Karin Bennett Designs

We have some VERY EXCITING NEWS to share with you today!! Our just dropped :)

Last month House & Home filmed 🎥 our Wanless Project, capturing the transformation of this Toronto condo! You will be amazed that this is the same space when you see the before photos and learn we didn’t even remove any walls. This project is a great example how updating finishes and replacing furnishings can make such an impact!

Thank you House & Home for doing such a fantastic job capturing our latest project!

It’s Friday friends and the weather looks PERFECT!! I live for these weekends to laze around the pool and visit with friends.

What are you doing this weekend?

KBD Project Bywood

Kitchens are ALWAYS the centre of the home.

They are hands down the most important room to get just right and they also require the largest financial investment. No only does your kitchen need to function perfectly for your lifestyle but it’s also the place people spend most of their time.

If you could renovate your kitchen today what would be the #1 thing you would want to incorporate?



Build/Design

Superbly unrelated to this pic of our Bywood bookcase but my sweet cousin is having a baby today and I couldn’t be more excited!! We haven’t had a baby in the family for a few years so everyone is over the moon!! 👶🤰

I know on Mother’s Day often the moms get to sleep in. What about the dads on Fathers Day? If your a dad, let me know!! ⬇️

This bedroom was from our Bywood project. It is a child’s bedroom that will grow with him into his teens - for the photo we removed the toys 😉. We designed this headboard and treated the fabric to repel stains.

PRO TIP ➡️ when designing a kids bedroom keep all the staples neutral. You can always swap out bedding and accessories but the bed, nightstands, rug, draperies shouldn’t be too juvenile so they can grow with the child.

We adore bench (banquette) seating in a kitchen! It is the most perfect spot for kids - and adults 😉 to gather and enjoy a meal.

We incorporated a custom bench in my kitchen at home and it’s one of my favourite design features. At my house we needed a few extra inches for our adjacent seating area so incorporating a custom bench allowed for this.

Are you a fan of bench seating in a kitchen?

We have a client instal tomorrow and we are all very excited. An instal is the day our furnishings arrive and we complete the project with styling each room. It’s usually a long day but it’s very fulfilling!

This client is hosting her daughters grade 8 graduation on Thursday so we couldn’t be happier to get this done in time for the party!

If you’re interested in our services here at KBD, email us with details about your project. We’re always happy to answer any questions you may have!

EMAIL:
[email protected]

One of our most loved aspects in the design process is designing pieces for our clients.

Did you know that almost everything you see in the big box stores is not made in Canada? I feel strongly that we need to invest in our country and invest in our local manufacturers and artisans.

Another plus of custom is when we design furnishings for our clients we give homeowners a unique piece that is made especially for them, for their home.

We specify style, fabric, fill, dimensions…everything, so the piece is custom and unique. We can also rely on the shorter lead times since we aren’t waiting on overseas shipments to arrive!

In our Bywood project we designed more than half of the furniture pieces from dining tables, to headboards, sofas and chairs. We have all the upholstery “dipped” before manufacturing so that it increases the durability and performance of the fabric - perfect for our homeowners with kids or pets!

For this kitchen table we specified white oak in an oval shape to fit the existing banquette and designed this cool base for interest.

What do you think?

Design
Build

Our Heather Hills project started at the height of the pandemic, luckily we had great clients who knew that patience is the name of the game!

We loved working on this project, transforming our clients home into a more functional space for this young family. Swipe left for the before.

Do you swap out your bedding with the seasons?

We change a couple of our pillows and replace our heavy coverlet for a lighter one in the summer months. The problem is my hubby likes almost no blankets where I like to sleep with ALL blankets!! What about you??

Project: Bywood
Builder:

Do you receive our (sometimes ☺️) monthly newsletters? Our most recent newsletter just went out this morning.

We include design tips and sneak peeks at our most current projects. If you’d like to sign up the link is in my bio!!

We have some truly incredible projects on the go. There are new builds, whole home renovations and decor projects too!

Each staircase should be unique and enhance a homes aesthetic. This staircase from our Bywood Project is what I would call elevated modern with its wrought iron spindles, gold accents and wood hand rail. Honestly the possibilities are almost endless with staircase design depending on your budget.



Build/Design

Poll:

Do you a person who loves real plants or do you prefer artificial?

Here at KBD we love both! Artificial offer no maintenance and always look wonderful. But real plants offer an authentic vibe - eliminating air pollutants and boost your mood! I think I’m in the camp of going with a mix of both. What do you prefer?

When designing a kitchen we often opt for all drawers on the lower periphery cabinetry over traditional doors. Drawers offer better storage solutions have a more modern sensibility. What do you think? Do you prefer drawers over doors?

How much wine 🍷 storage is enough for you? 3 bottles, a dozen, a hundred bottles….let me know in the comments below. ⤵️

Styling bookshelves with new and old books is something we love to do!! There is a real nuance to getting it just right that I’m personally still working on :)

Now that our pool is open and the warmer temps are here, thank you Lord, my reading will inevitably ramp up. If you have any awesome summer reads 📚 to recommend I’d appreciate it!

In our Bywood project we selected an oversized console table in the entry and paired it with a contemporary 48” round mirror. The mirror reflects the beautiful art on the opposite side of the room.

KBD Tip: anytime you can add intimate lighting to your entry, go for it! In this design we incorporated a structured table lamp that creates a beautiful glow in the evening hours.

Photography

Did you entertain this weekend?

Usually we would be hosting friends or family to kick off the unofficial start of summer. This year we hosted our oldest son’s friends for the weekend which was so great! The twins were busy playing sports - Josh had a football game Saturday evening and Ella had a flag football tournament on Monday. I’m actually exhausted heading into Tuesday. What about you? Do you feel rested or tired after the long weekend?

Our eldest son called last night and asked if himself and four friends from school can come stay at our house for the long weekend. We said yes and now I’m left trying to figure out how much meat to defrost to feed 5 university football players for 48 hours….thoughts?

Good thing we just had this months order arrive yesterday. 😅😅

Have you seen our recent feature with ?

I’ve admired Rue magazine for years and was thrilled that they wanted to feature our recent Bywood project. They are a California based publication with a fresh look on interiors.

Link to article is in my bio.

Do you love a as much as I do? 🙋🏼‍♀️ Not only do they look so good, they are also practical.

At our Bywood project the builder added a lot of incredible wine storage for the new homeowners. Could you use more wine storage in your home? I sure could!🍷🍷