After a couple of years’ hiatus from the blog, we are back in full force with some very talented additions to the team. The last two years saw us navigating a changed world with a busier-than-ever project schedule, but we’ve persevered with creativity and gusto in spite of the challenges! 

We’re also excited to share some news: Henhouse has expanded, and we’ve organized our internal structure with more distinct job titles and improved systems to streamline our process. The result is a more full-service experience for clients looking to create the personal, authentic home they’ve been craving. 

Curious to see what can accomplish together? We’re currently booking projects for 2023, so please reach out to us through our new contact form here!

Meet our Team!

Sappho Griffin – Principal Designer, Founder & Owner
@henhouse_interiors

Sappho started Henhouse in 2001 as a retail shop offering unique decor items and custom designed hand-built furniture. Over the past 22 years, Sappho has thoughtfully nurtured Henhouse into what it is today — a design firm that offers unique and personal design and decorating solutions for your home.

Over the last few years, Sappho has been focusing on larger, more complete renovations and new builds. Her work includes creating detailed plans and specifications for both interiors and exteriors, and calling on the expertise of other team members as needed to complete the vision.

Beth Hitchcock – Senior Decorator & Stylist
@beth_hitchcock

We are delighted to announce the addition of
Beth Hitchcock as Senior Decorator and Stylist. As a veteran of the lifestyle and design media industry (most recently as Editor-in-Chief of Canadian House & Home magazine), Beth offers an experienced eye, and loves nothing more than sourcing the perfect rug, light fixture, or piece of art to elevate a space and make the mix feel both comfortable and current. She’s especially passionate about picking paint colours, and the transformative power of textiles and wallpaper.

 

 

 

Newly Refreshed Website & Celebrating 20 Years!

Lakeside Whole Home Renovation
Fall River, Nova Scotia
2021 – present
Lead Designer: Sappho Supporting Designer: Christine
Project Scope: Henhouse was hired to customize a 1990s builder-basic home located on a two-acre lakeside property in Nova Scotia and transform it into a Muskoka-inspired oasis with Craftsman details. The project included an all-new exterior: exterior material selection, windows, doors, architectural details, hardscaping, the addition of a dock house and screened-in porch. Henhouse completed extensive interior renovations including all-new cabinetry, a full renovation of the basement level to create a bar/ family area, a refurbished primary suite,  and all-new lighting, furnishings and styling.

Detail-Filled Dream House
Halifax, Nova Scotia
2019 – 2021
Lead Designer: Sappho 
Project Scope: This was a large-scale new build project brimming with custom details. Henhouse was involved from start to finish: architectural, lighting, and switching plans; selection of all finishes and fixtures; tile designs; millwork designs for walls and ceilings; cabinetry designs; custom furniture; and all interior furnishings. This was an incredible opportunity to build a one-of-a-kind home for special clients.

Historic Italianate Mansion
Halifax, NS
2021 – present
Lead Renovation & Custom Cabinetry: Sappho Lead Decorator: Beth
Project Scope: An historic downtown Halifax mansion is getting a refresh from top to bottom thanks to Sappho and Beth. Though the house maintains many of its original features—like gorgeous trim and baseboards, beautiful plaster corbels, and antique fireplaces—it needed a new perspective to suit its owners’ modern needs. Henhouse delivered custom cabinetry for improved storage, selected paint, lighting, and furnishings, and worked with trades to refinish the floors and install new stair runners. This project is nearing completion.

Elegant Family Abode 
Halifax, NS
2020 – 2021 
Lead Designer: Sappho Photo Styling: Beth
Project Scope: This whole-home renovation project included a new main floor and basement layout, new primary suite layout and kids’ bath layout as well as all-new interior finishes and fixtures. Henhouse designed custom cabinetry, architectural millwork, a new stair rail, and tile layouts. All window treatments, paint colours and wallpapers were also selected by Henhouse. You can see the final images on our portfolio page.

