2024 INTERIOR DESIGN TRENDS!

Toronto home renovation - victorian style house - entrance way with ceiling medallion and herringbone floors

Follow @isthatsoh on Instagram and YouTube for home renovation updates!

Ten 2024 Interior Design Trends

Now that we are almost a quarter of the way through the 21st century we are reconsidering our past interior choices especially as life transitions back to ‘normal’. During COVID we turned our homes around to accommodate ‘stay at home’ policies with new ‘work from home' spaces, but now that more and more people are returning to the office, its time to re-evaluate. Perhaps the dining room table or kitchen island no longer needs to be as multi functional as it used to be, especially now that we realize the practicality of having a quiet small space to take a zoom call. With that being said, are large open concept layouts as appealing as they once were? Time will tell…

With so many of my 2023 Interior design and kitchen trends still holding strong, putting together a fresh list of ten 2024 Interior design trends was no easy task. Yet designing with intention, purpose, and conscience is ever more important so without further ado, here is what I’m seeing, reading and hearing are leading the way for 2024.

2024 Interior design trends - interior design colour trends - brown interiors with lime wash walls, picture mouldings - Photography - Jono Parker   CTRL Space

CREDIT: Jono Parker, CTRL Space

Chocolate Neutrals

Full of warmth and richness, an uprising in a variety of shades of browns can be seen across the board from fabrics to textiles to cabinetry and casegoods. Perhaps just an extension of everyone’s past obsession for terracotta and natural oak, deep golden wheat colours and even rusty brown are becoming more prevalent. Instead of draping a whole room in brown (more on monochromatic colour rooms later) what I am noticing are designers offsetting saturating multi-tone brown rooms by incorporate mid-range nude pinks or olive tones, a gorgeous combination if you ask me.

interior design trends 2024 - artwork by Shahla Friberg - sculpture

Artwork by Shahla Friberg

Sculptural Art

Echoing off of my 2023 Interior Design Trends blog post, textural art pieces and wall mounted sculptures continue to be eye catching and a great way to establish a focal point within rooms by adding depth and dimension. Plaster wall murals and decorative motif wall paper in new colour ways are also making a huge splash in 2024 especially around hallways and staircases. Moving from one floor to the next becomes a journey for the eyes as the light, colour and shadows change and play with the walls throughout the day.

Latest interior design trends - 2024 interior design trends - interior design colour trends 2024 - cream tones - butler pantry with chandelier and chevron floors

Source: Pinterest

Butler Pantries, Wet Bars, Coffee Nooks and Wine Storage

Functionality, convenience and storage is what all of these spaces have in common. People are no longer interested in having kitchenwares on display and small appliances lining their kitchen counters. Instead they are designating small areas to display their things in a way that not only look beautiful but feel beautiful. If you don’t have the space to designate a small room to a pantry or wine storage, an easy alternative for hiding kitchen appliances is to tuck them away in cabinetry, incorporating appliances garages to give your kitchen a clean and seamless look.


FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM @ISTHATSOH


2024 Interior Design Trends - clever ways to hid your TV - cabinet with motorized TV lift from Nexus 21

TV lift from Nexus 21

Hide the TV

What may have started with small kitchen appliances has made its way into all forms of technology as heightened efforts are now being made to not just camouflage TV’s but hid them completely. I can’t say I am surprised as there isn’t much appeal a big black box can add to ones living room but what I have noticed is an uptick in DIY’s for reframing your TV to look more like a picture frame or even more recently, hiding it completely behind cabinetry or artwork. I have recently also seem more designers and DIYers incorporating motorized TV lifts that allow you to hide your TV in the ceiling or in a console when you are not using it. Alternatively, projectors that work in bright rooms are becoming more affordable and are much easier to hide. What does this mean for interior design though? Well it allows us to re-orientate our furniture towards socializing vs. soley staring at yet another screen. It also allows your space to become more formal when needed and casual when desired - a win-win.

interior design trends - latest interior design trends - dining room with boucle fluted banquette and tapestry art - design trends 2024

Source: Pinterest

Mixing Eras and Styles

In a world where everything is mass produced, there is something appealing about collecting antiques, vintage pieces, handmade works and heirlooms. Cookie cutter spaces transform into unique places when a mix of patterns, material, textures and periods are introduced. Not only are you contributing towards sustainability but you’re also building your homes personality and charm by adding pieces that can’t easily be replicated or reproduced. Just remember, the hunt for the perfect piece or pairing takes time so be intentional not impulsive!

Laundry Room / Utility Room Makeovers

No longer falling by the wayside, laundry rooms and utility rooms alike are no longer just functional spaces but opportunities to incorporate your design style. More and more people are flipping these spaces into little dreamy, texture and colour drenched spaces that you actually want to spend time in. I’m seeing a lot of colourful statement stone countertops and backsplashes and a bold use of colour and pattern. Statement flooring like mosaic tiles are also a great way to add curb appeal to an otherwise basic room, just make sure they are proportionate to the size and make sense. Further, since the square footage of these spaces tends to be small, opting for those expensive mosaic tiles you’ve had your eye one becomes a little more digestible.


WATCH THE LATEST EPISODE OF MY HOME RENOVATION SERIES!


