To (finally) kick off our new home series I thought it would be fitting to show you guys a peek of our new house along with the inspiration we’ve pulled for it & a wish list of items we’re loving.

We started house hunting back in October 2017 – I was really reluctant to start, but Ko knew it would take a while before we found ‘the’ house plus he loved looking and finding listings on the mls app.  I don’t do well with change so I resisted it even though I knew he was right and that it would be better to start sooner than later.  While we absolutely loved our condo and the area we were in (North York) we were outgrowing it quickly as J was getting older.  Not to mention we both longed for a yard, a bbq and some space outdoors to call our own.  I truly thought it was going to take us a year to find a place we loved but it happened much faster than that – though we did look at a good 15-20 homes.

Ko had shown me what would become our home over the holidays, I was in Christmas mode so I said ‘nah doesn’t look like its going to be good’ – but, he kept urging me – finally in early January (or maybe it was between Christmas and new years) we went to look at it.  I was shocked, the photos didn’t do it justice and it was perfect.  I immediately got so nervous that something would happen and we wouldn’t get it but I also knew if we didn’t get it something even better would come along.

The biggest thing when we were looking for houses was lighting.  Coming from our ‘light-box in the sky’ aka our condo I knew it was going to be hard to find big windows that would match that – and just as I suspected, it was.  Majority of  homes had small windows with terrible lighting and the few that did have larger ones needed a lot of work.  When we first visited our now home it was an overcast day and the walls were painted a darker colour – the light still poured in and I knew we hit the jackpot.  I love that our backyard gets light all throughout the afternoon – our kitchen and family room are also at the back of the house so that means afternoons are filled with beautiful light too.

Lots of small details still needing to be done including tiles | The most beautiful blooms from my wonderful assistant Denitta

The other challenge for us was finding a home that would not only work for our growing family but that would accommodate my needs for work which were a studio space (with great light preferably separate from the rest of the house) + an separate office. This house had just that.  The living/dining room is now my studio, it has two large windows with beautiful light and plenty of shooting space.  It’s also at the front of the house so it feels totally separate from our living area (kitchen & family room).

As for my office I snagged one of the rooms upstairs.  We quickly realized after J was born how difficult it was for me to get any work done since my desk was out in the open – even if I had someone over to watch J for me or in the evenings when Ko was home it was nearly impossible to focus on writing an email or editing when literally in my peripheral J he was doing something cute or getting fussy.  Now I have a door I can ‘shut’ so if I need to get an hour work in uninterrupted it will be easier…or so I hope!

Also…for the first time since I started my blog + business – so, since 2012 – I cannot see my computer from my bed…you guys I cannot TELL you how amazing this feels.  Our bedroom is now a place I can unwind, relax and unplug and shut off from work.

Another thing I loved about this house? The upstairs media room! I know its something the kids will grow into and we currently have plans to make it into a fun play room.  The washer / dryer are upstairs so I imagine they’ll be playing in there on laundry days so we are on the same level.  It also means less toys on the main floor!

Ko was super happy that the basement of this home is still unfinished.  I think he’s been dreaming up his man-cave plans for over 5 years and he’s always wanted to build/renovate it himself.  He has full creative control down there!

NEW HOME INSPIRATION

LINKS + MORE INSPO TO IMAGES IN OUR PINTEREST BOARD ‘OUR FIRST HOME’

Decor

I love when you go to someones home and their space feels like a wonderful extension of who they are.  You see them in the decor, the vibe and mood.  This is what we keep going back to as we start to decorate and gather all the finishings.  Ko and I talked a lot about the mood we wanted and more than anything we want to create a fun, colourful happy home for our family.  Nothing too stuffy or serious.  A space that’s whimsical, fun and full of love.  I want candid photos of the family everywhere mixed with prints from my shop.  I also want the kids artwork up and framed – my mom would always have our fridge full of our arts and crafts and its those details I love in a young family home.

We knew from before we started looking for a house that our next kitchen would be blue – Ko and I both love the colour and I’ve been wanting a blue kitchen for years.  Ko is also really easy going with decor, when I ask him what he wants he usually says whatever you think I trust you – but since my office is now contained its own room upstairs along with all the office decor that goes along with that (and most of the ‘pink’) I feel like it’s a good opportunity to make our family space feel like both of us vs. an extension of my brand / work which is what the condo felt like at times.

After lots of pressing his request was simple and sweet.  Incorporate more Greek decor and vibes – the man loves his roots! Yes-I’m also Greek but we all know just give me the Parisian decor vibes and that’s all I’m one happy girl.

Now that we have more larger walls I also cannot wait to print more prints from my shop large scale throughout.

Here is a quick look at some of the items we have our eyes on – we also already purchase the most beautiful French bistro style bar stools from Serena & Lilly and they are not only comfortable but SO chic too – favourite purchase yet!

1. Lamp 2. Bust 3. Paris Print 4. Blue Couch 5. Carpet 6. Candle 7. Olive Branch Wreath 8. Bar Stools (got these already and love them!) 9. Beaded Chandelier 10. Large Mirror 11. Frame TV by Samsung (been obsessed with this since I saw it last year – I also really don’t like how our big black tv box looks in the middle of the family right now :D)

Hope you guys enjoyed getting a peek into our new house and our inspiration for it! To be honest, I have no idea how its all going to come together.  We have an picture in our minds of what we think is going to work and look good – a mix of both our style and tastes and full of items we love and mean something to us.  I may bring in a designer to consult in order to help pull together the rooms and to help source some of the pieces we can’t seem to find.

Off we go…wish us luck!