Inside A Small 988 Sq Ft Toronto Home That Layers 18 Colors and Centers Around a Dog Named Walter – 'We Did The Opposite Of Restraint'

With just 988 square feet to play with, most designers would reach instinctively for moderation – pale palettes, pared-back finishes, and a less-is-more mindset.

But in this Toronto semi, interior designer Lindsay Thornton, founder of Cornerstone Design & Build, took a decidedly different approach. 'We did the opposite of restraint,' she says. Instead, the home, which was reimagined for a family of four and their golden retriever Walter, layers 18 colors and patterns across its compact footprint.

Look a little closer, and behind the layered finishes is a rigorously planned house design, complete with pocket doors, a fort bed, dog-friendly window seat, and smart zoning that carves the house into purposeful, liveable spaces.

Set on a leafy street in one of Toronto’s original neighborhoods, this semi-detached home has stood for over a century – its red brick façade and modest proportions typical of the area’s streetscape. While the house was fully gutted, Lindsay, alongside lead designer Sam Darvay, was keen to retain a sense of that history wherever possible.

'While we wanted to update the interior and exterior of the home, we wanted to ensure that it still fit within the more traditional Craftsman style of the neighborhood,' Lindsay explains. 'On the exterior, this meant keeping the red brick, to tie into the semi it was attached to, and yet modernizing the home by updating the windows and siding to coordinate.'

Marrying up all the history with a color-forward vision, Lindsay describes how the home honors its heritage, while 'adding in layers of the client's personality and charm throughout.'

'It has intentional rooms, delineated with beautiful arches, artisan lighting, and custom textiles and molding,' she adds. 'It boasts an eclectic mix of well-loved items, with a little bit of whimsy added into the kids' rooms.'

The brief from the homeowners was as practical as it was personal. They needed a second bathroom, significantly more storage, and a layout that moved away from fully open-plan living.

'Erica, one of the clients, was quite hands-on in selecting the various colors, wallpapers, and millwork details. She had a great vision, and we worked with her to tie it all together,' she explains. 'They were also very into buying antiques or reupholstering their existing furniture. The only new furniture pieces we purchased were the barstools! Everything else we re-upholstered, bought second-hand, or made custom,' adds Lindsay.

Before a single color was chosen, the success of this home was mapped out on paper. 'Our team spent two to three months on the floor plan in order to get it perfect,' says Lindsay, noting that nearly every inch of the 988 sq ft footprint was scrutinized, tested, and reworked.

Instead of one continuous open space, Lindsay and Sam introduced a series of newly defined zones, using arches and cleverly placed pocket doors to 'tie off' rooms without sacrificing precious square footage.

'How the dog, Walter, lived in the home was also considered as far back as the permit stage,' she adds. 'We had to move his window seat in order to do the mudroom addition, so we kept the living room bay window and made that his new window seat. On the drawings, it was labeled “Walter’s bench,” and it was not compromised throughout many of the floor plan iterations.'

As Lindsay explains, designing the entire home at once allowed everything to be 'pulled together like an orchestra,' ensuring cohesion rather than chaos.

'Since the client no longer wanted a full open concept home, we knew we could play with color and create different personalities throughout the various zones,' Sam explains. 'Playing within rich historical colors helped to keep the space cohesive even when the colors changed.'

'There is nothing overtly bright within all of the color selections,' Sam continues, explaining how the original staircase was a jumping-off point for the color scheme for the whole home.

'You’re greeted with an airy yet classic foyer that, lo and behold, functions as a clutter-free mudroom due to thoughtful custom cabinets,' Lindsay explains of the entryway.

From here, a wide archway leads you into the living room, where the design takes a cozy turn. The space is fully color-drenched in Farrow & Ball’s Selvedge, a rich, enveloping blue that wraps walls, trim, and ceiling in one continuous tone.

'The old iron stove fireplace is a relic and a vintage (working!) piece that the clients wanted to keep,' she continues. 'Seeing as this is a central focal point of the living room, it heavily influenced the blue-gray color we selected to drench the room.'

'The rich tones and cozy atmosphere beg you to stay awhile and read by the original ironwork fireplace,' she adds. 'The custom window seat, however, is not for you…it was custom-built for the family dog, Walter.'

'As you open up the double pocket doors, you are brought into the beautiful sage green kitchen, and your eye gravitates to the beautiful custom pass-through window above the large apron sink,' Lindsay describes.

'Pocket doors were a lifesaver in this home! We used them in the primary ensuite, one at each end of the walk-through pantry, and a double set between the kitchen and the living room. They allowed us to carve out intentional rooms, conceal or open up the space when needed, and avoid unnecessary door swings, which would have made some of the layouts impossible,' she explains.

Here, cabinetry is painted in a soft green, creating a calm, grounded backdrop, while at the center sits a custom wooden island designed to read more like a piece of furniture than fitted cabinetry.

'My grandma had the same set of vintage kitchen plates we've used here as I, which I told the client, and she laughed and said: "Everyone says that when they see them”. They are a fun nod to a bygone era of china plates being used at every meal and a novel way to create art in the kitchen.'

'The clients love to cook and also love the outdoors. They wanted a kitchen that could integrate with their backyard and facilitate little hands reaching up and through the window for another snack or popsicle,' she adds.

