Home Improvement: Before & After: A Country Home Gets A Powder Room & Living Room Update

Thursday 26 January 2017

Before & After: A Country Home Gets A Powder Room & Living Room Update

Marcella DiLonardo is a freelance lifestyle photographer and her husband, Justin Jones, works in insurance — together they have the lifestyle blog Hey Modest Marce. They recently swapped the city life of Toronto for the more slowly-paced country life of Fonthill, Ontario (outside of Niagara). The couple had fallen in love with this home when they first saw the listing last spring, but it was just out of their budget. As luck would have it, it was still on the market by the summer, when the couple had saved more for their down payment, and they were able to make an offer. Their first home just happened to be their dream home. The house, although in the country, is still close to markets, and they’re lucky enough to have a hiking trail at the back of the property that they hike every weekend. The downtown, which Marcella admits is a little different from what she would have referred to as the downtown area in Toronto, is just a few steps away, as is an apple orchard. If the description of the outside sounds charming, the inside is equally so.

Despite the fact that Marcella and Justin have only lived in their home for a handful of months, they’ve already begun making it their own. They were lucky to have found a home (dream home, no less!) that was move-in ready — all that was left to do was make it feel personalized. Marcella immediately got to work putting her stamp on the powder and living rooms. As someone who appreciates the charm that comes with an older home, Marcella wanted to be sure to keep all of that intact — and, in fact, add as much back in as she could.

Marcella has mostly kept to a grey-with-white-accents palette that allows the beautiful original trim and details to stand out while still making the home feel warm and inviting. She shares her inspiration behind the palette, “I love how the mix of white, greys and wood [looks] together. It is so homey, but still elegant.”

The powder room was where she felt like she could have a little more fun with color; it was a previous add-on, meaning she could be less precious about updates she wanted to make as she wouldn’t be losing any original details. The wallpaper she chose for the powder room, called “Apothecary Garden” by Trust Worth, is actually a print from 1926, which goes amazingly well with their 1928 home. Trying to add in more of those original details that were left out in the addition, she added Delta’s Victorian line of fixtures and faucets to create a more seamless continuation of the home’s age. While the home was already one-of-a-kind, adding vintage-inspired wallpaper and light fixtures was a top priority to give the home its due and revel in its history.

The projects will continue for a while, something the couple embraces. Next on the docket in the new year is taking on the two-and-a-half/third floor loft with exposed beams and angled ceilings. We can’t wait to see what else this couple creates in their beautiful new home. —Rebekah

Photography by Marcella DiLonardo

SOURCE LIST

Powder Room

-wallpaper: Apothecary Garden by Trust Worth Studios
-wainscotting & trim paint: Wevet in Estate Emulsion by Farrow & Ball
-linens (Bath Towels, Hand Towels, Bath Mat): Rough Linen’s Bath Makeover in Natural
-sconce lights: Cedar & Moss Wyatt Sconce in Walnut & Brass
-mirror: Wayfair
-faucet: Delta Two Handle Widespread Lavatory Faucet in Champagne Bronze
–tissue holder, towel bar & towel ring: Delta Victorian in Champagne Bronze
-door hook: Delta Victorian Double Robe Hook in Champagne Bronze