This five-bedroom house in Toronto celebrates all that is different, not what’s the same.

“This home is a study in contrast, but it’s not black and white,” says designer Rachel Deeks. “Instead, we contrasted dark rooms with light rooms. So you pass from spaces adorned in deep blues and charcoal tones into areas where the reigning tones are whites, oatmeal and blush. It’s contrast, but it’s room to room, not detail to detail.” Rachel’s clever decision to embrace contrast as a theme emerged as she got to know the clients. “They’re a young family with two boys, ages five and seven,” she says. “When I met them, they’d just taken this huge leap – to knock down an old house on this lot and replace it with a custom-for-them new-build. They were very clear about wanting this new home to reflect how they live.” As Rachel listened to each member of the family – boys included – describe how and where they like to spend their time, she couldn’t help but notice the differences. The parents described evening fireside drinks with friends, while the two boys described super-exciting time playing Lego and hockey mini-sticks! Their input led her to create rich dark palettes for some rooms and light and luminous tones for others. “This was the best project ever!” says Rachel. “It allowed me to use contrast in such a new and personal way.”

 

Photography, Alex Lukey

 

“When you arrive here, you take your first steps across a matte marble floor. The dark-and-light checkerboard tile immediately introduces the idea of contrast,” says designer Rachel Deeks. Overhead, metal spheres dangle from linen shades.

DESIGN, Rachel Deeks Design. ARCHITECTURE, Spragge Architects. builder, Sherwood Custom Homes. ART CONSULTANT, Diana Hamm, WK Art. Troy Ember PENDANTS, Universal Lighting. Floor TILES, Marble Granite Depot. Clique STOOL, Black Rooster.

 

Photography, Alex Lukey

 

What could be more luxe for entertaining than a dark living room with a sophisticated built-in cocktail bar? Lime-washed walls in a deep charcoal contrast with crown mouldings in traditional crisp white. “The mohair chairs swivel so you can chat to someone making a drink at the bar,” says Rachel. The bar is textured with reeded millwork.

MILLWORK (throughout), Rachel Deeks Design. Kait SWIVEL CHAIR, Whittington & Co. ART by Nick Mauss, WK Art. ImperfettoLab’s Miss COCKTAIL TABLE, Hollace Cluny.

 

Photography, Alex Lukey

 

Photography, Alex Lukey

 

Cocktails in hand, friends love to mingle in the lounge-like living room by the marble fireplace or lean back into the curved seating. The room privileges rounded edges, such as the rug’s oval-marked perimeter design and the capsule-shaped coffee table.

Fireplace TILE, Stone Tile. Revers SOFA, South Hill Home. Adurite Frame RUG, Art + Loom. COFFEE TABLE, Rachel Deeks Design. ART (over fireplace) by Erin Lawlor, WK Art. Hikari ROMAN BLINDS, Theo Decor.

 

Photography, Alex Lukey

 

“In just a few steps, you go from a dark, sexy living room to a radiant family room.”

This area is off the kitchen, so it’s the playtime destination for the kids and their pals. In contrast to the deep blue seating in the living room, this room is all about cloudlike softness. It’s easy care, too, thanks to indoor-outdoor upholstery.

SOFA, STRIPED CHAIRS, Whittington & Co. Mediterranean Stripe Mineral FABRIC (striped chairs), Y&Co. Gwyneth ivory bouclé CHAIR, CB2. COFFEE TABLE, Rachel Deeks Design. Greggio Edgewood RUG, Dominion Rug & Home.

 

Photography, Alex Lukey

 

“I love how the trapeze chandelier spans the table and those tiny lamps perch on the sideboard.”

The ready-for-anything dining room marches out an airy modernity. The look transcends occasion. It’s as fit for a big family lunch as it is for a special holiday with friends around the table. Rachel paired it with traditional pocket mouldings for the draperies.

Trapeze 10-light CHANDELIER, Hollace Cluny. TABLE, Rachel Deeks Design. Beetle CHAIRS, South Hill Home. FABRIC, Manchester Wool in Midnight Navy (drapes), Jubilee Spades (Roman blinds), Threadcount Textile & Design. Kelly Wearstler’s Cleo Orb LAMPS (on sideboard), Cocoon Furnishings.

 

Photography, Alex Lukey

 

“We went pure and classic with a white kitchen that will stand the test of time.”

“A big, bright family room deserves an equally bright kitchen,” says Rachel. The two spaces function as one, which means lots of snack-grabbing opportunities for the two bouncing boys and their friends. When evening comes and the lighting is lowered, brass accents assume a warm glow.

Alborg Stacked PENDANTS, Cocoon Furnishings. Gubi STOOLS, South Hill Home.

 

Photography, Alex Lukey

 

This is the nonstop activity nook. It’s as bustling after school as it is at breakfast time. Rachel created this circular table for a look that’s relaxed – the spill-friendly chairs ensure it functions that way, too. Among the chandelier’s bouquet of shapes is sweet brass detailing designed to match the brass trim on the table’s pedestal.