Sleek Ensuite
Hubbards, NS 
2021
Lead Designer: Christine Supporting Designer: Sappho
Project Scope: Henhouse was hired to create a principle ensuite in an under-utilized room off of the master bedroom. One of the challenges of this space was incorporating the pitched roof as well as a dormer window. Christine designed a layout that would accommodate the required clearances and satisfy the client’s wish list. Taking cues from the home’s colour palette ensured that this new space would blend seamlessly with the other rooms throughout the charming home. 

Open Concept Kitchen
Halifax, NS
2022 – present
Lead Designer: Christine
Project Scope: The main goal of this renovation is to open up the home’s main level and create the client’s dream custom kitchen. Henhouse came up with a plan to expand the kitchen into the existing dining room space and include a large-scale island. As work began on the kitchen, a surprise I-beam was discovered that required some swift revisions to incorporate the structural support into the design plans. Christine’s solution was to clad the I-beam in wood and transform it into a decorative bulkhead. Hardwood flooring is now being installed throughout, as well as custom-cut tile in the entry, laundry, and powder rooms. Furniture, window treatments, lighting and styling are in the works and we can’t wait to admire the finished spaces by year-end.

Thank you for following along and having an interest in our work! We have lots more to share here on the blog, stay tuned! If you’d like to receive our quarterly update in your inbox please sign up at the bottom of the page. 

It’s been quite a while since we did an update on here! As the year is quickly drawing to a close, we’re grateful to be able to say that 2020 has been very busy for the Henhouse team. We’re looking forward to having a bit of time to share what we’ve been up to this past year. We’ve completed some really exciting projects that we can’t wait to show you.

We’re also excited to announce that we’ve added to the Henhouse team! Designer Christine Buiteman has joined us and we are so glad to have her. You can find out more about Christine here, and follow her on Instagram @christinehenhouse.

Let’s kick things off with this recently completed project in Halifax. This was a renovation project designed by Henhouse for a home in Halifax’s South End. The homeowners had previously worked with Nancie Theakston Phipps for most of their interior furnishings and overall decorating scheme and after a small kitchen fire, the Henhouse team was brought in to redesign their builder basic kitchen and tackle some other areas of the home while they were at it.

Sappho and Nancie have been friends for many years, trading design and business advice and working alongside each other on a few projects. We got to chat with them about this project and the benefits of working cooperatively in the design industry.

Sappho and Nancie first worked together when Sappho was updating some lighting in her home. She had heard of Nancie through a mutual friend, and wanted another designer’s perspective: “Nancie pushed me to take a risk on the lighting and I’m so glad I did. Many years and a move later, I still have that fixture we chose hanging over my dining room table.”

Over the past ten plus years, the two have kept in close contact, trading industry advice and working on a few of the same projects.

For this renovation, Sappho and Nancie worked separately, taking on different aspects of the project. Nancie had previously worked with the clients selecting new furniture, decor and wallpaper. Unfortunately, soon after the work was completed and everything was in place, a small kitchen fire caused extensive damage through the main floor and basement.

Renovations were in order, and Henhouse was contacted by the clients to create the design plans and manage the project.

Sappho designed a new custom kitchen, which included selecting the finishes and hardware, creating designs for the cabinetry and millwork, and helping to select appliances. She also created plans for the basement bathroom, a fireplace design for the main floor living area, and selected all new flooring for the main and lower levels. The renovations were executed by Kestrel Builders.

To create a seamless design, Sappho took cues from the work that Nancie had done before the fire. The style is modern and clean with a fresh and timeless feel.

In the kitchen Sappho chose to integrate the appliances into the cabinetry and countertops to create a streamlined look. The new layout is very similar to the old kitchen, but by creating a built-in fridge, and installing a drop-in range with a wall-mounted oven the space feels much less cluttered and suits the modern aesthetic that the clients love.

Sappho and Nancie get lot of value from each other’s unique perspectives and skills. Sappho says “we’ve always admired each other’s eye for design. There are parallels in our work, but also differences, and that’s what draws us together. We can pull each other in different and new directions, and get each other outside of our comfort zones.”

