EPISODE 9: WE MOVED IN! - RENOVATING MY VICTORIAN HOME

IsThatSoh Kitchen - Victorian home with crown mouldings and castrad mercury cast iron radiator

After 14 months of renovations, we are finally ready to move back into our Toronto Victorian home!

RENOVATING MY TORONTO VICTORIAN HOME - EPISODE 9!

The moment we have all been waiting for! After 14 months of renovations, Adam and I have finally moved back into our Toronto Victorian home!

Shortly after returning from my wedding planning trip to Italy, our painter Ariel finished painting our house and packed up his stuff, which meant Adam and I could start focusing on cleaning the house and moving back in. In this episode we are going to be sharing the big reveal of our Toronto home renovation and everything we still have to do!

For those that are just tuning in, when Adam and I purchased this property as our first home, we knew it needed some work. The house had been divided into units with a ‘new-ish’ kitchen on the second floor and a very old, very small kitchen on the main floor.

Initially, Adam and I thought we would wait before doing any renovations; settle in, learn about the house, figure out its quirks, save a little money and then start the planning process. But soon after we moved in, we realized many of our appliances were broken and needed to be replaced. This ended up being the small nudge we needed to get the ball rolling. Seven months later (and just in time for Adam’s birthday), we received our building permit and were ready to get started!

P.s. If you are interested in seeing/revisiting what the house looked like prior to renovations, you can go check out my ‘pre-renovation house tour’!

moving day  - moving back into our victorian house

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Before we could think about moving back into the house we first had to give it a deep clean. After 14 months of renovations, the whole house was covered in dust (especially all of the stuff we stored in the basement) so we spent the first week cleaning every nook and cranny before packing up the car with our personal stuff and finally moving back in.

HERRINGBONE FLOORING

Seeing the house sparkling clean for the first time was magical but pull up the protective ram board to reveal my new white oak herringbone flooring from Chestnut Flooring with the added brass inlay border, was a dream come true.

It had always been my fantasy to have herringbone floors so when Adam and I realized the house needed structural work to reverse the sagging on the main floor, I was ecstatic about the possibility of having to redo the floors.

Traditionally, herringbone flooring was made of hardwood oak but these days you can get them in engineered oak and they come in many different sizes and colours. Narrowing it down to the appropriate size was exceptionally hard given the size of the space. Too large and you don’t notice them, too small and it’s all you notice. In the end, Chestnut Flooring helped us find the perfect size plank and colour to add warmth back into the space. Seeing them now span all the way from the front entrance to the kitchen crittall door at the back, makes my heart skip a beat.

OUR REFURBISHED CAST IRON RADIATORS

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it a thousand more times, ornate cast iron radiators are like jewellery for you home. If you love Victorian style houses as much as I do, you would understand my desire to want to keep traditional elements like these beautiful cast iron radiators even when undergoing an extensive renovation. Not only do I think they add a pop of glam to the main floor but they work incredibly well at reducing moisture and expelling heat during colder winter months. Now, having moved back into our house I really get to enjoy the beauty of my cast iron radiators and I can’t wait to create focal points around them.

If you love Victorian homes or are just looking to refurbish your radiators, I highly recommend checking out Ironworks Radiator Inc in Etobicoke. They have an extensive stockyard of Victorian radiators located at the back of their shop and their inventory is always changing. They also work directly with Castrad Radiators in the UK to import brand new cast iron radiators in various styles including more modern, sleek silhouettes like the two we have installed under the twin windows in the kitchen.


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home renovations in toronto - herringbone floors kitchen with brass inlay

KITCHEN RENOVATION PROGRESS & UPDATES

Progress on our kitchen renovation has unfortunately come to a halt. Right before we were set to have the stove installed (our final piece of the puzzle) the inspector looked at the vent hole and said it didn’t pass code. Little did we know before buying our hood vent that a 10 inch duct would not pass code given the parameters of our lot. The good news is, we found something that can be retrofitted to our cabinet hood but the bad news is, it could take up to 10 weeks to arrive. In the meantime, my stove lives in the dining room and Adam and I have to use the bbq to do all our cooking.

Other then that though the crown mouldings from Parsiana Design and the navy blue kitchen cabinetry from Domani Design Group look spectacular. Every time someone walks into our house they always comment on how beautiful the kitchen mouldings look against the slim shaker cabinets and how the brass inlay boarder sparkles against the the white oak herringbone flooring. I am thrilled with how the kitchen is turning out and I honestly can’t wait to see it complete once our La Cornue stove is installed.

STILL SO MUCH TO DO!

