Christopher and Christy have been working with the Henhouse team for about two years now. They are busy professionals and parents who needed help finding a way to blend their two individual styles and to create a sense of home.
What started out as a small storage solution project in their den has evolved to many other areas of the home including the kitchen, living, dining, den, master bedroom and basement!
Christopher and Christy were so kind to let us ask them a few questions about their experience working with Henhouse, and how they feel about the new look of their home.
What brought you to the decision to hire a designer? Why Henhouse?
We live in an older home in the North End. Many of our friends have been buying newer homes in areas of the city we weren’t interested in. I thought maybe we should spruce this place up!
We both love older homes and we are so happy in our neighbourhood. With work, we’ve had no time to try to design things ourselves – and we probably wouldn’t know what we were doing even if we’d tried. Hiring Sappho seemed like a natural choice – I loved the Henhouse retail store when it was in the Hydrostone (one of the best in Halifax – so sad to see it close!), so asking Sappho to come by to see our house was exciting for me.
Can you tell us a bit about what the design process was like? Were there any conflicts that you needed help to solve?
Sappho is fabulous! Working with her has been such a fun, happy experience.
Our first project was relatively small; built-in shelving for our dysfunctional den. The shelving is exactly what we needed. It totally changed the look of the room, and tidied it up (which I like) and made room for all of our DVDs and video games (which Christopher and our son Finn like). Even for this small project, Sappho gave us a sketch of her idea for the shelving then gave us samples of the wood so we could choose the one we liked best.
When we decided to tackle more (it’s so addictive!), Sappho came in to our home, walked through it with us, and helped us prioritize which rooms to target first. We decided to get started on the den and the”fire room” (aptly named by our daughter, it’s the room with the wood stove!). Sappho gave us sketches, fabric samples, sourced furniture options and gave suggestions. It was such a fun experience to look at samples and sketches together – even the kids seemed to enjoy seeing the options
We had no idea about types of “design styles” that we like, but Sappho somehow performed magic! She listened to us, showed us her ideas, and next thing we knew, POOF, the house is beautiful! She has such a keen eye for design, visual appeal and aesthetic.
As for conflicts, it took some work convincing Christopher to get rid of the old blue couches, then the kids got on board about how much they loved them too… even the dog! All it took was one look at Sappho’s sketch and at some options for a new leather couch and he was sold (thank you Sappho!).
You each have individual styles that are quite different! How did henhouse help you achieve a look that represented you both?
I tend to like anything floral. I’m torn between two very different styles – “big and bold”, and “soft and romantic”. Christopher seems to like neutrals with bold statement pieces added in.
The perfect room to exemplify Sappho’s blending of our styles is the fire room. That room has the most beautiful floral curtains and the warm leather couch that Christopher loves. Together, the look is gorgeous, and it’s a room we’re all happy with.
Before the renovations, what were the biggest challenges or what bothered you the most about your home? How were those issues resolved?
We have an older home. Although we love it, the room shapes are “off”. We couldn’t figure out how to place furniture in our den or fire room to achieve the inviting look we wanted.
Sappho did that for us! In addition to furniture, the fabrics and window coverings have really worked to transform the space. From the blinds in the den and fire room (…sorry Christopher, they aren’t iPhone operated…) to the fun kitchen Romans and the beautiful fire room curtains, our house now feels warm and inviting – just the way we want it.
How do you feel about your home now? What’s your favourite part?
I love everything. Really. I don’t think I could choose a room. I love getting home from work and walking through the kitchen, in to the fire room, then sinking in to the comfy sectional in our den. I swear I walk though the whole main floor to get to the den, even though I could just walk straight there.
Then there’s our bedroom, with the stunning wallpaper, new headboard, and the wonderful bedding from Bellissimo. Our bedroom feels like an oasis.
I love how the house feels and looks now, and coming home to it feels so relaxing in a way it didn’t feel before.
Would you recommend this experience to others? Do you have any feedback for Henhouse that would help others have a fuller experience?
I have recommended Henhouse SO many times already. Now that we will have photos to show, I’m sure they’ll finally understand why we like her so much!
Our daughter Stella often asks “why can’t you say no to anything Sappho says?”- ha! Well that’s what happens when you are lucky enough to hire the best and then have her and her team transform your home in a way you couldn’t accomplish without them.
Thank you Christopher and Christy! It was truly a pleasure working with you!