“These clients, a young family of five, contacted us to help them with the design, décor and detailing of a new home they were building in the inner city of Calgary,” Reena Sotropa, founder of Reena Sotropa In House Design Group, tells us. The couple had one goal for this new house: to create a family friendly environment for their three young children. “We worked with them from the early stages of their design on everything from finish, lighting and plumbing selections to furniture and accessory selections and styling.” The project took about 2 years from start to finish, with very open-minded clients that made the process fairly smooth.
When you enter the home, the first room that greets guests is a home office. “Given that this space was going to be the home office of our client’s husband, we wanted to create a more masculine space in comparison to the light and bright rooms surrounding it,” Alanna Dunn, Senior Interior Designer, explains. “We designed two dramatic elevations of millwork mixing white oak an black marble to create a dramatic contrast in the room.”
The kitchen, dining nook and living room are all open onto one another. “With this in mind we were strategic in selecting finishes that could seamlessly transition from one space into another,” Reena shares. “The white on white kitchen is the perfect backdrop for the beautiful sculptural light fixtures in this space.” In this space, the fireplace proved to be a bit of challenge – but one that totally paid off. “The faceted design was something the stone fabricator had not done before, and took quite a bit of onsite trouble shooting,” Alanna recalls. “But we love the final result!”
Without a doubt one of the hardest working spaces in any family home is a mudroom. With this in mind, the designers knew they needed to create a space focused on functional storage. Reena worked closely with the client on analyzing their storage needs and ended up on a floor-plan that incorporated a double door walk in closet adjacent to open “locker” style millwork.
At the front of the home is room for a formal dining room. The clients are only casual entertainers, so they opted to make this space a playroom until their children get a bit older. Reena shares, “Knowing how colorful kids toys can be, we furnished this space with pieces in a neutral palette to create a soft backdrop for the kids’ books, toys and art!” For the children’s bedrooms, the designers made sure each space felt very whimsical. The aesthetic for each space began with wallpaper selections, each encapsulating a different tone.
For the parents’ bedroom, a beautiful master suite, it all began with the finishes. Picking up on some of the high contrast details created for the main floor, Reena selected a dramatic palette of black, white and brass. Taking cue from Reena’s selections Alanna sourced the lighting, mirrors, wallpaper and furnishings to suit, resulting in a sophisticated master retreat with a whimsical edge.
In the end, the family’s “forever home” is a space that can evolve as they grow and their needs change. It’s comfortable, whimsical, and sure to be the foundation of many great memories.
