Even though Miranda Caldwell (@meetmiranda) and Jeff Heckbert’s (@heckyeahhome) 1914 home had been renovated, it was still lacking the personality and warmth the couple was looking for. Their Toronto house is long and narrow, and the kitchen and eating area are at the center, which can make the space feel a little dark.
“Before we moved in, the kitchen had ‘ChocoCherry’ faux wood cabinets with white countertops,” Miranda explains. “I wasn’t a fan of the laminate/vinyl faux woodgrain look in our space, so we opted to paint the cabinets white — mostly because we wanted to draw some of the natural light from our West-facing backyard toward the middle of the house.” The couple used Fusion Mineral Paint’s Casement to paint the cabinets themselves.
But just because the cabinets were white didn’t mean the kitchen was destined to be boring. The neutral actually gave Miranda a blank canvas to play with in other areas of the room.
“The red checkers in the kitchen were inspired by this cozy pizza parlor we lived nearby in our first place together downtown,” Miranda says. “The checkers remind me of those red checkered tablecloths and checkered pizza boxes you’ll find at any cozy pizza spot or at a picnic. It feels like a universal symbol for comfort food, and I liked that.”
At first, Miranda thought she’d use a temporary vinyl peel-and-stick maroon tile and eventually retile the entire backsplash with real tiles. However, after cooking with them, she realized how durable the temporary option was and decided to leave it. The checkered print also complements the new pantry Jeff built, which is painted with Benjamin Moore’s Franklin Lakes, and the cabinets’ new brushed brass hardware.
“Slow decorating” the kitchen took around five years and around $1,500 from start to finish, and every step was intentional. Miranda really lived with the choices before moving on to the next project. It was also important to hang art that was meaningful to both of them, even in unusual spots — like the art hanging above the range hood. Miranda simply asked: “Why not?”
“The checkers are playful, and they make me smile every day, and the blue kind of balances that,” Miranda says. “I tried to find a ‘blue jean’ blue, and this Benjamin Moore’s Franklin Lakes paint color was just right.” To see more of this wonderful home, visit the full house tour on Apartment Therapy.