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A young family's first home is transformed into a modern country retreat in the city

Meet the designer: Ali Budd

When the couple enlisted Ali Budd, the designer asked Michele to provide photos of what she loved and didn’t like. A binder full of clippings verified that Michele prefers clean lines and all things cottage. “The challenge was giving them something that feels fresh and contemporary and appropriate for the city but at the same time has that cottagey country vibe,” says Ali.

Image by: Style at Home By: Laura Muir Source: Michael Graydon; styling by Ann Marie Favot & Stacy Begg

A young family's first home is transformed into a modern country retreat in the city

A family that eats together

An addition on the back of the house allowed homeowners Michele Foster and Aaron Harlang to expand the small kitchen, which now features an eat-in area with a child-friendly faux-leather-upholstered banquette. To enhance the room’s visual flow, the table was made from the same quartz as the countertops. The lantern-style pendant light complements the kitchen’s modern-country aesthetic. “To me, a lantern is quintessentially country, but this one is done in a more contemporary style,” says designer Ali Budd.

Image by: Style at Home By: Laura Muir Source: Michael Graydon; styling by Ann Marie Favot & Stacy Begg

A young family's first home is transformed into a modern country retreat in the city

Adding country character

Painting the island pale grey gives the all-white kitchen a distinctive touch. The black metal pendant lights and farmhouse-style stools lend contrast and country character.

Image by: Style at Home By: Laura Muir Source: Michael Graydon; styling by Ann Marie Favot & Stacy Begg

A young family's first home is transformed into a modern country retreat in the city

Mosaic backsplash

The inset marble mosaic backsplash tiles surrounded by decorative tile trim create a pretty focal point above the range in the kitchen. “I used the same marble as the subway tiles so it wouldn’t look too busy,” says Ali. Glass-fronted doors add airiness and break up the expanse of white cabinetry.

Image by: Style at Home By: Laura Muir Source: Michael Graydon; styling by Ann Marie Favot & Stacy Begg

A young family's first home is transformed into a modern country retreat in the city

Creating an airy, functional space

Opening up the main floor was the first step in creating an airy, functional space for the young family. And an 800-square-foot three-storey addition provided ample room to expand the small, outdated kitchen. “I would periodically use our oven for storage before,” says Michele. “We also had a little table that only sat two people.” Now the kitchen boasts a large eat-in area defined by a built-in banquette, which seats about five people and offers plenty of drawer space.

Image by: Style at Home By: Laura Muir Source: Michael Graydon; styling by Ann Marie Favot & Stacy Begg

A young family's first home is transformed into a modern country retreat in the city

Adding some colour

The kitchen’s eat-in area was the perfect spot to subtly inject a bit of red. “Michele wanted to add it somewhere but was afraid of committing to it,” says Ali. “So I thought that was a great place to put in a little pop because it’s not front and centre.”

Image by: Style at Home By: Laura Muir Source: Michael Graydon; styling by Ann Marie Favot & Stacy Begg

A young family's first home is transformed into a modern country retreat in the city

Fun with fabrics

Durable indoor-outdoor striped fabric covering the family room’s armchairs adds a bit of whimsy and fun. The custom-made barnboard coffee table is both rustic and polished.

Image by: Style at Home By: Laura Muir Source: Michael Graydon; styling by Ann Marie Favot & Stacy Begg

A young family's first home is transformed into a modern country retreat in the city

Rustic-meets-clean-lined aesthetic

That same rustic-meets-clean-lined aesthetic is carried throughout the main floor. In the dining room, a polished live-edge black walnut dining table is paired with classic linen-upholstered chairs. The family room is designed for lounging, with a sleek sectional and barnboard coffee table. All textiles, including the striped armchair fabric, pass the pug-hair test. “I tested about 20 fabric samples on one of my own pugs to see which showed the least amount of hair,” says Ali.

Image by: Style at Home By: Laura Muir Source: Michael Graydon; styling by Ann Marie Favot & Stacy Begg

A young family's first home is transformed into a modern country retreat in the city

Defining the entryway

A bench and rug define the entryway, which is open to the rest of the main floor. Wainscotting along the staircase adds architectural character. “Michele wanted it somewhere, and because there’s not a lot of wall space on the main level, we installed it up the stairs,” says Ali.

Image by: Style at Home By: Laura Muir Source: Michael Graydon; styling by Ann Marie Favot & Stacy Begg

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