Nancie says that she appreciates Sappho’s business sense and her ability to envision the potential of a space. She says, “Sappho is really fab at being able to see a space before it’s created,” mentioning the built-in bar as an example of Sappho’s ability maximize on space.

Before the renovation, this area was a plain wall that contained a too-small walk in pantry. Sappho saw the opportunity to open up the wall, and give the clients the entertainment area that they had always wanted.

Once the renovations were complete, Nancie restored her original design plan, reordering and replacing nearly all of the same decor and furniture that she had chosen.

For Sappho, it’s Nancie’s drive to push boundaries in her work that she appreciates: “she doesn’t settle for just ‘looking nice’ she goes for ‘spectacular’. She creates that edge in her designs that makes for interesting tension.”

Both designers love to create soulful, timeless spaces that speak to their client’s lifestyle and tastes and they say that listening to the client is key. “We both listen to our clients. It’s one thing to just create something, but it’s so important to really listen” says Nancie.

Though they worked separately on this project, Sappho and Nancie’s work blends together beautifully. They believe that the results are better when designers can come together rather than compete – whether it be a collaboration, or just having a friend to call on for advice. “We’re all different, and there is room for everyone” says Nancie.

Thanks for following along with us! We have lots to share in the coming months, so stay tuned. Make sure you’re following us over on Instagram @sapphohenhouse and @christinehenhouse for regular updates and behind the scenes goodies. And for even more juicy design inspiration, follow Nancie @theakstonphippsinteriors.

Thanks our photographer Julian Parkinson, and to Nancie for her fantastic styling.

We’re excited to share with you the final results of this historic charmer in Halifax! A few weeks ago we shared this sweet Halifax home when it was nearly complete (see before pics and in-progress pics here!).

The home was newly purchased by a young couple, who had fallen in love with its charm and location but knew that it needed some updates. They hired Henhouse to create a full design package for the entire home and once those plans were complete and approved they oversaw the renovation process themselves. The homeowners hired Bromax Construction and handled any changes that came up through the process, but overall they stuck very closely to Henhouse’s design plan.

The homeowners were so kind to participate in an email interview for us! Read on for the full story about their new home and some insights into the design and renovation process.

Tell us about your home — what was it like inside before you renovated, what drew you to it?

One of us grew up in this neighbourhood, so when the house popped up for sale we couldn’t resist. Most of all, we loved the neighbourhood and having family close by was really important to both of us. We have have family who live right across the street — that sealed the deal!

The house was built in 1948. It has really good bones and was well cared for over the years. Before the renovations, the inside of the house had a lot of wallpaper and the hardwood floors had been covered with carpet for years, but the stand-out feature was by far was the barbie pink enamel sink/dishwasher combination in the kitchen! Lol…

We loved the charm of the exterior, the round front door and window, the high peaked eaves; the house had a cottage feel. Even before the renovations, the interior had lots of appeal. The original hardwood floors and staircase, the fireplace and large windows were all great features, but it was clear that we would want to make some updates.

Henhouse designed custom built-ins in the kitchen area for extra seating and storage.

When you were house hunting, was it in your initial plan to buy and then renovate or did you make that decision after choosing this house?

No haha! We weren’t even planning to house hunt until about 6 months later. It was all very spontaneous at the start, but we quickly realized how invested we were. It was unlikely that another house like this was going to pop up in the neighbourhood in the near future.

We had specifically discussed not taking on a complete renovation. At most, we thought maybe we’d purchase an older home that needed some paint and minor updates that we could do ourselves over time. We never intended to search for a complete gut-job. It was a whirlwind walking through the house with various contractors and architects before we made an offer to get a sense of what was possible.

Once you decided that you wanted to tackle a whole home renovation, what prompted you to get in touch with Henhouse?

Our family has experience with renovations and they recommended we get in touch with a designer as they found it very helpful for their own projects. We searched online through Houzz Halifax and discovered Henhouse.