In addition to our kitchen not being completely finished, there are still so many things that need to be done around here. The bar cabinets have been measured and we are waiting delivery and install. The powered room needs to be tiled, same with the front foyer. We still need to figure out what we want to do with our fireplace. The hidden linen closet on the second floor needs to be completed. The bathroom pocket door isn’t finish being installed and trimmed out nor has the underbelly and side of our new custom staircase, but I know we will tackle these items in time so I’m not going to start sweating the small stuff.

Adam and I also have plans to start renovating the basement in the fall after our wedding, which will include some underpinning so there is definitely no shortage of work around here!

MASTER BATHROOM RENOVATION REVEAL

Inspired by the marble checkered pattern seen in the hallways of Palace of Versailles and incorporating my favourite colour blue, our master bathroom is currently our only functional bathroom. Although not honed marble like my inspiration, I just love how the blue and white checked floor tiles turned out and how well they compliment the veined porcelain slabs we chose for the shower walls. To help further pull the room together the large white oak wall mount vanity with a white quartz counter top matched our shower curb perfectly and the chrome faucets, tub filler and shower fixture turned out to be the perfect ‘polished’ detail to bring the room together.

When Adam and I first moved back into the house the shower glass wasn’t installed so we were taking a lot of baths! We also had ordered two new wall hung arched medicine cabinets for over the vanity but quickly realized they would protrude to much over the faucet to look and feel right. Thankfully I found these beautiful irregular shaped mirrors with a bevelled edge online that once installed, gave a modern twist to an otherwise traditional Victorian style bathroom.

Two weeks after we moved in, our shower glass also finally arrived. Installation took a good part of a day but I have to say it was worth the wait. The glass walls go floor to ceiling and the door swings both inward and out. We went with Chrome hardware so everything matches the newly painted cast iron tub we originally had in the basement and I really think it gives our master bathroom this feeling of grandness it was missing.

ARRIVAL OF MY MOSAIC VICTORIAN TILES!

Within the first few weeks of moving in I also received the best news! The Winckelman Tiles I had ordered had finally arrived and their local distributor here in Toronto, Deco Tile had called me to let me know I can pick them up!

The octagon mosaic Victorian tiles I had selected were even more beautiful in person! Once the car was loaded up we headed over to Deco Tile’s showroom on Tycos Drive to select the perfect grout to match. Honestly, this part was quiet challenging because so many colours would have worked well with these tiles but in the end I settled on a warm off white called Biscuit.

I can not wait to install these tiles in the powered room and front foyer and think they will really compliment the black and white custom staircase we just had installed.

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 Toronto or need 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 Domani Design Group, Chestnut Flooring, Parsiena Design, Ironworks Radiator Inc and Winckelman Tiles for partnering with me on this project. I’m so excited to be working with such great companies on our Toronto home renovations but want to reiterate that, like always, all opinions remain my own.

Until next time,

- Soheila

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EPISODE 8: FINISHING TOUCHES - RENOVATING MY VICTORIAN HOME

Toronto Home renovations - victorian style home - custom staircase - spray gun painting staircase post and stair spindles

The stair balusters after being painted in a bedroom we turned into a giant spray paint booth!

RENOVATING MY TORONTO VICTORIAN HOME - EPISODE 8!

As the finishes come to a close, it’s hard not to look back on this year-long home renovation project and take stock of how far we have come. This past year, Adam and I faced a lot of ‘firsts’. First time demolishing a wall, first time doing any structural work, first time widening a staircase, framing out new bedrooms, doing insulation work - the list goes on. It’s true, ‘anything worth doing is going to be difficult’ and renovating our 125 year old Victorian home was no exception!

For those who have been following Adam and I’s home renovation journey, thank you so much for the support this past year. You have honestly made creating these videos and sharing our experience with you such a joy and I hope you feel inspired to step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself in some way too.

For those that are just tuning in, when Adam and I purchased this property as our first home, we knew it needed some work. The house had been divided into units with a ‘new-ish’ kitchen on the second floor and a very old, very small kitchen on the main floor.

Initially, Adam and I thought we would wait before doing any renovations; settle in, learn about the house, figure out its quirks, save a little money and then start the planning process. But soon after we moved in, we realized many of our appliances were broken and needed to be replaced. This ended up being the small nudge needed to get the ball rolling and so the process of planning our Toronto home renovation begun. Seven months later (and just in time for Adam’s birthday), we received our building permit and were ready to get started!

P.s. If you are interested in seeing/revisiting what the house looked like prior to renovations, you can go check out my ‘pre-renovation house tour!

