What a Summer it has been so far! The Henhouse team has taken on some incredible projects this season. We’re about to take our annual summer retreat to our family cottage in Ontario, but before we go we wanted to share some enticing photos of a few projects we have on the go!

We are thrilled to be working with local builders MRB Contracting on a few upcoming projects. We are big fans of their work, and it’s fun for us to have a chance to design for a more contemporary and clean aesthetic.

This is MRB’s Starboard project, a new residential build that’s currently in progress in Halifax. MRB contacted us to take on several aspects of the interior including flooring, finishes and wall treatments, as well as plumbing and millwork.

The design is simple, with a clean and minimal look that is softened by the white wood floors and natural wood accents. The main level has an open concept, multifunctional space that will serve as a cooking, dining, work and leisure area.

The images above are digital renderings, and we can’t wait to see the finished result this Fall!

The second home we have in the works is MRB’s Harvard Street build. This is another home in Halifax that will be nearing completion this Fall. If you know anything about MRB’s work, you know that they go the extra mile (and then another extra mile!) to create homes that are high quality, unique and beautiful. The front exterior of this home is covered in 1000 cedar boards, screwed in with over 7000 screws!

For this home, we have designed a cozy and modern kitchen space. It’s sleek and simple with walnut accents that add lots of warmth and texture. There have been a few tweaks to the design you see above, but overall these digital renderings give us an a great visual for what’s to come!

This project is farther afield in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. For these clients, Henhouse worked out the the complete kitchen and great room designs, and sourced finishes, lighting and hardware. Our clients chose to use local contractors and a cabinetmaker in their area. This is a great option for anyone who already has existing relationships with tradespeople nearby. Henhouse is always happy to bring our team on board, but if you have people that you know and trust to work with, we are more than happy to work with them too.

We are just wrapping up the design phase for this project. Above, you can see some of our preparatory work, and a digital rendering of the kitchen. The home is in a newer subdivision and our goal is to add more personality and architectural interest. The chevron backsplash and funky scones are details that will help inject character in the kitchen area, and we’ve worked out a feature wall for the great room that we can’t wait to show you!

And last but not least, we have a kitchen in Moncton, New Brunswick that is currently underway. Like the New Glasgow project, this is another case of personalizing a builder-basic space. Many newer builds lack character and the finishing details that make an interior feel special. The good news is that we get a blank canvas to work with and we can create a space that suits the homeowner’s needs and tastes.

For this kitchen we knocked down the walls to create a larger and more open family space. We went with a shaker style design for the cabinetry and chose earthy greens for the lowers and white for the uppers. It’s a fresh and family friendly design, with lots of workspace and storage. Above you can see some of the renderings, and below are a few photos of the kitchen in progress.

It has been a busy season for us here at Henhouse and we’re so grateful for all our our new clients and collaborators! We are taking a short break for the month of August and we’ll return in September refreshed and ready to dig back into to all of these exciting projects! Have a great summer!

We have exciting news! With the help of a very talented draftsperson, Henhouse now offers 3D rendered models for custom kitchens. With 3D rendering technology we can show our clients what the final result will look like right down to the last detail. Everything in the rendering is exact to what we source for the project.

We love being able to show our clients such a detailed and beautiful representation of what their new kitchen will look like! It’s exciting and a great way to work through the design process.

We are currently working on a custom kitchen and had the opportunity to use this new technique. Located in the beautiful South Shore of Nova Scotia, this charming home by the sea was ready for a kitchen update.

Here’s a look at a 3D rendering of our kitchen design.

Can you believe these are computer graphics?! We were blown away when we saw these, and our client was thrilled!

The gorgeous limestone floors are original to the home, and we are in the process of refinishing floors in other parts of the house to create a more unified look. We have some beautiful greys and walnut colours in the works for the other flooring that will offer an elegant but laid back feeling.

The look is a mix of high-end /polished and beachy casual. We went with quartzite countertops, and polished nickel hardware and fixtures, and paired that with cabinetry that offers a softer, beach house feel. We chose soft and airy colours that will keep this space feeling bright and fresh.

Here’s a few photos of the job site this week – things are coming along!

This project is well underway and we can’t wait to share final results with you! You can tell us what you think about our 3D renderings or ask us any questions over on our Facebook Page! We love to hear from our readers.

Stay tuned for updates on this project and on our other work by subscribing here!

It’s turning out to be a busy Spring and Summer at Henhouse! We are grateful to be working on many exciting projects right now and we will have lots to share with you in the coming months. If you’d like to follow along, you can find us on Instagram or Facebook, and subscribe to our monthly newsletter!

We’re currently starting work on a home that has traditional bones combined with more modern finishes. Our task is to honour the beautiful existing character, and inject some personality and modern flair. We love mixing old and new – not only is it practical, but by layering different styles, textures, colours and patterns we can create a rich and more personal look.