There are many talented designers in Halifax, but looking through Sappho’s portfolio we were super impressed with her range of style. Her portfolio has a mix of modern, traditional, coastal, and farmhouse-inspired interiors. I loved how each one of her projects oozes with style, charm and warmth.

After meeting with Sappho in person we knew it would be a great fit. We initially wanted her help with our kitchen and master bath, but decided to opt for a full design plan for our home.

The main floor powder room features a hand-painted gingham wall treatment.

Can you tell us a bit about the design process? What were some of the steps along the way? Did you have a vision in mind for your home, if so, how did Sappho help to bring your vision to life?

Sappho made the initial design process very smooth. We simply sent her some inspiration photos for each room, so she could get a sense of our style and provided her with the floor plans from our Architect. We then discussed our budget and from there she created a room-by-room design plan, as well as a complete list of selected finishings and fixtures for each room (tile, trim details, plumbing fixtures, lighting, etc). We met with her to review the design plan and went back and forth with some edits until the plan was finalized.

In the front entry way we kept the original door and painted it black to give it a modern look.

We definitely had a vision, but we had such a mix of styles that we liked. Our inspiration photos included traditional, modern, farmhouse and Scandinavian designs, so having someone skilled to ensure it all flowed together was very reassuring. Sappho not only brought it to life, she made it so much better! It’s incredible the value a designer can add to your project.

The mudroom features custom built-ins with loads of storage.

Was the design package what you expected and was the process straightforward? Is there anything you think that could improve the design package or process?

The design package was more than we imagined, it added so much character into our home. Initially I thought we were hiring someone to help us select flooring and finish details, but it was much more than that. We also believe Sappho pushed us outside of our comfort zone, which ultimately gave us a much better result in the end.

Bring on some drama! The second floor bath was painted a bold dark green, creating a modern edge and an element of the unexpected.

The level of detail in the design package made it easy for us to work directly with our contractor throughout the entire renovation process. Sappho was there for any questions or issues that came up, always finding a solution to make the process as smooth as possible. Ultimately, during a renovation there will be issues that pop up, it’s part of the process, but having experienced professionals involved who can provide expert advice makes it much easier.

Master bedroom. Painting from Bellissimo, gold vases and euro cushions from Attica

What was one of the most dramatic or exciting changes that you made to the home?

The addition (kitchen, mudroom and above master suite) was by far the most dramatic change to the existing foot print of the house, especially on the main level. It was very exciting to come home on the day that the wall separating the addition and the existing structure was removed, revealing an open concept floor plan. Sometimes it’s hard to know how a space will feel having only seen it on paper, so that was a very memorable moment for us.

The new master bath is a bright spa-like sanctuary.

Do you have a favourite design element or a favourite space in your home? Tell us about it and why you love it so much.

All of it.

Our master bath is my favourite space in our home. I love every design element from the funky mirrors and black fixtures, to the natural looking floor tile. It has a spa vibe that feels relaxing and calming. It’s the perfect place to unwind. We also love the new design elements that incorporated some of the character from the original home.

Thank you so much to the homeowners for letting us back into your home to take these stunning photos. Once again, our photographer Julian Parkinson did an incredible job at capturing this space for us – thank you Julian!

Hello dear Henhouse friends. We hope you’re all doing well out there during this very unusual and challenging time. It can feel a bit odd to think about home renos and decorating right now, but we want to keep sharing our work with you in the hopes that it will inspire and energize you and bring some lightness into your days. This could be a great time to inject some new ideas into your own space — move things around, do some painting or tackle long forgotten projects, bring some clippings in from your yard and welcome spring into your home!

If you have any larger projects in mind for your home this could also be a great time to start to brainstorming and planning. Henhouse will be keeping busy this spring and summer with ongoing projects, and we will continue working. We are beginning to book new projects for this fall and winter so please contact us if you have renovation plans you’d like to get started on.

Now let’s take a look at the final results of our Tantallon home reno!

Tantallon Whole Home Reno Reveal

In our last blog article we shared two whole home renovation projects in progress (find that article here). We’re so excited to share the final results of our Tantallon project with you!

