When you live on a military base, turning the house you’ve been allocated into a home that feels comfortable and reflects your personal style can be a real challenge. Luckily for Dan, an Artillery Officer in the Canadian Armed Forces, his wife Ariel knows a thing or two about transforming bland spaces into bright, bold and cheerful ones. Together with their pup Bruce and their cats Boots and Toby, Ariel and Dan share a PMQ, “Private Military Quarter,” on a Canadian Forces Base just outside Fredericton, NB. You may remember Ariel from the Before & After feature that we published last year, where we got to see her and Dan’s bedroom undergo a fantastic transformation. Today, we’re taking a peek into the rest of the cheerfully decorated home, and learning some valuable DIY tips along the way.
When Ariel and Dan moved to their current base 18 months ago, they got the rare opportunity to choose between two houses. Without hesitating, the couple went with the more recently renovated PMQ because of its upgraded features and amenities. The 50s A-frame, with its garage, big yard, double sink, powder room and air conditioning, is a rare gem among military homes. Ariel, who has recently opened a creative studio space, is also the voice behind PMQ for two, an eclectic home decor and DIY blog. As her home is her job, Ariel wanted the new house to not only be an inspiring space for her family, but for her audience as well. She started off painting everything in strikingly bright colors, but soon realized it became hard to live with on a daily basis. “When I realized I wanted something else and went about changing it, the house felt so much better,” Ariel shares. Although the home still boasts wonderful bursts of color throughout, the palette is now one that makes Ariel and Dan feel truly at home. “Each room was pared down and given a more mature color palette. It feels just right for us, and I’m glad I took the time to do that,” Ariel adds. For more play on color, there’s her studio — along with allowing her to create beautiful content, the new workspace has also helped create a desired separation between Ariel’s personal and commercial styles. “Because I no longer need my home to function as overtly for my business as before, I can make the spaces about featuring our favorites instead of what’s new,” she explains.
Not only do Ariel and Dan feel at home in their own PMQ, they also feel truly inspired by the neighborhood of PMQs that they live in. The sense of community goes well beyond sharing the same work hours and schedules — when you share the same lifestyle with all the people around you, there’s a sense of support and understanding that can be rare to find outside the bases. “Whether it be the fact that we move all the time, have been to the same bases, or have given up our own careers to support our spouses — there’s a shared sense of purpose and community that comes from that base of shared experiences, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” Ariel says. “It goes to show that home really is where the heart is at, and wherever my husband and our pets are, is where I want to be.” —Sofia
Photography by PMQ for two
Image above: Ariel has infused her PMQ home with a color palette ranging from rich jewel tones to soft pastels. The view from the entrance toward the living area provides an immediate sense of the joyful style that has become Ariel’s signature.
from Design*Sponge http://www.designsponge.com/2018/04/a-military-base-home-infused-with-cheerful-color.html
from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/173062907084
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