2024 interior design trends - textured walls - Roman Clay in powder room - Nitty Gritty by Portola - source james may homes

CREDIT: James May Homes

Textured Walls

Limewash, Roman clay, and Venetian plaster walls continue to increase in popularity in 2024 as designers appetite for texture increases. Fluting kitchen islands and ribbed panelling on walls and glass are also being favoured over flat slats and panels which seemed everywhere only a year ago. Perhaps it’s just another nod towards peoples desire to mix eras/styles by taking inspiration from traditional greek columns, construction techniques and architecture but it’s giving timeless elegance that proves some things never go out of style.

interior design trends 2024 - latest interior design trends in furniture - Accent chair in blue boucle fabric By Latitude Run

CREDIT: Latitude Run

Bouclé But Different

It’s out, it’s in, it’s out it’s in. Designers can’t seem to make up their minds about how they feel about Bouclé and I think it’s because they love the texture, coziness and comfort of the fabric but the white and cream variations have oversaturated the market. What I believe is going to happen is that instead of giving it up completely people are going to start incorporating different Boucle colour ways into furniture and fabrics and begin using thicker piles to create variations. I also see the use of velvet and sueded leather become more and more popular as a way to add a pop of texture and colour to a room and incorporate a new element of interest.

2024 interior design trends - Ribbed Wall Panels Decorative Reeded Wall Panelling Modern - fluted wall panel - by panels by sofia on etsy.jpg

CREDIT: Panels by Sofia on Etsy

Creams, Taupes and Warm Neutrals

Bright whites are being swapped out for earthy beiges as people combine natural elements like wood furniture with pops of colour and jewel tone accents. Alternatively, monochromatic coloured rooms are also on the rise as a variation of midtown 2024 colour trends are announced by paint suppliers. I’ve seen a few people do this tastefully but definitely don’t think washing your room all in one colour is for everyone. With that being said, paint continues to be one of the easiest and most achievable ways to breathe new life into a room so there’s no reason to refrain from having some fun with it. What’s the worst that could happen? You repaint.

2024 interior design trends - Paris Apartment with modern furniture and light, chevron floors and crown mouldings - Photography by Yann Deret, courtesy of Olivia Massimi

CREDIT: Yann Deret, Olivia Massimi

Victorian Revival

As a proud owner of a Toronto Victorian home, this is definitely my favourite trend for 2024! Coming off of 2023’s hottest trend, Neoclassical opulence continues to trickle down through ornate crown mouldings, decorative ceilings, false ceiling designs, internal archways, picture mouldings and wallpapers featuring historical patterns or landscapes in new colour ways. Designers are no longer only playing with paint but they are using panelling, textures, and wallpapers on ceilings the same way they use false ceiling designs to drag your eye upwards. Parisian apartments are another great place to source inspiration for this trend as many of them illustrate how to mix eras, furniture pieces and trends tastefully.

Design trends 2024 - floor lamp - gweilo by Partisans Toronto - sculptural lighting

CREDIT: Gweilo by Partisans Toronto

BONUS - Sculptural Lighting

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if it’s a little drama you’re after, a simple lighting update may just be all you need! No longer just functional, unique and interesting lighting has many designers favouring clusters of plaster lighting and over-scaled horizontal LED chandeliers over anything farmhouse. It’s also a super easy way to incorporate artistic features into a room beyond sculptures, murals, wallpaper and your customary framed paintings.

So there you have it! Ten (well 11 with the bonus) 2024 interior design trends that are on the rise!

If you are curious to see how my home renovations are turning out and what interior design trends I am incorporating into my Toronto Victorian home, you can subscribe to my Instagram and YouTube channel ! If you think this list is missing any big 2024 trends or you are obsessed with anything I shared above, feel free to let me know in the comments below!

Until next time!

- Soheila


PIN THIS POST

EPISODE 10: IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING - RENOVATING MY VICTORIAN HOME

Toronto home renovation - victorian style house - winckelman tiles - victorian mosaic tiles with Border design - bathroom renovations in Toronto - powder room ideas

We finally installed the Victorian mosaic tiles I ordered from Winckelmans in the powder room!

RENOVATING MY TORONTO VICTORIAN HOME - EPISODE 10!

I know it’s been a few months since I last released an episode of my home renovation series but that is not because Adam and I have been relaxing and enjoying the summer, quite the contrary! Since moving back into the house and getting ourselves settled in, we have had to put our bigger renovation plans on the back burner and switch gears to concentrate on planning our wedding and getting married in Italy!

If you missed our big news, this past September Adam and I got married in Tuscany at the beautiful San Galgano Abbey. We kicked off our trip with a whirlwind weekend in Florence with friends before heading to Tuscany to check into our wedding villa where we would be hosting the majority of our wedding event. On the first night we hosted a large welcome dinner under the stars for all our guests before getting married the following day in front of all our family and friends. It was such a beautiful wedding and reception - a total dream come true! After one week in Italy, Adam and I headed to Croatia for our honeymoon where we spent a few days at a luxury boutique hotel in Hvar before sailing around to a few Croatian islands and finishing up in Dubrovnik for the last couple nights.

modern victorian house - home renovations toronto - foyer tiles - winckelman tiles black and white victorian tiles with boarder design

My dreams of having Victorian Tiles in my house have finally come true!

Installation of My Victorian Mosaic Tiles From Winckelmans Tiles

Before leaving for our wedding, we were able to get a few things off our to-do list including the installation of our new Victorian mosaic tiles from Winckelmans Tiles that we had previously picked up from their distributor in Toronto, Deco Tile.

It felt so good to finally have my tiles from Winckelmans installed! Adam’s dad ended up helping me with the foyer install (making sure to add in some Schluter Ditra lining for extra waterproofing protection) while Duran from DuWolf tackled the powder room to ensure we could get both spaces done before we left. Although the sheeted tile format (which my Winckelmans Tiles came in) does make the installation process easier, it still takes a lot of thoughtful planning to make sure everything lines up properly and is measured and cut perfectly, so the install is no easy feat! In the end, both spaces turned out even better then I or Adam could have imagined and the black and white Victorian tiles with a matching boarder design turned out super sophisticated/elegant. I love how when you walk into the house the foyer plays off the black and white staircase in the background too which makes the whole entrance way feel cohesive and inviting.