Toronto Home renovations - victorian style home - kitchen renoation - neoclassical kitchen design with slim shaker cabinets

My custom, slim shaker cabinet style kitchen made by Domani Design Group

INSTALLATION OF MY CUSTOM KITCHEN CABINETS

After over a year in the making, this past month our custom kitchen was finally installed!

Adam and I love to cook so when it came to designing our dream kitchen, we wanted to make it the perfect space to entertain. Adam’s only request was to have a large island where his friends could sit around and chat with him while he cooks. I, on the other hand, needed it to be super functional for content creation and full of natural light for photos. In the end, Adam got his large kitchen island and I got the neoclassical kitchen of my dreams. Of course we didn’t do it alone! In order to ensure the flawless execution of our dream kitchen, Adam and I turned to Domani Design Group here in Toronto.

Located in the Castlefield & Caledonia Design District, Domani Design Group is a family run business with over 40 years of experience in designing and building custom kitchens. In addition to being a distributor of luxury European brands like Pedini, Domani also specializes in custom cabinetry for both kitchens and bathrooms.

Having just splurged on a new stove, I wanted the cabinetry to compliment our dark navy blue La Cornue duel range. To achieve this I ended up going with a slim shaker cabinet profile in a matching navy blue. To me this felt both contemporary and classic, and I knew it would work well with the large ornate crown mouldings I was eyeing from Parsiena Design and the Crittall style back door Adam and I had designed for our newly enlarged back entrance. When it came to our counter tops and back splash, I choose a Calacatta Gold made of Porcelain as I knew it’s superior durability and resistance to stains would ensure it lasted a lifetime. To help bring out the caramel streaks in the veins we chose a complimenting House of Rohl faucet in a polished brass finish as well as elevated knobs and pulls.


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Toronto Home renovations - victorian style home - bathroom renovations - waterproofing and tiling of checkerboard tile floors

Master bathroom renovations are underway and for the tiled floors I went with a checkered tile pattern in blue and white with a border to match!

MASTER BATHROOM RENOVATION UPDATE

With the completion of our white oak herringbone floors from Chestnut Flooring, we began the tile work for our master bathroom. Taking inspiration from the checkered pattern seen in the hallways of Palace of Versailles and incorporating my favourite colour blue, I was able to source a suitable match locally. The trick with this space however was that it was quite small. Since the majority of it would be covered by the tub, floating vanity and shower, using the right size tile was important. If the tile was too large, the pattern would not be as apparent and feel almost like an afterthought. Conversely, if the tile were too small, it would be distracting and all that you notice. In the end I found a suitable 8x8 tile that, although was not honed marble like my inspiration, was well proportioned for the space, offered the durability associated with porcelain, and complimented the white and blue ‘marble’ porcelain slabs we chose for the shower walls. To help further pull the room together I ended up choosing a large white oak wall mount vanity, also in a slim shaker profile, with a white quartz counter top to match our shower curb. For hardware, a chrome faucets, tub filler and shower fixture finished off the rooms colour palette with a ‘polished’ detail.

While tiling for the mater bathroom was underway, Adam and I turned our attention to the cast iron tub in the basement. When we first moved in, I would never take baths upstairs in our master bathroom. To me, there was something about the bathtub that never felt quite safe and I worried that if I filled it with water as well as my body weight, I would find myself falling through the floor. Instead I would take baths in the basement where I had a beautiful claw foot cast iron tub that would keep the water warm for what seemed like ages. It didn’t take long for the basement bathroom to become my little sanctuary and when renovations began, I had no intentions of getting rid of my beloved tub. Instead, I convince Adam that the best course of action was to move the cast iron tub upstairs! Once disconnected, Adam along with the help of his brother, began its great migration. In the process, however, we learned that only one side of the tub had been painted gold, and the other half was black! To remedy the situation, we had our painter Ariel from South Hill Property Care refinish the tub and paint the outside of it silver to match the chrome hardware. In addition to the tub, we also painted the bathroom’s small cast iron radiator in the same silver colour and I think they both turned out better than imagined. Once the paint was dry and the tiling of the master bathroom was complete, we were then able to resume moving the cast iron tub to the second floor and place it in it’s final position! I still can’t believe it!

Toronto Home renovations - victorian style home - custom staircase - spray gun painting staircase post and stair spindles

The posts of my custom staircase after they were finished being spray gun painted!

PAINTING AND TRIM WORK

Not only did Ariel refinish my cast iron tub, but he also worked diligently on all the fine carpentry. From baseboards to installation of my new doors, over the course of a month much of the trim work was completed.