When Henhouse was contacted by this young family they had newly purchased the home, and construction was slated to begin very soon. The homeowners had fallen in love with the beautiful lakeside location, but the house was quite dated inside and out. They envisioned a fun, modern and sleek aesthetic, with a more open concept floor plan, where they could enjoy the views and entertain friends and family.

With move-in dates on the horizon, and construction about to begin, the Henhouse team got right to work. Designing in phases, and working in close collaboration with the contractors and homeowners, we came up with a plan to take everything right back down to the studs and start fresh with a nearly blank canvas.

Our first phase in the design process was coming up with the new layout. We decided on floor plans including locations and dimensions for the windows and doors, and millwork specifications for the interior built-ins. The second phase was elevations that included more detailed millwork specifications, sourcing materials for flooring, tile, plumbing, off-the-rack vanities and counter surfaces. The final stage was sourcing and installing the more decorative and finishing elements like lighting fixtures, furnishings, wallpaper and paint.

The new kitchen, living, and eating areas are all open to each other now and are the heart of this home. The homeowners love to entertain, so this was an important feature. The cabinetry in both the kitchen and in living area are custom built to suit the homeowner’s needs.

In the kitchen, all of the cabinetry was designed for maximum storage. As a busy young family of three with one more on the way, they needed lots of pantry and storage space. We included a coffee station hidden within the pantry to help keep clutter at bay — an important consideration for a design that is all about clean lines and simplicity.

The custom wet bar is a great place for the homeowners to store and showcase their fully stocked bar and glassware, and includes a keg hookup that runs all the way to the basement where the keg is stored. The cabinetry was custom built in walnut which ties well with the modern aesthetic, and to the woodland views.

Another special feature on the main floor are the large sliding glass doors that open right up to the deck. We wanted to capitalize on the amazing views and make better use of the exterior space. The homeowners were inspired by the indoor/outdoor living spaces that are popular in southern climates, and wanted to have that feeling for their home during the warmer months. We designed a new deck that leads down to a hot tub, offering even more space for living and entertaining.

The overall look for the home is modern and clean with fun pops of personality and colour. We also wanted to infuse elements that feel more natural to help balance the look, connect it to the landscape and create warmth. To accomplish this, we used lots of natural materials in the finishes and a soft, more natural colour palette.

For the flooring and kitchen cabinets we chose white oak and contrasted it with darker tones in the walnut bar cabinetry and the dark soapstone on the kitchen counters. The tiling throughout the home was selected from Ceragres. and has a matte, raw look offering an organic and natural feel.

Most of the paint colours through the home are soft and neutral, except for the playroom/den area. This space was created primarily as a hangout for the kids, so we wanted to make it feel more playful.

The artwork for this space was a jumping-off point. These paintings were created by a friend of the family and we love the bold colours. We went with a dark and dramatic wall colour here which works well with the saturated colours in the artwork, and also balances out the bold blue fireplace surround at the opposite end of the main floor. To tie it all together, we chose an array of colourful toss cushions for the sofa.

Upstairs, the soft and natural palette continues in the paint colours, flooring and finishes. All of the windows through the home are newly installed. Every room of the house now has the most incredible views. The property is so private that window dressings aren’t a concern, and with these views you would never want to cover them! To even farther emphasize the scenery, we went with black panes which create a bold frame to the outdoors and also have a modern feel.

This project was so much fun and a bit of a different challenge for Henhouse. Because of the tight timelines we had to design of the fly, which can be very exciting but doesn’t leave as much time to let ideas percolate. What made this project a success in the end was the unwavering trust of our collective team and everyone’s commitment to a positive outcome. The contractors from Blue Print Construction, the homeowners and I worked very closely together and always had each other’s backs through every step of the way. This was such a great experience, and we’re so happy to see this lovely family settled in and enjoying their beautiful home.

Thanks again to the homeowners for letting us return to your home so we could get these shots. We also want to thank our photographer Julian Parkinson who always does an incredible job at capturing our work.