There is still a lot of work we have to do to the powder room following the tile install on one of the walls and floor but I can already tell it’s going to look great once it’s done and the custom Victorian stained glass window I’m having made is installed. Stay tuned for the final look in the next episode!

Toronto home renoation - arched wine cabinet with fridge - compact wine fridge - at home bar cabinet with coffee nook - victorian cast iron radiator and herringbone floors with brass inlay

Our arched bar with wine storage is looking better than ever!

Installation of Our Wine Cabinet With Fridge for Our
Home Bar & Coffee Nook

Another job we were able to check off our to-do list before heading to Italy was the installation of our little arched bar/coffee nook!

Do you remember back in episode 6 when we started drywall and framed out an interior archway for a future little bar area with wine cabinet and wine fridge? Well the custom cabinetry we had ordered was finally ready for install! I went for a super simple design that played off the kitchen’s navy blue palette by having a small cubby with slanted shelves (perfect for storing wine bottles) made with a small drawer on top to hold bottle openers etc. We used the left over Calacatta Gold porcelain from the kitchen for a counter top and duplicated the natural oak shelves to add additional storage for liquor bottles and bar paraphernalia. All we had to do once the navy blue bar cabinet and shelves were installed was plug in our new dual zone wine fridge and Nespresso machine, and decorate! Adam and I saved a whole case of wine from our wedding that we are planning to stash away and open on future anniversaries so I’m really happy to have a nice space to store them. Not to mention a little area separate from the kitchen to mix cocktails for guests while hosting over the holiday season!

DID YOU KNOW the perfect wine fridge temperature ranges between 50 °F (11°C) and 65 °F (18°C) for red wine and 45 °F (7°C) and 50 °F (11°C) for white wine. Neither did I, I had to look it up. Also, needing to rotate your wine bottles every few months is a total myth. As long as they are stored on their side you’re fine! Learn something new every day! Haha!

Victorian homes - toronto home renoations - restoration of victorian windows - house restoration

The plastic sheet draped over the front 2nd floor windows was becoming a huge eye sore!

Restoration of Our Original Victorian Windows

If you’re new to my channel or blog you might have been wondering why there is a big plastic bag draped across the front second floor window of our house. Well, do I have a nightmare story for you!

The evening before Adam and I were set to start drywall there was a massive rainstorm that called our attention to the badly deteriorated and rotted state of our 2nd floor windows. The water from the rainstorm was just pouring into our main floor front room and with drywall starting the next morning, we had no choice but to temporary fix it by draping a large plastic sheet of vapour barrier over the 2nd floor window as a way to keep water off of it as much as possible. This temporary solution worked very well. Amazing actually! The leaking instantly stopped but living with a large plastic sheet on the front of our house was a huge eye sore I was getting sick of looking at. So when Adam and I got back from our wedding and honeymoon, I called our carpenter and asked him to come work his magic.

Restoration of our front windows took a couple days but our carpenter quickly identify the obvious culprit. He started with removing all the rotten wood before replacing it with new wood and sealing any remaining gaps around the edges with spray foam. He did a great job replicating the original Victorian trim work and mimicking the original style just as I asked, and even primed the window with some primer paint to seal it in preparation for painting and a fresh outline of caulking.

It felts so good to not only get that plastic sheet off the front of our house but checking this off our to-do list gave me the reassurance I needed to feel confident that this window will no longer be a problem moving into the winter months.


FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM @ISTHATSOH


Toronto home renovations - victorian homes - exterior house painting and restoration - victorian house gable restoration - exterior window trim painting

Giving the front of our house a little refresh!

Exterior Painting of Windows, Gable and Trim

After our carpenter wrapped up his work, Ariel and his painting crew came in to sand down and paint the front windows, gable, balcony and trim before sealing the windows off with some fresh caulking. Originally the gable, windows and trim was this dull grey colour and our front door and balcony spindles were black but none of it did anything to bring out the beautiful orange hue of the brick. I wanted something complimentary, that helped the house stand out and appear vibrant and glorious in its old age, and what better choice for that than orange’s most complimentary colour, blue! It’s my favourite colour after all!

So off I went to the paint store, with one small kitchen cabinet door tucked under my arm to find the perfect matching colour! Imagine my shock then to find out there is no Benjamin Moore colour that matches! The gentleman at the store ended up mixing the paint colour by eye and after a few small tweaks, we landed on the perfect formula! Thank god for paint snobs!

Now that the windows are restored and everything received a fresh coat of paint, the house is looking really sharp! I love how the navy blue paint accentuates the rich orange hue of the brick and how it changes colours (it sometimes almost looks black) depending on what time of day it is. To help underscore the navy blue trim we kept the front door, cast iron railing, 2nd floor balcony and eves/drain spouts black as a way to emphasize the difference in colour despite the navy appearing black at a quick glance.

Toronto home renovations - victorian homes - custom victorian stained glass window for powder room

Louis stopped by to drop off the completed stained glass window I had her custom make for my powder room!

My Custom Victorian Stained Glass Window Was Delivered!

Prior to leaving for the wedding, Louis had invited me to her studio in Etobicoke to finalize the design of the custom stained glass window she was making for the powder room. It was so cool to visit her studio and learn more about the stained glass classes she offers. The pieces she was working on for me looked incredible and exactly like the mock up design I had drawn for her months earlier. During my visit she showed me some final jewel options and glass colours she had selected, and asked me to choose what I liked the best before she began the welding phase of the production.