Since Ariel was also in charge of painting the house, he was able to give the new stair spindles and posts a layer of paint prior to install by turning one of the second floor bedrooms into a paint spray booth. It was so cool watching him use a spray gun and seeing how quickly he can work with his machine. Almost makes me want to buy a spray gun myself.

I also spent some time restoring some original trim that I had saved from the original house prior to the demo. I used a heat gun to remove layers and layer of paint and restore them to their natural wood material. Once bare I then sanded them down, used a little wood filler to cover up any dents and imperfections before handing them back to Ariel for re installation. I love the way these look in the corners of the window trim and doors and actually had Parsiena Design reproduce them for me in plaster so that I could introduce them in the upstairs windows as well. Unfortunately, due to the nature of plaster, they don’t fair well in moisture rich places like bathrooms but this is exactly where the old wood ones would be the best option.

INSTALLATION OF OUR CUSTOM STAIRCASE

Once Ariel was finished painting the stair balusters and posts we were able to get our stair installer back in to wrap up the stairs. Adam and I are so happy with how our custom staircase turned out and love the Victorian detailing in the ornate design of the stair spindles.


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BASEMENT RENOVATION UPDATES

Since the last episode, Adam and I have also made further headway on the basement. Once the main drain was installed we could begin concentrating on removing some of the disturbed soil from the basement and clearing out space. Adam and I plan to continue working on the basement this spring and will likely be doing some underpinning to the foundation on at least one side of basement while benching the other. More on this phase of our renovation project to come in future episodes so stay tuned!

Toronto Home renovations - victorian style home - refurbished cast iron radiators from Ironworks Radiators Inc

My refurbished ornate Victorian rads are finally ready for installation!

INSTALLATION OF OUR CAST IRON RADIATORS

As the weather started to warm up and spring was officially upon us, we were also able to get all our radiators from Ironworks Radiator Inc installed. I am so happy with how the refurbished vintage ornate cast iron radiators we got from them turned out and I love my chosen paint colours. Now installed, there is no denying the character and elegance they add to the main floor, and how well they play into the house’s Victorian heritage.

If you love Victorian style houses or are just looking to refurbish your rads at home, I highly recommend checking out Ironworks Radiator Inc in Etobicoke. They have an extensive stockyard of Victorian radiators located at the back of their shop and their inventory is always changing. They also work directly with Castrad Radiators in the UK to import brand new cast iron radiators in various styles including more modern sleek silhouettes.

Toronto Home renovations - victorian style home - custom staircase - spray gun painting

Painting of my custom staircase by South Hill Property Care

PAINTING THE HOUSE

Once Ariel was finished all the fine carpentry work, he was able to turn his attention to painting the rest of the house. We ended up going with Benjamin Moore’s ‘Chantilly Lace’ which truth be told caused him somewhat of a headache because it was so white that it took several coats to conceal inconsistencies in the walls. In total Ariel said he had to use about 4-5 coats on the walls and 3 coats on the trim to achieve a finish we were all happy with. Word to the wise, if you are thinking about painting your house Chantilly Lace prepare yourself for many coats!

Even though this is all I have to share today, there is still so much more work to be done at the house. All our appliances still need to be installed, Adam and I will be working on underpinning the basement in the spring, and our new tiles from Winckelman Tiles in collaboration with Deco Tile will be arriving soon! All this and more to come in future episodes!

Toronto Home renovations - victorian style home

My Toronto Victorian home currently undergoing a major renovation

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 Domani Design Group, Chestnut Flooring, Parsiena Design and Ironworks Radiator Inc for partnering with me on this project. I’m so excited to be working with local experts on our Toronto home renovations but want to reiterate that, like always, all opinions remain my own.

Until next time,

- Soheila

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EPISODE 7: A DATE WITH DESTINY - RENOVATING MY VICTORIAN HOME

home renovations in Toronto - install herringbone flooring with brass inlay from chestnut flooring

Installation in progress! My white oak herringbone dreams are about to come true!

RENOVATING MY TORONTO VICTORIAN HOME - EPISODE 7!

It’s been yet another busy month at the house as we power through more of the finishes. Following the delivery of our refurbished cast iron radiators from Ironworks Radiator Inc and the installation of our classical mouldings from Parsiena Design, Adam and I felt ready to take on the next stage of our Toronto Victorian home renovation, the flooring.

If you have been following my home renovation series for awhile, you may remember me spilling the tea on all my juicy home renovation plans. For those who are new, it has been a dream of mine to have herringbone floors! When Adam and I purchased this property as our first home together, one of the things that I was thrilled about was how old the floors were - odd I know but here me out. Down the line, I knew we would eventually do some renovations to our Victorian home, and when that time came, redoing the subfloor and installing new flooring would be a top priority. In the meantime, I made sure to plant the seed of herringbone floors in Adam’s mind by sharing interior inspiration with him on the regular. Little did I know my dreams were going to come true sooner than I had imagined!

