Pre-visualization. Paint: Ben Moore, Toucan Black. 
Stone steps + balanced landscaping.

COTTAGE BOTOX

Fab Location. Steps to cute village, a butcher, baker, candlestick maker, had I hit cottage county gold?

But a closer look (& sniff) revealed dry-rot, mushroom-y odours & Titanic sloppy floors. The structural issues alone screamed ‘walk away’. So I did.

A year later destiny pulled me back. Again for sale, the sellers ‘quick flip reno’s tried to say updated. It wasn’t. But I saw opportunity. This 1950’s cutie was getting a facelift. A botox reboot, a mega nip tuck, I was glam-pussing this golden oldie into 2025.

OLD MAID
Circa 1950’s

Cameron House remodel. Hudson Qc. Original 50's Kitchen. Sticky backed paper and doors rule.
Kitchen (Facing West). Bad art. Smelly mushroom-y cabs. Way too much sticky backed wallpaper.
Gutted!
Steep cramp-y staircase.
More sticky wallpaper.
Brown-purple painted treads (Ughh)
So many doors & cupboards to nowhere.
Basement Access (gahh.. more doors)
Dining room, old doors, stuffy closet!
Basement (unfinished)
Nippy Space. Noisy Furnace.
Willy Nilly Wire City!

PRESENT
Glam Puss Gal

Kraus Sink & Faucet.
I always wanted to design a Mid Century vibe-y kitchen with crisp seemless lines. The minimal upper cabs helped achieve the look, while the ‘heaving lifting’ & stretching reduced with oodles of soft close, handle-less drawers + spacious pull out storage cabinetry.
Quartz Countertops by Caesarstone Montreal.
Amazing storage and pantry.
Swing Arm Faucet by Kraus.
Push Open Pantry Storage.
Kitchen remodel. Hudson Qc. Bespoke shelving created from barn wood over 100yrs old. Stained to match kitchen cabinets & drawers.
Shhhhh. Such perfectly soft close drawers.
No handles = no dusting!
The no hardware trend for kitchen cabinets & drawers
Whirlpool Appliances.
(Wifi connected + air frier included)
Deep drawers provide spacious, easy access storage.
Door between kitchen & dining room opened up ‘floor to ceiling’ for additional light & spaciousness.
Access to basement (repositioned)
Repositioned basement entrance.
Dining Area. Walls fully re-plastered.
Paint c/o Benjamin Moore. Oxford White.
Table by Structube.
Pottery from Puerta Vallarta
Sitting Room in glorious morning sun
Plants & Sun.
Spring is on its way!
Sven Sofa by Article.
Rae Armchair in ‘Rusted Velvet’.
It feels so plush & I love the pop of colour.
Floor tiles by La Tuilerie. Plomb noir.
Its a steep staircase, so I installed a cast iron handrail (c/o Amazon) to prevent a trip causing a trip to hospital. The treads were a ‘sweat equity’ nightmare to stripe, sand & revarnish!
Let’s just say my arms got more toned.
Staircase restored. New door upstairs. The original stairwell had awful sticky back ‘flowery’ wallpaper all over the walls. After striping it off (which took forever) the holes were repaired, walls re-plastered and repainted.
A cute kitchen Island perfectly sized to prepare meals or gossip. Includes integrated garbage, food waste and recycling.
Backsplash Tiles by La Tuilerie, Montreal.
I hunted for just the right tile for months.( Drove my contractor Peter nuts!)
Splash splash. Chop chop. Scoop & Bin!

Cameron, Hudson Quebec. Unfinished basement before renovations.

ARCTIC BASEMENT

Below decks, it was cold. Concrete slab, gale moaning, rotten window cold. Wires dangled. The bulky furnace grumbled. But the 1,000 sft beaconed. A blank canvas with additional
living space potential.

To Do List

Insulation (ceiling/floor/walls)
Windows & Comfy Floors
Build integrated staircase
Full bathroom.
Media/Den/4th bed.
Laundry room area.
Furnace utility room.
Storage options.

4th Bedroom/TV Den
Work From Home Office
Bathroom & shower remodel with Terrazzo floor tiles (c/o La Tuilerie, Montreal)
Testing textures for new bespoke vanity.
Renovated basement with designated Furnace room + WFH Office and 4th bedroom.
Furnace Room + additional storage
Bath & Shower Remodel.
Tiles c/o La Tuillerie
Bathroom remodel.
Niche mosaic tiles in cream & navy.
Ink black vertical subway.
La Tuillerie, Montreal.

The original siding was a combo of sad white & canary yellow. The rear deck, while big was in shit shape. As winter and spring passed in a flurry of interior demo-reno cycles, when summer hit, I turned to her outside.

Because i’d ‘test sampled numerous blacks’, she looked like a deranged bumble bee. But once May arrived, it was hello Toucan Black (BenJamin Moore). A subtle dark dark navy blue, with sooty noir undertones, her plummage flirts black in some lights and blue-ish hues in others.

A brutal ice storm had left some damage, so new gutters were installed, fencing put around the deck (for sunbathing junkies) and I repaired the unsafe front staircase.

Curb appeal is real. It says you care. Commissioning Chris a local painter, while he sprayed & hung precariously from high ladders, I face-lifted the stained rear deck. Too much black is overkill. So the deck was painted in Vanilla Bean, a creamy white with pale sage undertones.

And wow, that old banged up ol’ deck just transformed into sweet lil’ extra space: a place to work, chill, flip a burger or sip an evening vino.

DON’T CURB
YOUR TOUCAN

COTTAGE BOTOX

ARCTIC BASEMENT

DON’T CURB YOUR TOUCAN

DON’T CURB
YOUR TOUCAN