A few weeks later, while Ariel was still painting the house, Louis stopped by to drop off the finished stained glass window! IT LOOKED SO GOOD and I was so happy to see it installed and in all its glory in the powder room!


ENJOYING THIS CONTENT? CHECK OUT SOME OF MY OTHER EPISODES AND BLOG POSTS!


Home renovations Toronto - victorian homes - la cornue ranges - kitchen renovations toronto - herringbone floors with brass inlay - navy blue kitchen cabinets

Our La Cornue Cornufé range was finally installed!

Installation of Our La Cornue Range

It finally happened! After months of waiting for our new vent to arrive, two weeks ago we were able to get not only get it installed but we got our new La Cornue range installed too!

Originally, Adam and I had planned to have our stove installed in May when we moved in but the inspector saw the hole for the vent exhaust and said it was too big and not to code. Pivoting as best we could, we ordered a new vent that required a smaller exhaust hole but the kicker was we had to wait 16 weeks for it to arrive. In the meantime our new La Cornue stove lived in its crate in our dining room while Adam and I cooked all our meals on the BBQ.

After months of waiting our new vent arrived and we had our kitchen cabinetry maker from Domani Design Group come in to retrofit our range hood cabinet (because of course the new vent had to be a different size than our old vent) before having a professional appliance installer come in to finish the rest of the install.

By the way, if anyone is doing a kitchen renovations and needs a vent, we still have our old, unopened, Elica vent available for purchase! Model number is EAR140S4 if you want to check out the specs!

Now that our La Cornue stove is installed, Adam and I have been cooking up a storm. We love the duel electric ovens and powerful gas range. We also later learned that they discontinued making the La Cornue Cornufé range in the navy blue colour so it’s not even available for purchase anymore which makes me love it even more. I’m so excited to continue to play around with it over the holidays and feel way more confident about hosting family and friends for dinner now that we are not limited to just the BBQ. It’s going to make things so much easier and more enjoyable not to mention it looks like a piece of jewellery!

Overall, I am ECSTATIC about all the progress we’ve made on the house since moving back in. I even bought some lights on Black Friday which I can’t wait to arrive so I can install them! Christmas is also around the corner and I’m looking forward to getting our first Christmas tree and starting to host our friends and family for drinks and dinner.

Toronto home renovations - underpinning the basement - before

The current state of our basement - a sandbox!

2024 Plans: Tackling the Basement & Underpinning

In the new year Adam and I have plans to start tackling the basement which is currently a large sandbox. We want to do a big underpin in hopes of achieving an 8+ foot finished basement so it’s a bit more of a functional space and we can actually install our laundry machines (which is the last thing we need to install)! Until then they will continue taking up space in our living room. YAY! * eyeroll *

In preparation for the underpin (and before the ground froze) we had to cut away the bushes and smoke tree out front. Having to get rid of the smoke bush tree broke my heart, I loved that tree! Unfortunately it was so old, overgrown and wild that it produced less blooms each year and blocked all the light making it impossible to grow anything else. We have plans to re-landscape the front in the spring after the underpinning is done but for now we needed to prepare that front area for a demo bin.

Toronto home renovations - victorian homes - exterior window trim painting

The house after window restoration work and a fresh coat of black and navy blue paint!

Thank you so much for joining me today and for checking out my new Toronto home renovation series on Youtube. I am super excited to be modernizing a Victorian home while still keeping the charm of an old Victorian house. If you have any questions about my Victorian house renovations, what it’s like to live in Little Portugal, Toronto or recommendations for Toronto contractors, hit me up in the comments below!

Before I sign off, I’d also like to say a big thank you to Winckelmans Tiles and Deco Tile for partnering with me on this project. I’m so excited to be working with industry experts on our Toronto home renovations but want to reiterate that, like always, all opinions remain my own.

Until next time,

- Soheila

MORE BTS PHOTOS FROM THIS EPISODE


PIN THIS POST

Home renovations in Toronto - A Toronto Victorian Home - black and white victorian mosaic tiles from Winckelmans - powder room makeover

EPISODE 6: THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL - RENOVATING MY TORONTO VICTORIAN HOME

Home renovations in Toronto - A Toronto Victorian Home - classical mouldings - plaster crown mouldings

Newly installed ornate plaster mouldings from Parsiena Design

RENOVATING MY TORONTO VICTORIAN HOME - EPISODE 6!

We are officially a month and a half into our finishes and I am already beginning to see the dream home I have been manifesting start to materialize. It’s one thing to dream and pin’ to Pinterest but now that it’s time to pull the trigger on the design elements I have been swooning over for the last year, my heart has begun to flutter with excitement watching it all come together.

Of course the finishes have come with their own set of challenges. Unlike everything that has happened up to this point, being ‘hands off’ means we’ve had to communicate very clearly and leave nothing to chance. There have been a few instances already where small assumptions have led to bigger mistakes and further work in order to correct immediately. Despite these obstacles, Adam and I continue to push our Toronto home renovation forward with bated breath, especially now that we are able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

If this is your first time tuning into my new Toronto home renovation series and want to start from the beginning, check out Episode Episode 1: Sledgehammer Therapy and keep up with upcoming episodes by subscribing to my YouTube channel!

Since the last episode, a lot has happened at the house! Adam and I are happy to report that we passed our ‘pre-drywall’ inspection. I was so nervous for the inspection because I had to be on site by myself to answer any questions our inspector had. Thankfully I was able to calm my anxiety by keeping busy by cleaning the main floor and installing sound proofing insulation into the walls surrounding the middle bedroom on the 2nd floor.

toronto home renovations - soundproofing wall with sound batt insulation

Soundproofing the interior walls of our new second floor middle bedroom using batt sound proofing insulation

SOUNDPROOFING WALLS

Adam and I did a lot of research around soundproofing walls. Now that we had reconfigured the 2nd floor layout, adding in two new bedrooms and a bathroom, we thought it would be wise to soundproof the middle bedroom now if we hope to one day turn it into a nursery.