It wasn’t long after Adam and I moved in that we noticed a few things were not as they seemed. Many of our appliances were not working and needed to be fixed, and since they were old to begin with, we debated whether that was even worth doing. In the end, the debate around fixing the appliances escalated into buying them which again escalated into widening the staircase (because 'how would we fit the washer and dryer upstairs otherwise’). All this turned out to be just the thing we needed to get the ball rolling and start planning our Toronto home renovation.

Having big dreams of what I wanted the floors to look like presented a few challenges for me. Victorian homes in Toronto tend to be long and narrow, and I wanted the pattern to be prominent and repeat several times across the width of the house. In order to achieve this look I required a smaller, skinnier plank size. Finding this very specific thing was not easy. Most suppliers I found carried a ‘standard size’ of 4-5 inch wide herringbone planks while I was looking for something slightly smaller in the 3-3.5 inch range. At one point I got so desperate, I called a restaurant with ‘skinny’ herringbone floors that had just opened to find out where they got theirs! It took me a few weeks and visits to numerous showrooms, not to mention ordering samples online from supplier in the US, to find the perfect product - but I found it!

home renovations in Toronto - install herringbone flooring with brass inlay from chestnut flooring - fireplace and ceiling medallion with egg and dart crown mouldings

The living room in my Toronto Victorian home is beginning to shape up really nicely!

CHESTNUT FLOORING #PARTNER

It was a sunny, fall Saturday when Adam and I drove out to Vaughan to visit Chestnut Flooring’s showroom. A long time Instagram follower of mine who also happened to be a flooring installer suggested I check out their showroom after seeing my stories and learning about my herringbone aspirations. Having installed many different brands of herringbone flooring in the Toronto area himself, he remarked at the quality of their engineered herringbone floors - and he was right. Chestnut Flooring not only had the size and colour we wanted, but it turned out that when compared to the other samples I had collected, their engineered herringbone floor product had a superior top wood layer/thickness. This meant if we ever wanted to refinish the floors down the line or needed to fade out a big scratch (knock on wood that never happens), we had the ability to sand them down and do just that! Perfect, right!?

We ended up having such a great experience working with Chestnut Flooring’s co-owner and showroom manager, Sherry, the first time around that as we progressed into our renovations and realized we would have to pull the second floor (phase 2) into the initial phase of our renovation they were the only showroom we needed to visit to source additional flooring. Not only do they offer a wide selection of products from both well-known domestic and international brands, including hardwood, engineered, laminate, carpet, vinyl and tile, but Sherry was able to find a match for our second floor that we just loved! A red oak, straight plank, solid hardwood that adds both warmth and durability to the second floor.


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Part of my big herringbone design dream was to incorporate a boarder with brass inlay. Luckily, a week before installation I was able to find a supplier in the Toronto area but since it was going to take a few days to arrive, we ended up starting the installation on the second floor.

The flooring installation on the second floor went quick and took maybe two days. The red oak hardwood floors from Chestnut Flooring look so warm and inviting. You can really see the natural beauty of the grain when the afternoon sun shines into the room. Adam and I ended up getting enough material for both of the back bedrooms and the 2nd floor hallway. We do have big plans to tile our new bathroom but that will have to wait for another episode!

Just as we wrapped up the second floor installation the brass inlay arrived. I was so excited that my dream was becoming real right before my eyes that I stayed and watched the process. My flooring installer did such a great job incorporating the border inlay and really took his time polishing the brass before installation. He even kindly made two examples for me of how the corners could be done so I could feel confident with my choice. After a week, my date with destiny was upon me! The white oak herringbone floors were fully installed and looking even better then I could have imagined.

CABINETRY HARDWARE AND STAINED GLASS WINDOWS

While the flooring was being installed I was also able to finalize my kitchen cabinetry hardware and begin working on a design for a stained glass window in our main floor powder room. The window in the powder room is skinny but tall and although we love the natural light it provides, it really doesn’t provide any privacy. After commissioning a stained glass artist last fall to replicate one of the small panels in the front window that I noticed was missing, I thought I would work on a larger design with her for this space as well. My plan is to incorporate the same colours you can see in the front window and some of the same motifs, while also keeping the majority of it in the centre a clear, textured glass. Can you picture it?


