House Tours
Playful Shapes And Colourful Materials Complete This Toronto Home
Photography courtesy Jules Lee
House Tours
Playful Shapes And Colourful Materials Complete This Toronto Home
Colour and warmth are the heart of this one-of-a-kind design.
When Kimberly Gowans’s best friend and business partner, Leia Whitman, wanted a refresh on her house, the designer jumped on the opportunity to collaborate.
“We designed it together, and had the best time doing so,” says Gowans, the director of operations with Gowans Whitman Design Inc. “She wanted a spacious, warm home that could live and grow with her family.”
The primary goal was to make the Toronto home feel lived-in, but carry a throughline of clean refinement. An element of whimsy—and a vibrant colour palette—was also essential for Whitman, the principle designer on the project.
“We used soft neutrals to keep things calm and fresh, with deeper tones mixed in to ground everything,” says Gowans. The result is eclectic, full of character, and delightfully welcoming.
Photography courtesy Jules Lee
“The kitchen really is the main hub,” says Gowans. “We focused on super high functionality and a fun colour palette.”
A bold, veiny countertop and backsplash counteracts the softness of the pale natural wood finishes. Tucked in a sunny corner, a breakfast nook with a scalloped bench is a reminder of the playfulness of the home.
Photography courtesy Jules Lee
The open-concept kitchen is connected to the main living room. For continuity, Gowans used the same green slab in the butler’s pantry and on the layered fireplace to tie the rooms together.
Elegant curved wood panelling, rattan-covered storage, and muted patterns—including the same delicate lilac sheers found in the kitchen—complement the hard lines of the fireplace.
Photography courtesy Jules Lee
Soft and inviting, the dining room is the dreamiest place for a dinner party. “We kept it simple and elegant, but still flooded in pastel colours to carry the theme throughout,” says Gowans.
Japanese-inspired art on the colour-drenched walls up the whimsy, while a feast-ready table and dainty light fixture welcome a contemporary note.
Photography courtesy Jules Lee
The home’s staggering seven bathrooms are where Gowan’s vibrant palette truly shines. Brilliant greens and teals, lilac and peach, and the home’s signature pink burgundy all make an appearance.
Unique rounded fixtures—from circular vanity feet and 3D-esque paint to reverse-hung mirrors above a set of double sinks—infuse a refined cartoonish element to the spaces.
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