TABLE, Rachel Deeks Design. Roll & Hill’s Shape Up CHANDELIER, Hollace Cluny. Soft Edge 12 CHAIRS, Design Within Reach.

 

Photography, Alex Lukey

 

The traditional cabinetry and slick porcelain backsplash keep this high-traffic area sparkling and shiny. The white clean-lined cabinetry pairs well with casual hardware.

Backsplash TILE, Marble Trend.

Photography, Alex Lukey

 

Photography, Alex Lukey

 

Rachel devoted an entire room to getting ready for nights out and busy workdays. The dressing room, with its fluted millwork, features a makeup desk that’s architecturally nestled into one of the home’s signature arches. “I also made the client this gorgeous little chair. Its back is covered in a blush-pink chenille,” says Rachel. The arched mirror has an integrated sconce.

MILLWORK, Swivel CHAIR, Rachel Deeks Design. Pearl SCONCE, Cedar & Moss.

 

Photography, Alex Lukey

 

In the evenings, the homeowners retire to a tranquil zone that’s all their own. Their ensuite whispers: Come, relax. The integrated tub and shower are faced with timeless finishes like dolomite marble walls, and both feature horizontal storage niches. “We used that glass shower guard to separate the shower space from the soaking tub,” says Rachel, noting its silky porcelain surround.

TILE (shower wall), Marble Granite Depot. Porcelain TUB SURROUND, Olympia Tile. FIXTURES, Roman Bath Centre.

 

Photography, Alex Lukey

 

The principal bedroom is defined by its grand channelled headboard. “It’s covered in soft linen and fitted with integrated reading lights,” says Rachel. For perching, there’s a curvy bench adorned in touch-worthy mohair. Whether the owners are reading in bed or slipping right off into dreamland, their bedroom is all about restfulness.

HEADBOARD, BEDSIDE TABLES, BENCH, Rachel Deeks Design. Sorrin Pristine faux shagreen DRESSER, Cocoon Furnishings. Eyre flush-mount PENDANT, Universal Lighting. BEDDING, Au Lit Fine Linens. Sophie LAMPS, LD Shoppe. RUG, Dominion Rug & Home.

 

Photography, Alex Lukey

 

In the younger son’s bedroom (both boys’ rooms are on the top floor), Rachel worked with the angles of the roofline to a create a nook for a desk and cozy sleep space. Pinstripe wallpaper accentuates heights and angles.

Acadia striped WALLPAPER, Lagoon LAMPs (on bedside tables), Serena & Lily. HEADBOARD, BEDSIDE TABLES, Rachel Deeks Design. BLINDS, Y&Co. Sentry Nautical FABRIC (on bed), Threadcount Textile & Design. Camas Valley Caroline RUG, Dominion Rug & Home.

Photography, Alex Lukey

A dangling pendant illuminates the curl-up-to-read window seat. Tucked into another slanted roofline is a display case. “As he grows, what he puts on the shelves can change,” Rachel says.

Photography, Alex Lukey

Photography, Alex Lukey

Rachel invited the boys to choose the colour for their bathroom and bedrooms. They chose blue. Et voilà: blue shower walls! The double sinks and mirrors are perfect for shared toothbrush time.

TILE, Centura Tile. Confine MIRRORS, Black Rooster. VANITY PAINT, Hale Navy HC-154, Benjamin Moore. Lucia SCONCES, Cedar & Moss.

Photography, Alex Lukey

“For contrast, we used variations in deep blue for the shower tile and variations in white for the wall behind the vanity.”

“For the guest room, we wanted to add a punch of colour,” says Rachel. This wallcovering in an overscaled pattern does the trick – and then some. The custom headboard is curved and gently wraps the circular nightstands.

Kinship Aqueous Green wallcovering, Phillip Jeffries. HEADBOARD, ROMAN SHADES, Rachel Deeks Design. Melange Floating Disc CHANDELIER, Circa Lighting. Emerson BEDSIDE TABLES, Cocoon Furnishings.

Photography, Alex Lukey

Photography, Alex Lukey

At the back of house, Rachel created a real-life-happens-here zone. “This mudroom has an unbelievable amount of storage. And we added the comfy window seat for boots time,” she says. The crown moulding is painted to match the millwork. A curvy custom console is topped with a mirror framed in metal disks.

Arteriors’ Kensey MIRROR, Universal Lighting. TABLE, Rachel Deeks Design. MIllwork PAINT, Wet Suit P5158-85D, Para Paints. Roman BLINDS, Theo Decor. PILLOWS, Y&Co.

Photography, Alex Lukey

This powder room is a dash-in-and-go room for the two boys. To keep it fun, young and easy to clean, Rachel went with a floating vanity. It hovers above the chevron floor tile. The easy-care wallpaper is pretty much indestructible – a plus with two growing boys.

VANITY, Roman Bath Centre. FLOOR TILE, Cercan Tile. Vinyl Reconstructed WALLPAPER in Collage Blue, Phillip Jeffries. Suva MIRROR, CB2.

“The powder room’s wallpaper is super for kids. It’s graphic, colourful and wipe-clean vinyl!”