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Toronto Home Renovations - Victorian Style Home - mosaic tiles at Deco Tile showroom

Deco Tiles Showroom located at 142 Tycos Drive in Toronto

VICTORIAN MOSAIC TILE COLLABORATION WITH DECO TILE & WINCKELMANS TILES! #PARTNER

So, I have been keeping a secret from you. A few weeks ago I received an email from Winckelmans Tiles, a French tile manufacturer with factories in Northern France. Having been in business for almost 130 years, they are best known for their mosaic tiles that have been used in numerous hotel, commercial spaces and homes globally.

My first encounter with Winckelmans took place two years ago while designing the finishes for my Toronto home renovation. Their catalogue featured so many beautiful mosaic patterns but what caught my eye was their collection of Victorian tiles. Not only do they have the classic ‘Octagons and Dot’ pattern I was already completely charmed by but they also offer numerous classical Victorian border patterns as well. I was smitten and had to let them know!

Sometimes amazing things happen when you take a chance and put yourself out there, and I’m happy to finally be able to share that I am going to be collaborating with Winckelmans Tiles through their local distributor in Toronto, Deco Tile. Located on Tycos Drive in Toronto, I visited Deco Tiles showroom to place my order for the powder room and front entrance. I went with a classic super white and black Victorian ‘Octagon and Dot’ pattern with a border to match, and for the powder room I decided to extend the pattern and border up one of the walls. I can just picture it now, looking at your reflection in the mirror and seeing the Winckelmans’ pattern on the wall behind you, framing your silhouette. A dream I can’t wait for!

Home Renovations Toronto - victorian homes - Main Drain Replacement

Adam and I kicked off Phase 3 ‘Basement Renovations’ by replacing the main drain and installing a back water valve!

ADAM AND I KICKED OFF PHASE 3 - THE BASEMENT!

Once flooring was complete Adam and I decided it was finally time to kick off Phase 3 of our renovation. If herringbone floors were my dream, Adam’s was having an amazing entertainment space in the basement. Given all the structural work we had to do at the beginning of our renovation, our once finished basement was no more and it was time for us to pull the trigger on replacing and lowering the main drain as well as installing a back water value outside. This required us to not only demo the basement bathroom but begin breaking the concrete floor and digging a 3 foot trench. Of course with all our stuff stored in the basement, this was a big challenge but we were able to successfully knock off those first few tasks before we begin working towards finishing the basement in the spring. Now that the main drain has been replaced and the back water valve installed we can hook up the water, begin removing all the stuff being stored in the basement, and begin the cleaning process!

REFURBISHING OUR CAST IRON TUB

When Adam and I first moved into the house I would never take baths upstairs. For some reason I never felt the supports under the bathtub on the 2nd floor were strong and I was paranoid that I would fall through the ceiling if I filled it with the weight of water in addition to me. Instead I created a little candlelight sanctuary in the basement where we had this beautiful classic claw foot cast iron tub. I loved taking baths in the basement especially since the cast iron tub would keep the water so warm for so long. I knew even before we started the renovation that the tub wasn’t going anywhere and I was determined to have it installed in our new master bathroom on the second floor. Now that we were beginning to kick off phase 3 of our renovation, the tub needed to be disconnected and moved upstairs. During its ‘great migration’ we were not really surprised to learn that only half of the tub was painted gold! The previous owners had neglected to paint the back side of the tub and it was black! I did have plans to have it repainted and refurbished but having two different paints on it didn’t make that job any easier. In addition to the cast iron tub, I also had the small bathroom radiator painted in the same silver so as to match.

toronto home renovations - cast iron tub refinishing and painting

The great migration of my cast iron clawfoot tub begins but not until we have a chance to refinish and paint it!

The week following the completion of our herringbone floors we were able to prime the main floor and paint the crown mouldings. Once that was complete the kitchen cabinetry we had custom ordered from Domani Design Group was delivered and work began on the 2nd floor master bathroom. More on all of this to come in the next episode along with installation updates on our new custom staircase, phase 3 progress and so much more.

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 home 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 Ironworks Radiator Inc., Parsiena Design, Chestnut Flooring, Domani Design Group, Winckelmans Tiles & Deco Tile for partnering with me on this project. I’m so excited to be working with both local and international industry experts on our Toronto home renovations but want to reiterate that, like always, all opinions remain my own.

Until next time,

- Soheila

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2023 INTERIOR DESIGN TRENDS!

Interior Design Trends 2023 - architectural mouldings_classical mouldings - neoclassical interior design 08_livingroom_Sophie-Dries-Architect_St-Martin_Stephan-Julliard-scaled

Credit: Sophie Dries & Photographer Stephan Julliard

2023 Interior Design Trends

I’ve always believed that creative people were put on this earth to bring more beauty into it. To use their natural talents to create. Create and not hold back. Create and keep going. Create for a better world. No matter what creative industry they are in or what their talent is, they have the ability to add beauty into this world, and that is a magnificent thing!