Although it is challenging to make a wall 100% soundproof there are a few things you can do to dampen the noise. The first thing we did was install sound proof insulation between the studs in the interior walls surrounding the middle bedroom. Given my recently acquired expertise in batt insulation (watch the last episode to find out what I mean) I was able to do this myself in just a few hours. After that, we had the drywall crew install SONOpan (soundproofing panels) prior to drywall as a way of adding an additional sound absorbing barrier between the rooms. This of course made the wall thicker, but it was a loss we were willing to accept in the name of comfort!

Home renovations in Toronto - A Toronto Victorian Home

We had to wrap the 2nd floor front window after we found a leak

WE FOUND A LEAK

Of course, nothing goes as planned when it comes to home renovations and the night before drywall was suppose to start we found a leak! There was a massive storm that night and Adam and I were at the house moving things out of the way for the drywall crew, when all of a sudden we spotted water drops coming from main floor ceiling at the the front of the house. Upon further investigation, we figured out that the leak was coming from our second floor windows and had to act quick. I ran to the basement and got a sheet of left over vapour barrier, which Adam and I used to wrap the front window and stop the leak. Thankfully our temporary solution worked and is holding up pretty well, but fixing the front windows is just one more thing to add to the list for spring.

Drywall went up pretty quick and obviously made a huge impact in making our Toronto Victorian home feel livable once again. Part way through, Adam and I did had to demo the existing stairs case and finish up the batt insulation along that wall, but other than that there wasn’t much work required for us to do at the house. Demoing the stairs did result in our basement turning into a bit of a sandbox though. Although we have no plans to start working on it now, we do plan to finish it after the work on the first and second floor is complete.

Home renovations in Toronto - A Toronto Victorian Home - ceiling medallion silicone mould replica

The first cast of the ceiling medallion Parsiana Design made from the silicone mould they created a month earlier

MY VISIT TO PARSIENA DESIGN

Since I didn’t physically have to be working at the house all day, I finally had time to turn my attention to the finishes! It had been a couple weeks since Parsiena Design had made a silicone mould of my ceiling medallion on-site, and although we had the good fortune of successfully removing the original medallion, Parsiena did make a replica using the mould and I was excited to see how it all turned out.

Located just outside Toronto in Vaughan, Parsiena Design’s production house was a feast for the eyes! Specializing in the manufacturing of architect elements, Parsiena is known as the place to go for custom fireplace mantels in Toronto. In addition to fireplace mantels, they also have a extensive catalogue of beautiful ornate plaster crown mouldings, stone range hoods, medallions, rosettes, friezes and trims. Not only can you see their work across the city of Toronto, but they have also done a lot of work internationally and in the US.

One of my favourite parts about my visit to their production studio was seeing their creative process in action! It’s not everyday an artist lets you peak behind the curtain, and I was thrilled to be invited into their workshop to see masters at work. During my visit they not only showed me the replica of my ceiling medallion, but also some beautiful stone fireplace mantels they had recently completed, I also got to see the crown moulding panels they had produced for me which were ready for install once the drywall was complete.

What do you think I should do with the replica of my ceiling medallion? Fell free to let me know in the comments below!

Home renovations in Toronto - A Toronto Victorian Home - classical mouldings - plaster crown mouldings

The plaster crown mouldings that were installed in my kitchen


FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM @ISTHATSOH


Home renovations in Toronto - A Toronto Victorian Home - finished drywall-3.jpg

The main floor after drywall is complete! So excited for my new kitchen to be installed!

INTERIOR ARCHWAY

By mid January, drywall was wrapping up and the house felt completely transformed. Now that we had walls you could really feel each room beginning to take shape.

One special request I had made prior to drywall was to make an archway where our future dining room bar will be. I was really happy with how it turned out and think it created a really interesting focal point within the room.

The kitchen area also had me giddy with excitement. With the new back door letting in all this natural light, the first floor looked better than ever.

The second floor was no exception. Our new bathroom was starting to materialize nicely as well as the two new bedrooms we had framed out in the last episode.

Even the fake vent exchange I had created had been drywalled, and Adam and I reached yet another high as we took in all our accomplishments.

INSTALLATION OF OUR NEW BESPOKE STAIRCASE

With drywall behind us we could finally turn our attention to our new custom staircase!

The first part of the instillation process took two days. However, since there is still a lot of messy work to do in the house we had the carpenters hold off on installing the balusters and railing, and instead had them cover it with a protected sheet.

It’s funny to look back now and think about how much Adam and I agonized over whether or not we should replace/widen the staircase. The original staircase was so skinny and in worse for wear condition with a noticeable dip. It is common for old Toronto Victorian houses like ours to have a skinny staircase but it made it really challenging to get furniture up and down the stairs. Now with the new staircase in and the opening made wider, it seems like a no brainier decision.

More to come on this topic in a future episode!!

REINTRODUCTION OF OUR BULLNOSE CORNERS

While the stairs were being installed, we also had someone come in to reintroduce the bullnose edge detail around the fireplace that was present in the original house. You can still see it in its original plaster form on the corbel in the entrance way, but in order to reintroduce it we actually had to finish the drywall corner using a bullnose corner bead first before adding an additional layer of 1/4 inch thick drywall on top. The results were remarkable and I am so happy with how it turned out! For me, it’s the small details like this that really give a house character!

