Melissa Ennis Design

Here’s to a relaxing weekend before that back to school rush starts next week!

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Walking into mid-week like…

We’re working away hard over here on, BALANCE. It’s been my “word” for the last two years.

This summer I’ve been spending (most) mornings with the kids, and then working afternoons and after-bedtimes. We’ve also been prioritizing travel & adventure this year. It’s probably the most balanced I’ve felt in a long time!

So here’s to finding your balance this summer 🤎

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Sundays are for that perfect cup of coffee & catching up on a summer read, or in my case, the pile of magazines I haven’t had a chance to enjoy yet!

(And maybe a little reno project, always have to fit a bit of reno in!)

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Styling…it MAKES the space.

But how to do it in your own home? Choose & buy objects over time that are either meaningful or beautiful to you, and display them proudly. Move them around year to year, add to a collection, and curate objects based on memories, emotions, or celebrations. They never grow “out of style”, because they are a part of you, and that is what makes a beautiful home 🤎

One of those days when I wish I didn’t go off caffeine…how amazing would a built-in coffee maker be in the pantry off your kitchen?!

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Twenty years of being our most authentic, goofy, and crazy selves together…and to believe it all started with Ice Ice Baby 🤎

Happy Anniversary - you’re kind of the best, and you know it! Thanks for always saying “sure” to my wild ideas & becoming an amazing cook because I could care less if I just ate cereal my whole life.

Twenty seemed too big to celebrate at once, so we’ve made 2024 the year of celebration!

(Yep, that is us at our wedding in Banff - wouldn’t change a thing, jeans & all!)

I always picture our clients taking the elevator up to their loft level and enjoying their bar & patio on game days….

Let’s Go !

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Because laundry rooms can be functional & pretty!

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Well the snow is back…but the air is fresh & clean, and we need the moisture in YEG, so let’s just say it’s perfect soup weather!

I could definitely become friends with cooking with a kitchen set up like this - tortilla soup anyone?

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Going to pretend I’m sitting in this sweet little nook casually looking at design books instead of nervously watching and wondering how I’ll possibly stay up past 10pm on a Sunday to watch the full game…

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Our latest renovation project in all her glory!

A VERY long wall dividing the kitchen to the dining room was opened up in this renovation (give us all the natural light) and we needed a clever way to hide a structural post…enter the brick column which ties into the island and has a very cool detail on the island side- a coffee spot! We added electrical and glass shelves for our coffee loving clients and it’s my favourite detail from the renovation (second being that sweet little built-in nook!)

We really pushed for the leathered natural granite, Via Lactea, for the counter and splash and it adds so much character to this kitchen. Natural stone is our love language!

And of course, the focal point of the kitchen is the beautiful plastered range hood with built-in shelves perfectly measured for cooking supplies.

Do you have a favourite design element in this Garneau renovation?

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That sink light though…

We had to work with more than a few structural constraints (can you spot two in this photo?), but this kitchen sure turned out 👌🏻

My favourite part of the space may just be what is on the other side of that brick column…full kitchen reveal coming tomorrow!

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Adding Arches!

In this home renovation of a historic Garneau Tudor, we were able to add an additional arched entry between the lounge and family room (it was really tight with hvac and existing elements but it worked out!) and we also opened up the front hallway to the lounge and increased an arched entry there.

We love keeping existing elements and mixing them with new. The fireplace is original but it was re-clad in a new brick, the sconce by the fireplace and all interior doors are original, but the arched entry and hardwood flooring are new!

The most important part of a renovation is listening to what the clients need, honouring the history of a house & its elements and fusing that to create an intentional and collected home.

It may sound crazy, but I truly believe these old homes speak to us and we must do our best to listen and respect their past and the craftspeople that built them.

So yes, bring us your beautiful, old, layered, quirky homes. We want to make them beautifully work for you!

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This excited to show you our recently completed renovation in the quaint, historical neighbourhood of Garneau!

The clients were a dream to work with, we had a ton of fun creatively, and the contractor truly respected our vision for the home.

Team work makes the dream work, right?!

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Favorite areas to design? Kitchens! So much function packed in a beautiful space.

Every single client is different in their requirements for how a kitchen needs to function, and their idea of how they’d like it to look, that no kitchen is the same.

I designed my own first kitchen in 2003 when and I bought our first house…and have been hooked ever since!