So how does the design world feel in 2023? A quick temperature check would reveal that, in the face of a looming recession and soaring interest rates, designing with intention, purpose, and conscience has become ever more important. What fascinates me the most though is how these principles trickle down into our homes. The evolution of Biophilic Design and Neoclassical Design would indicate a desire to feel more grounded yet fluid enough to blend the classics with modern sensibilities. Natural material and vintage furniture are becoming ever more desirable, and creating spaces that lend to a person’s lifestyle continues to lead the conversation.

So without further ado, here are 10 interior design trends for 2023!

2023 home trends - neoclassical design with led chandelier in dining room and classical mouldings on ceiling  - plaster crown mouldings - credit  pinterest

Source: Pinterest

Neoclassical Design

A design aesthetic that takes its inspiration from classical architecture and visual and decorative arts, Neoclassical design is the adaptation of traditional design approaches into today’s more modern lifestyle. Herringbone floors, plaster mouldings, and gilded mirrors are all classical design ideas that have seen a resurgence thanks to the rise in popularity of Neoclassical design. Sustainability and a movement away from mass produced furniture has also played a part in the increased demand for antique and vintage furniture. With its ability to add character to a room, and in some cases a good story too, Neoclassical design is definitely the interior design aesthetic hogging the spotlight in 2023!

Interior Design Trends 2023 - Biophilic Design with Organic Elements - Bule by belenko

Credit: Bule By Belenko

Biophillic Design and Organic Forms

Biophilic design and organic forms continue to have a huge influence on the interior design industry in 2023. More and more, organic elements are making their way into our homes and can be witnessed in the movement towards the use of natural material like wood, glass, marble and pottery. The use of plaster also goes beyond crown mouldings with the rise in popularity of plaster light fixtures and range hoods. A need for natural light has people opting for big windows and Crittall doors that let the outside world in. Said to enhance a person’s creativity and general well-being, organic forms and Biophilic design promote the notion of a balanced and environmentally conscious lifestyle through design.

Interior Design Trends 2023 - metal lamp- modern coffee table - credit PION STUDIO

Credit: Pion Studio

Vintage Decor

One interior design trend that is super easy to stand behind is using vintage pieces to give a room more character. Not only can it add a unique element to any room but the thrill of the hunt can also yield a good story. More and more, the demand for vintage furniture and heritage decor is increasing and today, nice vintage decor has become easier to find thanks to showrooms, instagram resellers, and vintage auction websites popping up online. Facebook marketplace is also a great source for finding vintage decor as well as your local flea markets if you have the time and energy. With mid century modern pieces working well in contemporary or modern spaces, and ornate chandeliers, sconces and mirrors playing perfectly into neoclassical design, this trend not only promotes sustainability but allows you to create a personalized and cool space no matter what your budget.

2023 interior trends - natural wood kitchen cabinetry, internal archways in house - credit - Vincent Leroux, Lisa Sicignano

Credit: Vincent Leroux & Lisa Sicignano

Warm Woods and Earth Tones

What once went out of style now seems to be making a come back thanks to Bioliphic design. Warm wood and earth tones have become more popularly used in kitchen design this past year as homeowners and designers alike crave the grounding and balancing effect it can have. Natural wood cabinets in rich, warm walnut, chestnut, and mahogany hues are gaining traction unlike previous cabinet trends of maple and oak. Favouring darker profile, natural wood cabinetry can act as a grounding counterbalance to both light/white and saturated colour palettes. Additionally, natural wood finishes that play up grain lines can do wonders when trying to create a warm, rustic atmosphere and look great when paired with tiled floor or stone countertops. Warm earthy tones likes terracotta, dusty rose, mauve, and sage also continue to be popular paint colours and are a great way to add warmth to a room.


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2023 interior design trends - Plaster Abstract Texture Wall Art Painting Medium- Plaster - credit pinterest

Source: Pinterest

Textured Artwork

I know everyone hates Instagram’s new algorithm but sometimes it does do me right, because at least once a day I see a new piece of textured artwork on my feed. From professional artist to weekend DIY-ers, everyone seems to be incorporating textured artwork into their homes. Often made using natural materials like plaster and fabric, textured artwork provides a modern play on organic forms and silhouettes. Often done in a monochromatic palette, they are an easy way to add dimension to an otherwise boring wall and a focal point to a room. If you are into Scandinavian design or modern/contemporary interiors, this trend is definitely going to strike a cord with you!