'As you pivot to go join said guests on the deck, you pass through a twin archway that delineates the eat-in breakfast nook,' Lindsay adds. 'Tucked into the corner with a thoughtful custom banquette and broom storage, the surrounding windows and sheer cafe curtains, made by the client, give off such an airy feel, they make you want to linger just a little longer inside.'

'The custom handmade pendant and warm textiles add a soft, old-world feel that complements the family pedestal table and dining chairs that have been passed on throughout the years.'

'The refurbished staircase beckons you upstairs, where you are greeted by the primary bedroom,' she continues. 'The subtle, yet detailed cream wallpaper, paired with the custom black headboard and oversized rattan flushmount light, provides a sense of calm, without once risking being taken for “boring”.'

Storage, as throughout the home, is both a necessity and a design feature in its own right. One entire wall is dedicated to custom joinery, painted in a soft neutral.

'The run of custom millwork hides the couple's extensive wardrobe with the brass garment rail,' she adds. 'We loved the dressing garment both for its warmth and old-world charm, but also practically to aid the busy couple in getting organized the night before.'

While the bedroom leans more neutral than elsewhere in the house, it still sits comfortably within the wider scheme. The warm woods, soft creams, and aged brass tones are also echoed in the adjoining ensuite bathroom.

'The ensuite is compact and full of warm, classic details, from the exposed brass shower plumbing to the custom marble counter tops,' Sam describes. Pale vertical tiles subtly elongate the space, while a frameless glass enclosure keeps sightlines open, allowing light to travel through the room.

Storage, once again, has been thoughtfully considered. 'The floating shelves also add much-needed storage without overwhelming the space with a heavy piece of furniture.'

Further along the hallway, the second bathroom offers a completely different vibe. While the footprint is modest, the detailing ensures it feels anything but pared back.

'While you’re still dreaming of the serenity of the ensuite washroom, you walk down the hallway to the added second bathroom, which the kids can’t wait to show you,' Sam explains.

'This room, while lacking a window, does not lack personality, vibrancy, or a story to tell. The sage green beadboard and stunning classic dusty rose wallpaper pair together to create a durable, yet refined kids' bath. The small brass accents, collected over the years by the homeowner, add a depth of personality to the space,' she adds.

Next door, the girls’ bedroom offers one of the home’s most charming moments.

'The girls' room is next on your list and not one to miss. The custom teal closet that encapsulates the bed and provides the sweetest reading nook and treasure trove storage area for a little girl,' Sam explains. 'The wallpaper backing her bed introduces some playful and fun colors, which are tied into the classic yellow roman shades.'

'We turned the primary suite into a kids' bedroom and a bathroom, while moving the primary to the back of the home so they could have their own ensuite and backyard view,' Lindsay explains of the layout changes upstairs.

'Her brother’s room sits next door, and while it is the smallest room in the house, it probably has the most fun,' Sam continues. 'Here, his custom bed acts as his personal fort, and the size of the room is embraced vs ignored by the clever use of wallpaper and shelving to create a nook within the room that is compact and adorable.'

'He was moving from a crib to a big boy's bed, which is a big deal as a kid. So we created this “nook” bed to make it feel special to him. To do this, we added the ladder and selected a wallpaper to create a space within the room that felt cozy.'

'The bookshelves and handmade light also enabled him to turn it on and off himself, just like the tree fort of any kid's dreams,' she adds. 'Practically, we used the depth of the bed for clothing storage and added the cute little bear knobs the client found to personalize it for a little boy.'

Beyond the abundance of color and clever planning, it’s the quieter details that give this home its sense of style. Throughout, Lindsay and Sam were intentional about preserving and introducing elements that feel rooted in the past.

'We borrowed a lot from old-world Britain,' she says. 'A lot of brass and ceramic light fixtures were carried through the design, which adds a historical feel and helps tie the rooms together. Chances are, if it felt like it could have been around 100 years ago, it went well with everything else in this home.'

'We looked for classic, well-loved patterns that have stood the test of time,' they explain. 'For example, the kitchen island was designed to look like a furniture piece, the diamond lay marble foyer instantly sets the classic design of the home, and the rich wood tones, detailed molding, and unlacquered brass throughout, speak to an older era that is still timeless today.'

'They go together so cohesively because we were given the opportunity to design all of the rooms and millwork, so we could ensure all of the tones and patterns worked together.'

'Our main focus for what the client would feel,' says Lindsay.

'We wanted them to feel like their home was tailor-made for them, every inch. For it to be their safe haven, both for the parents to be able to relax and connect, while their kids can play and move about the home, and not be living on top of one another all the time.'

'This home could not have turned out so cohesively if it were done in stages,' she explains. 'The beauty of this renovation was that it was a complete overhaul of the whole home and therefore, we could tweak every last pillow, curtain, and wall color to work with the other elements.'

Nothing here feels overly styled or recently installed. Instead, each layer contributes to a sense that the house has evolved over time. Every design decision, from the placement of storage to the choice of colors, has been made in consideration of how the family, with its young kids and dog named Walter, actually lives.

The result is a home that feels collected, rich with character, and all the more inviting for it.

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