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Over here staring at the snow and anxiously waiting for paddleboard season like…

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Still toque weather over here!

(We absolutely need the moisture, so I’m welcoming any and all snow despite the cold)

Plus, March Madness has started so I’m happy to have some cozy work from home days the next few days (with a sick kiddo of course) to watch all the basketball! 🏀 Anyone else think Purdue is going to blow it again this year? We’re filling a bucket list item and headed to the Final Four in April, so I’d love to see them there…but I have Kansas upsetting them 😬

What does your bracket look like? (I’m a college bball fanatic if you’re new around here). I think UConn will get a back to back Championship!

📷: .rae.photography

Bathrooms are a chance to set the vibe! We love a moody powder room, playful kids bathroom, and serene ensuite.

This new build home achieves the above, while keeping a through line in the design story.

Which bathroom is your favourite?

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From the archives!

Still have a crush on this renovation, big time.

Can you guess the wall colour? It’s one of our most used…

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The kitchen of their dreams!

We worked with our clients to meticulously curate the design and functionality they were looking for in their forever home.

Many custom blue/green/grey colour samples later and I truly believe the team nailed it!

Our goal is to fully understand our clients, their current and future lifestyle and needs, and to work hand in hand with them and the building team to achieve the home of their dreams! (We’re in it for YOU!)

What does your dream kitchen look like? Mine is forever evolving, which is why I’m still rocking maple cappuccino and speckled brown quartz a la 2007 in our forever home ( says we’re not allowed to move anymore!)

Currently in my head I’m seeing a mid-brown white oak with zero handles, creamy natural travertine counters, with a 48” showstopper range and tumbled stone floor, but ask me next month and I’ll have a totally different vision! I may need professional help…

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When the views of the YEG skyline & river valley are the biggest focal point…

(And you can enjoy the winter from a cozy warm bath or shower!)

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TGIF!

Could curl up here for the whole weekend now that winter seems to have arrived and drink copious amount of decaf coffee (I went off caffeine this year!)

Here’s to a cozy start to March ☕️

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📷: .rae.photography

We love designing rooms for the little ones!

Sneak peek of a playroom & bedroom we did for the sweetest little boy (and chillest clients who let our design minds run wild)

Side note: this home is the most beautiful Tudor on the Sturgeon River…such a gem!

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Forever our “why”…

Why we’re strict with our office hours,
Why we take holidays without apologies,
Why we work hard to understand our client’s lives,
Why we care so darn much about every project we do,

It’s not about the pretty finished photos. It’s because family means everything to us…and home is an extension of family 🤎

A light filled pantry! This one connects to the kitchen AND the hallway from the elevator. A perfect set up for getting groceries in and ingredients out.

The view of the is pretty great too!

What would your perfect pantry include? Mine would have some kind of invention that controls the amount of snacks my children eat…

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Red is not only for love…it’s for beautiful brick fireplaces too!

We love the warmth the brick adds to this space (and it just so happens that red is back “in” this year big time).

Would you go red in your space? I could do a terracotta tile or mohair chair in a deep warm brick shade in a heartbeat ♥️ Ooooh, or even limewash a powder room….thoughts?

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Trying to camouflage with the cabinetry but the greens don’t quite jive together!

Green continues to be a big colour for 2024 in both furniture, walls, and millwork, but we’ve always considered it a neutral and have used it often since we started in 2012.

Warm browns and deep reds are back too - what colour would you never use in your home? (I just can not do purple).

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Laundry Room Must Haves?

1. Flat lay & hanging drying options.
2. A sink for hand wash only items.
3. All the storage for those random household items you don’t know where else to put…do you keep those extra buttons?
4. A vintage washing board covering electrical access.
5. Natural light - we always like a venting window in laundry rooms because, well, humidity & smells!
7. Counters galore to keep all the piles of unfolded laundry…
6. And don’t forget pretty tile! We did a “toonie” on the floor and a highly varied matte tile on the splash.

What would your dream laundry room have in it?

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Tub with a View!

This ensuite has full views of the Edmonton Skyline AND the North Saskatchewan River Valley. Can you imagine it through the seasons?!

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The soup index is high with this insanely cold weather!

Anyone souping this weekend? Send me all your gluten & dairy free recipes!

(I might be tempted to cook a little more if I had our client’s amazing kitchen!)

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