Home renovations in Toronto - A Toronto Victorian Home - classical mouldings - plaster crown mouldings and corbel

An example of an original bullnose corner that once existed in various places throughout the house.

The bullnose corner detail that we reintroduced around the fireplace mantel using a bullnose edge and additional 1/4 inch drywall


ENJOYING THIS CONTENT? CHECK OUT SOME OF MY OTHER EPISODES AND BLOG POSTS!


Home renovations in Toronto - A Toronto Victorian Home - classical mouldings - plaster crown mouldings - Parsiena Design

Installation of our new ornate plaster mouldings from Parsiena Design in our kitchen

INSTALLATION OF OUR CLASSICAL MOULDINGS

Of course, our house wouldn’t be complete without some new crown moulding from Parsiena Design. I could watch them be installed all day and never get bored. The large ornate plaster crown mouldings for the kitchen area were even more beautiful in their full format and took a master with over twenty years of experience to install. Each cut had to be made with such precision so that each corner lined up in perfect harmony and symmetry.

In the dining room and living room we went with a more understated, classic moulding design that echoed the egg and dart motif seen throughout the remaining plaster work in the house. I think the contrast in the size of the crown moulding works beautifully on the main floor because it actually makes the ceilings in the living room and dining room appear higher than the kitchen, when it fact they are slightly lower. I also love how much drama the big plaster crowns bring to the kitchen. I think if we had done them everywhere it would have been too garish and overdone so I’m really happy with my decision to just keep them in the kitchen area.

Home renovations in Toronto - A Toronto Victorian Home - classical mouldings - plaster crown mouldings and stained glass window

Halfway through our finishes! Can’t wait to see this room when it’s done!

To end off an incredibly productive week of finishes, Parsiena was also able to delivery the replicated cast and mould of my ceiling medallion and they were able to reinstall the original ceiling medallion, mending it back together piece by piece until it was hole once more. Since we had taken it down, I had some time to work on it in preparation for re-installation, and during this time I had actually discovered a whole extra layer of scalloping detail that was hidden under caulking and plaster. It was an incredible discovery which only adds to its unique character and beauty. I’m thrilled to have it back, not only in it’s rightful place but in all its grandeur.

DELIVERY OF OUR REFURBISHED CAST IRON RADIATORS

As the month came to a close, we also welcomed the delivery of our newly refurbished rads from Ironworks Radiators Inc. Although it is a little premature to install them, once the floors are done we should be close and I can’t wait to see them in their final position and glory!

More to come on this topic in the next episode! Hopefully!

UP NEXT!

Lots more exciting things to come in the next episode of our Toronto home renovation series including the installation of our beautiful herringbone floors from Chestnut Flooring, the tiling of new our master bathroom, and the installation of our custom kitchen from Domani Design Group!

Thank you so much for joining me today and for checking out my new Toronto home renovation series on Youtube. I am super excited to be modernizing a Victorian home while still keeping the charm of an old Victorian house. If you have any questions about my Victorian house renovations, what it’s like to live in Little Portugal, Toronto or recommendations for Toronto contractors, hit me up in the comments below!

Before I sign off, I’d also like to say a big thank you to Parsiena Design and Ironworks Radiator Inc. for partnering with me on this project. I’m so excited to be working with local industry experts on our Toronto home renovations but want to reiterate that, like always, all opinions remain my own.

Before I sign off, I’d also like to say a big thank you to Parsiena Design and Ironworks Radiator Inc for partnering with me on this project. I’m so excited to be working with local industry experts on our Toronto home renovations but want to reiterate that, like always, all opinions remain my own.

Until next time,

- Soheila


PIN THIS POST

EPISODE 5: THE BIG PUSH - RENOVATING MY TORONTO VICTORIAN HOME

The silicone mold made by Parsiena Design of my Victorian ceiling medallion

RENOVATING MY TORONTO VICTORIAN HOME - EPISODE 5!

For me, 2022 was a year of firsts. First time doing a home renovation. First time gutting a house. First time demolishing a wall, removing flooring, widening a staircase, doing structural work of any kind, and yet here we are!

A year ago, all the work we have done would have been outside my scope of knowledge. It’s amazing what you can accomplish with a good team of people by your side and I feel so blessed to have worked with such great crews on this project. I am so proud of all that we have accomplished together and without them I would have never gotten this far. So before I kick off this episode, I just want to acknowledge everyone who has supported me and this home renovation series thus far. Without you, it would never have worked and we would never have gotten this far. Thank you for one of the best years of my life. ♡

If this is your first time tuning into my new home renovation series and want to start from the beginning, check out Episode 1: Sledgehammer Therapy and keep up with upcoming episodes by subscribing to my YouTube channel!

Since the last episode, lots has happened at the house! At the end of summer, Adam and I had our roof redone! With five layers of shingles, including the original cedar shingles, the front half of our roof was in rough shape.

Our roof was in serious rough shape before we had it redone!

ROOF REPAIRS & MAINTENANCE

It’s unclear when the previous owners did something to the roof but judging from the state of it, it would only be a matter of time before it would become an issue. The peak was deteriorating and you could see a depression where the old chimney stack used to be. Considering how much effort and money we had already put into this project, we weren’t willing to take the risk of going through another winter without making sure it was sealed tight.

The whole process of removing shingles, repairing any rotten areas, waterproofing, and laying down new shingles took two days. Adding back the eves and aluminum capping took an additional few days but for the most part it was fairly painless.

