A sense of calm and cohesion was Kate Davidson’s design vision for this 4,900-square-foot home in Oakville, Ontario.

Designer Kate Davidson knows that sleek, contemporary architecture can be compatible with family living (would you have guessed a couple with two young children and a dog live here?). To achieve a comfy yet functional home, she relied on ample smart storage, complementary colours and warm textural materials.

Photography: Lauren Miller | DESIGN, Kate Davidson, Kate + Co Design. ARCHITECT, Richard Mann. FLOORING, All Shine Hardwood Flooring. Living room FURNITURE, Bo Concept. FIREPLACE FACADE, Tremonte Group. All LIGHTING, Kate + Co Design. Samsung Picture Frame TV (disguised as a Gustav Klimt painting), Samsung. CONCRETE TILE WALL, Ciot.

1. Mellow Yellow

“I designed the living area’s feature wall, which boasts a metal-faced fireplace that draws the eye up and adds interest to the high-volume space. The owners’ furniture and accessories in mustard act as a dramatic contrast that warms up the area and plays off the earthiness of the metal, stone and wood. It works well here because modern dwellings and furniture can sometimes come across as cold and unwelcoming, yet this family home, while stylistically clean-lined, is undeniably warm and inviting.”

Photography: Lauren Miller | WALL PAINT, Horizon OC-53, TRIM PAINT, Oxford White CC-30, Benjamin Moore. Island STOOLS, Bo Concept. Quartz Calacatta Vogue kitchen COUNTERTOPS, BACKSPLASH, Quartex. Kitchen FAUCET, Gessi. Pot filler FAUCET, Rubinet. APPLIANCES, Miele.

2. Good Visibility

“An open floor plan can be challenging as it makes the kitchen visible to adjoining rooms. The space has to be functional but also possess aesthetic qualities in keeping with the rest of the home. My vision was a modern, family kitchen with an organic vibe. I created a sleek, linear look with flat-panel cabinet doors, integrated appliances and a concealed hood fan. The cabinet colour is an earthy mushroom-grey that’s warm and boasts a trending matte finish. Over this minimal base, I layered in more visual interest with floating walnut shelves and mid-century-style seating.”

Photography: Lauren Miller | DINING TABLE, Cigale by Roche Bobois. Powder Room FAUCET, Gessi. Custom FLOOR LAMP (living room), custom PLANTER, bathroom MIRROR, Kate + Co Design.

3. Colour & Curves

“When designing open-concept spaces, it’s important to use a cohesive colour palette throughout. The colours should complement one another and create continuity between principal areas. The grey dining chairs echo the grey of the sectional and the same flooring eliminates any visual break and blurs boundaries between the two areas. The dining chairs are Mid-Century-Modern inspired with a cool, iconic shape that’s still comfortable and durable. Their curved silhouettes also break up all the linear lines.”

Photography: Lauren Miller | Mudroom floor TILES, Ciot. Mudroom PAINT, Stonington Gray HC-170, Benjamin Moore.

4. Neat Stuff

“This mudroom serves a family of four, so I started by giving each one of them their own open cubby with hooks for hanging up day-to-day items. I selected quartz as the bench top because it’s highly scratch-resistant and waterproof. The closed side cabinets provide extra shoe storage and seasonal storage, as well as concealed phone-charging stations.”

Photography: Lauren Miller | Homework nook CHAIRS, Bo Concept. WINDOW COVERINGS, Kate + Co Design.

5. Home Works

“This is actually a homework nook designed specifically for the children. It’s tucked in next to the kitchen area and features a large quartz counter with room for two workstations. For the parents, it also doubles as a hub to store paperwork and pay bills. The cabinets framing the window offer closed storage for homework and house the family’s charging stations for their devices.”