Happy New Year friends! We hope you enjoyed the holidays! The hens were glad to spend some time with family and friends over the last couple of weeks. We’re glad to be back in the shop now, and we want to thank all of you who supported our business in 2012. It really means so much to us when you choose to shop at henhouse. We could go on about that topic, but we have some exciting things to show off here!

Last year we were lucky enough to complete not one, not two, but FIVE custom kitchens for five lovely families! It was hard work but we did it, and we’re so pleased with the results! We hope our customers are equally pleased, and we wish them many years of happy times spent in their kitchens!

Take a look at some of the work we completed in 2012!

Kitchen #1:

The owners of this historic north-end Halifax home purchased it with big plans in mind! They recognized the unique character of the home, but it needed many updates! They contacted us to help with their outdated kitchen, and we got right to work. Together, we came up with a design and layout that would maximize space, work with the existing character, and take advantage of the garden views. We reoriented the kitchen to face the garden with a u-shaped layout, closed off the back door, and added three new large windows.

Now with the sink facing the views and the back door moved to the side of the kitchen, it is a pleasure to wash the dishes! We kept the original closed off pantry but added some nice butcher block surfaces and some shelving to maximize storage.

The finishes in this kitchen are so warm and welcoming. To maximizes visual space we chose a butter yellow for the uppers, blending it in with the new wall colour and a blue/grey for the lower cabinets which anchor the space. Sage quartz counters look sleek and clean. Good lighting is important in a kitchen where a blend of task and accent lights can create just the right atmosphere. The display area over the sink and windows is lit and is the perfect spot for the homeowners to display their collection of beautiful ceramics.

Kitchen #2:

We are in love with this one! This sleek, contemporary kitchen is just stunning. It’s the perfect balance of warm and cool. This was a complete transformation from a builder’s box kitchen that had poor storage and terrible layout. We re-imagined this space to suit our European clients’ tastes and needs.

To enlarge the space,  a bathroom and a side wall were taken out and  new windows were added over and next to the prep sink. The island, which houses a cook top and boasts a unique circular butcher’s block, is positioned in the centre of the space. Now the kitchen has two distinct zones: one for cooking and one for clean up.

The finishes are wonderful with a crisp painted white against a custom stained birch to match the new walnut flooring. This is a kitchen built for maximum efficiency and beauty!

Kitchen #3

This kitchen was made for a newly built house in Halifax. Simple stream lined cabinetry mixed in with accents of rough-hewn stained birch on the extra large pantry, island and open shelving, give the right mix for the hip couple who own this wonderful space. Magnetic chalkboard panels on the pantry doors and side of the fridge are a fun accent just waiting to be filled with notes and lists for family members. We love the mix of “old” and new in this space which makes for a relaxed atmosphere.

Fun custom details like the pot filler above the stove, the rustic open shelving, and the bead board add so much character and warmth. A spice drawer next to the stove is so handy, while pull-out shelving takes advantage of awkward corners. 

As you can see, each kitchen is as unique as the customers who we design and build them for. It’s always a unique experience with each client, and that’s what makes our job so fun!

We are passionate about our kitchens, and we look forward to creating more. Do you dream of having a henhouse kitchen of your very own? Get in touch with us!

For a few weeks in April we were back in the South Shore/Indian Harbour region to work on a fun project for long time customers of ours. Their gorgeous home is set right on the harbour and has 180 degrees of ocean views.

A few years ago we refreshed a built-in media unit and wet bar in their living room. It had been painted a periwinkle colour that really clashed with the rest of the decor. The mission was to create a finish that complemented the ocean side setting as well as their stone work fireplace made up of local beach rocks. To integrate this large piece into its surroundings we went with a painted antiqued finish in this pale grey driftwood inspired colour. Much better!

Recently these homeowners built a guest bunkie over top of their garage. They did a great job of maximizing this small space and making it into a functioning guest house with a kitchenette, washroom and two built-in captains beds. They wanted to inject some colour and character into this new space, so once again they called in the henhouse team!

We worked with the customers to come up with an intense watery blue colour scheme then we set to work! We distressed, painted, and antique glazed the kitchen cabinetry, bathroom vanity, and the stairwell. We also whitewashed the trim around the doors and windows. Above you can see the kitchenette in its before and after stages.

Here you can see the stairwell that we re-finished, a close-up of the whitewashed trim, and the built-in beds.

The bathroom vanity is made from an old cabinet that we painted and glazed. The front drawer is still being retrofitted to accommodate the plumbing. It’s such a sweet piece, and perfect for this small space!

After two weeks of hard work, the guest bunkie now has the beautiful rustic chic look that henhouse specializes in! It’s all ready for the customer to add their own finishing touches to complete the look.

We have a feast for your eyes today! To get ready for the holidays, one of our long-time customers enlisted Sappho to work her designer magic on the outside of her beautiful home. So, yesterday afternoon, despite the unseasonable rain, Sappho created a series of outdoor arrangements to add that festive touch!

What a way to welcome holiday visitors! The swag and urns really draw attention to the entry. The ribbon adds a dash of colour and that essential touch of holiday sparkle!

This wooden barrel-style planter was dressed up with cedar and some stainless steel gazing balls from henhouse.

A wonderful mix of wintery stems, berries, apples, birch twigs, and giant pine cones. Sappho used many different textured greens along with a  few bright pops of colour to create this stunner. The green apples add an unexpected element. Love it!

Gorgeous window-box arrangement!

This is a unique wreath put together by Sappho. Our builder cut this star shape out of marine grade wood, then Sappho wrapped it in seasonal greenery, and tied it up with a bow.

Our customer was so pleased with her new decor! What do you think of it?

We hope you’re enjoying you’re own holiday preparations. Don’t forget we still have lots of beautiful holiday decor at our shop to add that sparkle to your home too!

Don’t forget We’ve extended our hours until Christmas! We are now open late Thursdays and Fridays (10am-8pm) and we will also be open on Mondays (10sm-5pm) for your holiday shopping convenience!

A few weeks ago we were lucky enough to visit the dream home of one of our customers,  located in the beautiful and scenic South Shore region of Nova Scotia.  This home is made for relaxation and entertaining with a good dose of fun!

The homeowners are long-time customers of ours and we’ve built several pieces of furniture for them over the past decade. The pieces have really stood the test of time; they still look great and fit in perfectly with the fun cottage aesthetic of the home. We thought we’d share some photos from our visit, take a look!

Here are photos of the house and barn, which have both been completely renovated to suit the homeowners. The barn is the ultimate entertainment retreat; outfitted with a professional grade kitchen, a sauna, sixteen-person hot tub, steam room, weight room, an office, a living area, and a home theatre. You can imagine why we didn’t want to leave!

By re-using the old exterior barn-wood  for the interior walls, the main living space in the barn showcases the character and history of the old structure.

 We made these two matching cabinets for storage in the living area of the main house. The large rope-pull drawers are on castors and provide easy access to the firewood.

Here are the beds we made to furnish some of the guest bedrooms in the house. Sappho’s daughter Lila is showing off the sleigh bed, which has a pull-out bed built just underneath.
For the washrooms, we made some fun wall-cabinets and a tall armoire to store towels and bathroom basics.

It was really fun to be a part of this South Shore dream home. We hope these happy customers will enjoy their henhouse pieces for many years to come!