This approach to decorating is useful for all types of homes. Whether you live in an older build or a new build you can add character by using what you have and mixing in different elements and details to create a fresh look.

Amber Lewis, Amber Interiors

Mixing sleek and smooth with rustic and rough textures works beautifully in this contemporary space. The space itself has sleek lines, no frills, and modern finishes. A few of the furnishings and decor items tie right into the modern style of the home, like the sofa, the artwork and the beautiful stone and metal coffee table. In contrast, other pieces are more primitive and add texture and colour – the carved wood stools, and the killim rug. The hint of mid century mod, and geometric details that we see in the lighting, dining chairs, and the toss cushions tie it all together.

Brittany Chevallier, Domino Magazine

This living space has a great mix of texture, pattern, colour, and surface finishes. We are loving the funky gallery wall. Hanging artwork in this way is definitely a throwback, but the way it’s spaced out, the simple frames, and the mishmash of contemporary art offers a casual and playful feeling. This is a great way to bring a touch of tradition into a modern space, and add colour and interest to a focal area. The colourful and mixed pattern toss cushions tie in with the gallery wall and inject a pop of colour into an otherwise neutral backdrop.

clockwise from left: Vogue Living, Domino Magazine, Summer Thorton Design

Mixing a bright or unexpected colour in with traditional pieces is a great way update a space. This can be as simple as changing up the toss cushions, reupholstering an old armchair, or adding a new rug or ottoman. The key is to tie the colours in with other pieces, or use complimentary colours to what you already have.

In the photo on the left, splashes of pink breathe new life to the traditional style furnishings and create a sense of play. On the bottom right, contrasting orange and blue look cozy and fresh against a neutral backdrop. On the top right, a mix of modern, colourful fabrics tie in with the vintage artwork above.

The best part about mixing and matching is just playing around with what you have and rethinking the details of your decor! Don’t be afraid to bring in something different and consider starting small. A few new toss cushions, or a new artwork can become the springboard for a fresh new look!

A couple of weeks ago we asked you all to write to us about a room in your house that is making you crazy. This month we chose Terra Jamieson from Halifax whose master bedroom is in need of better storage and a just a bit more personality!

Don’t forget that we will continue this feature on a quarterly basis so be sure to subscribe here so you don’t miss your next chance!
Terra’s lovely Halifax home was recently renovated by MRB Contracting, and the addition and renovations were designed by Chad Jamieson. MRB is a local company that does incredible work including renovations, architectural design, new builds and more – check out their portfolio here!

Part of Terra’s renovation included adding a bit more space onto the master bedroom. Above, you can see the plan for the addition and photos of the space after the reno. With the renovation complete, Terra feels a bit unsure of how to best organize the space, and how to pull the look together.

Terra loves to sew and knit and has created a small area in the addition where she can work. She told us that she would like to have a more effective work area and better storage solutions for her supplies. Another concern for Terra is clothing storage. She would like to replace their current antique dresser with something more functional that offers more storage.

Terra has an eclectic taste, with a mix of modern and vintage pieces through the rest of the home. She loves funky fabrics and mid-century modern accents – sounds right up our ally!

Here’s what we came up with:

Sconces, end tables & Starburst Wall Mirror from wayfair.ca, honeycomb lumbar pillow cover & honeycomb pillow cover from potterybarn.com, Hemnes dresser from Ikea, Klippan throws available at The Independent Mercantile Co. 

We are keeping Terra’s beautiful paisley duvet cover (shown above), and adding a few accents to jazz things up. By adding some solid but textured toss cushions, and a throw in a complimenting colour we can create a more layered and interesting look for the bedding. Turning down the sheets a bit and propping up the pillows will add even more visual appeal.

We found this great starburst mirror that will add lots of character, and ties right into the mid-century modern style. For the dresser, we chose something that was more simple in style, but that offers a nice pop of colour, and more effective storage for clothing.

We decided to replace Terra’s current end table with this round, mid-century mod style. It’s more compact and has a light appearance, so it can tuck in right next to the bed. There’s not much space for lighting around the bed, so we thought installing sconces directly into the headboard would work well.

Dots and Rows fabric from spoonflower.com, Hektar Work Lamp and baskets from ikea.ca, Ludivine Writing Desk from wayfair.ca.

For the sewing area, we think that a nice long desk running along the large window would make the best use of that space. We found a desk that has some open storage, and Terra could use baskets on the shelving to keep her craft supplies tidy. This funky fabric would be great for roman shades (perhaps a sewing project for Terra!), it adds personality and the colour ties in with the bedding.

Overall our bedroom makeover cost came to around $2200, just under Terra’s maximum budget of $3000. Thank you Terra for sending us your design dilemma!

Having a solid plan is always the key to success! A design solution like Terra’s starts at $500 and includes a floor plan/layout, a complete shopping list including what to buy and where to get it, and a colour palette selection. If you have a design dilemma that you need help with get in touch with us!