah and Sophie
Location: King William Estates neighborhood of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Size: 6,000 square feet; 5 bedrooms, 4 1/2 bathrooms
Warm walnut wood greets you as soon as you enter the home. The Drovers designed this custom staircase, sourcing the materials themselves. The stainless steel railing came from Seattle, and the stringers from a local steel fabricator. The walnut-clad stair treads were made by local company Classic Woodwork.
The renovated main level is now open concept, with a central kitchen sandwiched by two living rooms. During the renovation, dealing with heating and ventilation pipes that ran through the walls proved to be Susan and Michael's greatest design challenge. In trying to remove walls, they needed to be strategic with the walls they left up. They ended up hiding some pipes in the basement bulkheads.
A long island made of the same walnut as the stair treads offers optimal counter space around a gas stovetop. The stovetop features a retractable exhaust fan that tucks down into the cabinet below.
The couple covered their integrated Thermador refrigerator and Liebherr freezer for added visual consistency. The kitchen also features a built-in Miele coffeemaker, which the couple can't live without.
The couple covered their integrated Thermador refrigerator and Liebherr freezer for added visual consistency. The kitchen also features a built-in Miele coffeemaker, which the couple can't live without.
The cabinets are a combination of custom walnut slab doors made by local shop Classic Woodwork and interior drawer features from Ikea.
Light shades: Lung, SAM Design
Light shades: Lung, SAM Design
This kitchen lines the back of the home and overlooks a beautifully landscaped backyard and view of the lake.
"Our house felt like our home when we had finished installing the kitchen," Susan says. "Although there was still lots of work to be done, with the walls knocked out and the cabinets in we could really get a sense of how the space would work."
Coffeemaker: Miele; cooktop: gas, Viking
"Our house felt like our home when we had finished installing the kitchen," Susan says. "Although there was still lots of work to be done, with the walls knocked out and the cabinets in we could really get a sense of how the space would work."
Coffeemaker: Miele; cooktop: gas, Viking
A wall of cabinetry covers a section of the dining room wall. The doors pull out and are outfitted with rollout shelves from Ikea.
At the end of the island is a small bar area in a darker wood that's used for quick family meals.
The windows show off the neighborhood blanketed in snow. The neighborhood is a fairly new subdivision with many families. Susan says, "It is great that at any given time there are 20 girls within a year or two of our younger girls within 500 meters of our house."
The windows show off the neighborhood blanketed in snow. The neighborhood is a fairly new subdivision with many families. Susan says, "It is great that at any given time there are 20 girls within a year or two of our younger girls within 500 meters of our house."
Behind the bar area and at the end of the kitchen is this family work area. Floating shelves fit perfectly in the alcove, giving the look of a custom built-in. The kids sometimes use the area to do homework.
Beyond the kitchen is a large dining area that comfortably sits eight. A trio of budget-friendly Knappa pendants mixes with other modern-style furnishings from Susan's downtown furniture store, SAM Design.
The great room is Susan's favorite room in the house. Its G Romano sectional can comfortably sleep four. The room has floor-to-ceiling windows on one side and a fireplace on the other. The couple worked with Martin Palmer to install built-in seating in an amazing polished concrete.
All the walls and trim plus the ceiling on the main level are painted in crisp Decorators White by Benjamin Moore as an ideal backdrop for the family's colorful accessories, artwork and furniture. "I love the use of white and natural materials, particularly when infused with bold color in the form of artwork, pillows or accessories," says Susan. One of her favorite interior designers is Britain's Kelly Hoppen, whom she was able to train with in 2011.
"We have just installed a Valcourt wood-burning fireplace," says Susan. "The only problem is that when the fire is lit, it takes about five minutes for me to fall asleep!"
The wood logs in the alcove are just for show. Susan wanted logs that all had the same length and diameter, and hand picked these from a pile of logs delivered to the house. "Most of the wood delivered was wet and hard to burn, but I won't let Mike touch that pile," she says. "It is a design feature."
Fireplace: Antoinette, Valcourt
The wood logs in the alcove are just for show. Susan wanted logs that all had the same length and diameter, and hand picked these from a pile of logs delivered to the house. "Most of the wood delivered was wet and hard to burn, but I won't let Mike touch that pile," she says. "It is a design feature."
Fireplace: Antoinette, Valcourt
All the spaces in this home are simple, relaxed and casual. Susan says, "The days of designing rooms in your home that you only frequent on special occasions seems long gone and irrelevant to most families I know."
To the right of the entryway is this large seating area, which is often used for entertaining. "My style is definitely modern. I love to creatively mix iconic luxury items with budget-conscious accessories. If there is anywhere that I like to splurge, it is lighting," says Susan. A Cora Floor Lamp, originally designed by Pier Giacomo and Achille Castiglioni, makes a graceful bend over the seating.
Pillows: Marimekko
Pillows: Marimekko
Lots of natural light spills in through multiple windows. Susan says she's particularly attracted to a Scandinavian modern design philosophy.
A bold black and white Marimekko patterned wallpaper covers the bathroom walls. Beautiful black pendants hang on each side of the mirror, adding dramatic lighting in this small space.
Cream shag rugs define rooms in this open-concept home. The "floating" stairs allow a clear view through the home and allow the light to spill through.
Railings: AGS Stainless
Railings: AGS Stainless
The stainless rails and walnut stair treads are dramatic in the home's entryway. All the bedrooms are on the second floor.
Light fixture: Big Bang Suspension, Foscarini
Light fixture: Big Bang Suspension, Foscarini
Susan does not like clutter and likes to design spaces that hide mess. This front foyer holds only the necessities — an elegant bench and a beautiful piece of artwork by local artist Elena Popova.
A view from the top of the stairs looking down to the front entry gives an idea of how open the space is, and shows the seamless flow the couple wanted to achieve. The same stainless stail railings and stringers repeat on the second floor. "I think the weirdest thing about our house at this point is the lack of wall space for art," says Susan. "We have eliminated most interior partitions, so finding a surface on which to hang art is becoming increasingly challenging."
This shared loft workspace is between two of the girls' bedrooms. While the Drover family is now settled in, next on their project list is to complete the bedrooms, upstairs bathrooms and basement.
Show us your renovated home!
Show us your renovated home!