Floorplans: Personality plus

"The biggest dilemma was whether the walls should come down," recalls Catherine Caplice of the renovation of her 1,100 sq. ft. Toronto house. At the time, she followed her instincts and gave her contractor the go-ahead, and she hasn’t looked back since. From the open-concept floor plan to the kitchen design, Catherine immersed herself in the decision making that a major renovation demands, and when the dust settled, there was just one problem: no furniture. She needed some advice. "I came in post-construction," says designer Lara Neal. She and Catherine both say there was a real synergy from their first meeting. "I thought the finishes Catherine had chosen for the kitchen were beautiful and felt they should be our jumping-off point in terms of decorating," says Lara, who customized the new space to perfectly suit her client. "It was a dream finding Lara -- she shared my vision," says Catherine. "I loved the process so much that when it was done I considered selling the house so I could do it all over again." Yikes! Hello, Lara?

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Check out the 3-D version of this home's floorplan!