Interior Decorating, Home Design, Room Ideas

How was your weekend? Hope it was happy. Monday takes us to Canada where homeowners Laurent Papaix and David Toto spent four months renovating and almost a year decorating their new home on the beach area of Toronto. French and rustic touches in this bright and airy three-storey home.


Sunny spot between the kitchen and the living room with an authentic marble-top bistro table purchased at Les Puces de St-Ouen flea market near Paris for under $150.


Other than the original birch floors, everything in the kitchen is new. "We didn't have space for an island, so the trolley is a compromise," says Laurent. "Our carpenter used salvaged wood topped with acid-washed marble." The farm-style sink has rustic edge that's tempered by the modern pendant light.


China cabinet with slatted sides and glass-front doorsa Basque table runner and dramatic dark silk-and-cotton drapes from Paris. The lustrous crystal chandelier was purchased on a trip to Savannah, Georgia.


In the living room the antique mirror over the mantel rang in at over $500, but is perfectly at home with the vintage trunk scooped up for under $100. The antique ivory elephant figurines belonged to Laurent's grandmother, who lived on Africa's Ivory Coast.


Dark-colour shams punctuate the spot where a headboard should be. The bedside table was a HomeSense bargain; the DIY lamp was made from an at-home lighting kit - the base is a Spanish bottle.


Next to the master bedroom, the third-floor sitting area is a welcoming retreat for reading and late-afternoon naps. The sofa was covered in antique French colonial cotton that belonged to Laurent's grandmother.


In the second-floor main bathroom a claw-foot tubwas pos itioned on an angle for a dramatic effect.


Crisp striped wallpaper and a new porthole-style window infuse the third-floor ensuite with a nautical feel. The ladder was an inexpensive antique store find.

Photography byChristy Wright

All images and information from Styleathome.