The worst thing about getting your roof redone is all the debris. I had to make sure it all landed in my front lawn and didn’t damage my neighbours property. At the end of the job I made sure the crew took extra time to clean their properties and they did do a pretty good job. It’s been really nice getting to know my neighbours over the past year and a half (can you believe it’s been that long since we bought our first home) and it’s nice to see that everyone really looks out for one another. One of my neighbours has a snowblower and always does the sidewalks for us. Another always gives us grapes from their garden. Having great neighbours is gift and I lucked out with a bunch of beauties.

One unfortunate outcome that did occur from my roof being redone, was that our smoke bush took a major hit. Despite having cut it back, all the debris that was coming off the roof was falling on the smoke bush causing it to lose entire branches. I had neglected it over the summer and by September it was out of control. I noticed it didn’t flower very well this summer and my mom’s friend who is a horticulturalist advised me to prune it back. I guess the roofers kind of did it for me but I love that smoke bush and really hope it makes an awesome come back next summer.


FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM @ISTHATSOH


STRUCTURAL ENGINEER

Soon after the roof was finished we heard back from our residential structural engineer, K.H. Davis Engineering Consultants LTD who provided us with plans for the second floor.

When I first realized we would have to do structural work on the 2nd floor, my heart dropped. I was so worried about how long it would take and how much it would delay our plans. Turns out, when compared to the work we had already done it wasn’t going to be as complicated or extensive, which came as a huge relief. The new plans required us to install 4 new LVL beams (laminated veneer lumber) which we were confident we could do ourselves, and took us just over a week to complete.

Gearing up to install our fist LVL beam on the 2nd floor. Supports are up and the boys are already removing the top plate.

Most of the work was similar to what we had already done, except the first beam we installed actually had to be built in the air because it was so heavy! We would never have been able to lift it into place, and so we had to lift each piece it into position and connect them all once elevated. After that first massive LVL beam, things got easier. We built the beams on the floor and alleviated some of the lifts with a ‘ladder method’ I once saw our amazing residential structural contractor Raouf use in the basement with a steal beam.

Shout out to Raouf at Dynamic Design and Construction, we miss you and the crew!! We would have never gotten this far without you!!!

The last two beams were pretty simple to install and, much like we had done with the staircase header and floor joists, we connected all the joists that run perpendicular to the beam using joist hangers.

Once all the structural work was complete, Adam and I felt very accomplished. It’s crazy to think a year ago we had no structural or renovation experience whatsoever and here we are building our house from the inside out!

Parsiena Design in the process of making a silicone mold of my ceiling medallion!

MAKING A SILICONE MOLD OF MY CEILING MEDALLION

I know by now you must be thinking ‘Jeeze, this girl and her ceiling medallion’ (I know Adam is), but the original moldings and character of the house was a huge part of what made me fall in love with it in the first place. When Adam told me we would have to level the ceiling in the living room I protested, worried about damaging the almost 150 year old plaster ceiling medallion. I wouldn’t let them touch it without me first finding a solution to either remove it or have it replicated. Enter Parsiena Designs.

Parsiena Designs is one of Canada’s leading manufacturers of stone mantels and architectural elements. I first discovered Parsiena on Instagram and really wanted to work with them. They have a large catalogue full of beautiful medallions, friezes, trims, casing, panels and plaster crown mouldings, and I ended up picking one of their larger, more intricate crown molding designs for my kitchen! For the rest of the main floor, I chose another one of their more simple crown moulding designs, an egg and dart motif which echos the original plaster work found throughout the house.

I also learned that they can do plaster replication. I was so scared of what was going to happen to my ceiling medallion when we would inevitably have to take it down, and I thought a mold of it would be great ‘insurance’. In addition to the ceiling medallion, I also got the door crowns reproduced.

I am so excited to be partnering with Parsiena Designs on this project and can’t wait to see what the house looks like with my new crown mouldings! I think it’s going to really elevate the main floor and allow me to stay true to the original Victorian aesthetic while also providing the flexibility to modernize it.

After the mold was made, we miraculously removed the ceiling medallion. I was so nervous the entire time despite having a mold, but was still determined to do whatever I could to save it (the original is always better after all). Two hours and a miracle later we managed to get it down safely using a drywall lift, a foam pad (used to absorb some of the vibrations), a crowbar, and lots of patience. We were all surprised to learn in the process that it was actually 5 separate pieces instead of just one large piece and although one of the side pieces broke, I knew it was easily reparable and was so thrilled with the outcome.


ENJOYING THIS CONTENT? CHECK OUT SOME OF MY OTHER EPISODES AND DIY’S!


Renovating my victorian home - cast iron radiators - Ironworks radiators - painting a radiator

My newly refurbished, cast iron Victorian radiator being painted at Ironworks Radiator Inc.

PAINTING MY VICTORIAN CAST IRON RADIATORS

Remember this beauty? I first spotted her last summer while treasure hunting in the Ironworks stockyard.

Well in November I received a call from Jennifer at Ironworks Radiator Inc who told me that the ornate Victorian radiators I had purchased from her for refurbishment had been sandblasted and primed, and were ready for painting. It took me weeks to pick colours, but I finally landed on brass for the dining room and an antique bronze for the front foyer. I think both colours will go well with our incoming natural oak herringbone floors and french navy blue cabinetry as well as the brass hardware in the kitchen and the modern Castrad Radiators in bronze gold that arrived at the end of the summer.

I really love the look of ornate cast iron Victorian radiators. To me they are like jewellery, but for your home. Not only are they eye-catching but depending on the colours you pick, they can totally add a pop of glamour to a room. I just loved how these turned out and I can’t wait to have them installed in my home! Which colour is your favourite? Feel free to leave your answer in the comments below!