2023 home trends - plaster statement lights and sculpture lamp - credit pinterest

Source: Pinterest

Statement Lighting

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 is a major theme this year with many designers favouring clusters of plaster lighting. Other natural materials like rattan, cane, wicker and rope will also continue to remain popular in the year to come as well as the practice of layering your lighting. From vintage Murano glass antique chandeliers to modern over-scaled LED chandeliers that span horizontally, new and old styles of lighting are welcome in 2023. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, a simple lighting update can have the ability to breath new life into a space without having to redo it entirely (not to mention it’s a lot cheaper too!) If you are looking for an easy way to update a space, sourcing a new chandelier for your dining room might just be all you need.

2023 interior design trends - neoclassical design with chevron floors, antique chandelier, warm wood furniture and arched doorway- photo by George Possenti

Credit: George Possenti

Mosaic Flooring

A luxury choice when it comes to flooring, mosaic flooring patterns often seen in classical architecture like Herringbone, Chevron and Versailles Parquet have begun to see a renaissance. A style that practically went extinct, mosaic flooring is becoming requested by designers and luxury home owners once more as Neoclassical design continues to gain momentum. A great way to add an air of sophistication to any room, installing mosaic flooring does come with quite a hefty price tag and isn’t for the faint of heart. I recently had Herringbone floors installed on the main floor of my house and straight plank floors installed upstairs, and they were three times the price and time to install. The heart wants the heart wants though and clearly the design world is putting their money where their heart is by bringing back this flooring trend.


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2023 interior decore trends - metal side table by mc mullin and co

Metal Side Table by Mc Mullin and Co

Metal Accents

From side tables to coffee tables (and even radiators in my case), metal accents are gaining traction when it comes to interior decor and small decor pieces. A fun way to add a unique and unexpected detail to a room, metal accents add visual interest and another layer of texture to a room’s aesthetic. Designers are also playing with and mixing metals. No longer always opting for unlaquered brass, more and more designers are gravitating back towards silver, nickel and even iron. The best thing about this trend though is that you don’t have to go crazy and commit large sums of money to partake in it. Focus on incorporating only a few, small, key metal accents and you’ll be nailing this trend in no time!

2023 interior trends - natural wood bathroom vanity,  curved walls and kit kat wall tiles - credit - Vincent Leroux, Lisa Sicignano

Credit: Vincent Leroux & Lisa Sicignano

Playful Tiling

When it comes to tile trends in 2023, creatives are using playful tiling more than ever to add personality to a room. Checkered, mosaics patterns, and kit kat tiles are just some of this year’s most popular styles and patterns. They can often be found in smaller spaces like bathrooms and laundry rooms to help add an element of interest to an otherwise often overlooked/secondary space. I love diamond shaped checkered floors and have decided to do the majority of my master bathroom in a checkered pattern. I also have plans to incorporate Victorian mosaic tiles in my front entrance and main floor powder room in the spring as I kick off a partnership with french tile manufacture Winckelman Tiles. If you are unfamiliar with them, they are have been manufacturing porcelain mosaic tiles for over 120 years. You have probably unknowingly seen a lot of their styles in restaurants and hotels around the globe as they are an internationally recognized brand. Their distributor in Toronto is Deco - Tile and a few weeks ago I went into their showroom to place my order! The tiles do come in sheeted format (boarders included) for easy installation, and I will definitely be sharing more on this exciting partnership in the next episode of my home renovation series on YouTube, so stay tuned for that!

2023 interior design trends - archway in house with fluted wall texture by kemp studios

Credit: Kemp Studios

Interior Archways

Making a comeback in 2023, interior archways are a great way to add a focal point to a room or draw your eye upward towards the ceiling. From bar areas to closet and hallways, more and more people are favouring archways over rectangular door silhouette thanks to their ability to elevate a space with minimal effort. Even I am jumping on this trend’s band wagon having incorporated one into my newly renovated Romanesque Victorian home. Where before there was no internal archways, I wanted to bring that design feature inside considering we have one at the front entrance. What I ended up doing was using it as the entrance way into my small walk up bar/wine display and I think it helps create an interesting design feature on the main floor.

Despite the fact that this blog post is all about interior design trends for 2023, remember it’s always best to design your space based on how you interact with it, and what works best for you! Thank you for joining me today and taking interest in this 2023 interior design trend report! If you have any questions or comments about Neoclassical design, Biophillic design, herringbone floors, textured wall art, architectural mouldings, plaster lighting, places to find antique chandeliers or checkered tile, feel free to leave them in the comment section below!

Until next time,

-S


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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


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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


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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


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