Framing the 2nd floor - pictured here 2nd and 3rd bedroom

FRAMING THE SECOND FLOOR


Once all the structural work was done on the second floor we could immediately start framing. Besides building the bulk heads on the main floor and one wall, Adam and I didn’t really have a lot of framing experience. Thankfully, Adam’s dad was able to lead the charge and show us how. Within a week we had the new second floor layout entirely framed out. Instead of having only one bedroom on the second floor we now had three and we were able to move the bathroom across the house so it could eventually act as a shared master ensuite.

Overall, the framing was easy and uneventful except for the fact that the new layout I had originally planned for was a little tighter than expected in reality. After mapping out the space, Adam and I realized that the closet necessary to house the laundry machines would have eaten up to much space into bedroom 2 causing it to be significantly smaller than bedroom 3. Adam was also worried about future repairs and having to move them around in such a small space so we both agreed that the easiest and best solution was just to have a laundry area down stairs in the basement for now and keep the bedrooms fairly similar in size. The small space we had left over will now become a ‘hidden’ linen closet - a project I’m excited to work on when we we move onto finishing.

Once all the framing was done we could finally start having all the other trades come through to install plumbing, electrical and heating. The last two weeks in November were crazy! Not only were the other trades able to get all the ‘guts’ in the house done, but we passed inspection and had our new window and back Crittall door installed!

INSTILLATION OF OUR NEW WINDOWS & CRITTALL DOOR

New windows have arrived (early too) and are being installed along with my new Crittall door .

The long awaited arrival of our back door finally happened! Adam and I originally placed our custom order for a new back door in the spring, expecting it to arrive mid summer. Here we were, well into fall, the weather is getting cold and I was super cheesed about how long it was taking. When our new Crittall door finally showed up I was still kind of sour, but what I didn’t know was that the manufacturer had sped up our window order which we had only placed a month prior (which wasn’t suppose to arrive until February) and the whole thing was getting installed in the same day. My whole mood did a 180°! All was forgiven and I was happy as a clam once again.

Plus our new Crittall door turned out amazing! Adam and I put a lot of effort into calculating the perfect glass size ratios for the opening and once it was installed, it was obvious all our hard work had paid off.

The ornate cast iron Victorian vent exchange I used to hide some water pipes with the help of some fancy carpentry work.

A LITTLE FANCY CARPENTRY

One small solo project I took on that I feel so proud about arose after our plumber Steve unknowingly hit a floor joist while running new water lines to the second floor. Having nowhere to go but around the joist and up, I had an opportunity to get creative with some fancy carpentry. Luckily, prior to the demo I made sure to save a few things that were part of the original house like this old vent exchange. I didn’t have any ideas as to what I would eventually use it for but clearly I’m a hoarder of old things and when this situation arose, I finally had the perfect reason to upcycle it. My background in design really came in handy for this little project and I was pretty proud of how it all turned out. All I had to do was build a box that could attach to the wall and be dry-walled in to look like it was meant to be there. The vent would fit inside it, blocking the lines while still making them accessible. Pretty cool, right?

Still smiling despite being incredibly itchy from all the Batt insulation work I’m doing

SPRAY FOAM INSULATION & MY DEAL WITH ADAM

In our relationship, Adam is definitely the spreadsheet guy. He’s the one who organizes our renovations expenses and makes sure we stay on budget. If I spring things on him like wanting new crown mouldings for the main floor, a compromise needs to be made. When planning for this home renovation we had set aside money for Batt insulation but was unaware that we would 1) have to use closed cell spray foam insulation on the 2nd floor ceiling because it is a flat roof (our inspector told us this) and 2) how costly replicating a ceiling medallion and putting in new crown mouldings would be.

So to help make room in the budget for these items, I told Adam I would do all the Batt insulation work myself. Boy did I have my work cut out for me. I had no idea how long it would take or how itchy Batt insulation makes my skin but I really wanted those crown mouldings so a deal was a deal. Although doing Batt insulation work is very easy, to do both floors took me more than a month because I could only do it in piece meal and only after the other trades were finished running electrical lines, PEX, and plumbing in those areas. By the end of it, I was so sick of dealing with insulation and being itchy all the time but I managed to get it all done and saved us a few thousand dollars.

When it comes to closed cell spray foam insulation you want to make sure you hire a trained professional with certified qualifications. Although a popular insulation method and one required by the Toronto Building Code for all non-vented roofs, if not done correctly you could experience toxic off-gassing. For this reason, we originally wanted to use Batt insulation everywhere but after our inspector informed us of the code, we had to compromise and do the 2nd floor ceiling. Thankfully, we were able to find a qualified company with great reviews to do it for us, but it did take some time and a lot of questioning. During our search though we did encounter a few shady companies, which is why I just wanted to take a moment to reiterate the importance of choosing a company wisely.

If you don’t want to wait for the next episode to catch a glimpse of what is happening behind the scenes you can always follow me on Instagram where I share up-to-date stories of my interior design and renovation progress!

Winter has arrived! First snowfall of the year!

Thank you so much for joining me today and for checking out my new Toronto home renovation series on Youtube. I am super excited to be modernizing a Victorian home while still keeping the charm of an old Victorian house. If you have any questions about my Victorian house renovations, what it’s like to live in Little Portugal, Toronto or recommendations for Toronto contractors, hit me up in the comments below!

Before I sign off, I’d also like to say a big thank you to Parsiena Design and Ironworks Radiator Inc for partnering with me on this project. I’m so excited to be working with local industry experts on our Toronto home renovations but want to reiterate that, like always, all opinions remain my own.

Until next time,

- Soheila

MORE BTS PHOTOS FROM THIS EPISODE


PIN THIS POST!

renovating my toronto victorian home - Victorian homes