After eight months of pouring hard work and love into this project alongside our partner of over 8 years, Michael Splinter, owner of Cartesian Homes, this beautiful home built on spec in Alta Vista hit the market and sold fast.

“This was a very rewarding project to see come together. Worth all of the months spent away from home” says Mike. 

This contemporary gem was a collaboration between Mike and Joey Cooke, AKBD certified designer from Deslaurier Custom Cabinets.

In this chic and sophisticated home, you’ll find white walls with black accents, touches of natural walnut, metal and Carrera marble throughout.

Let’s start in the mudroom.

First impressions are important, and this bold entrance makes us want to kick off our shoes (and place them neatly in the soft-close drawers) and stay a while. This mudroom features our most popular door style, Brookfield, in the colour Ebony. The bold colour choice adds the right amount of drama to balance the light flooring and white walls. 

“One of the unique features about this room is the opening to the pantry (pictured below), where stunning open shelving, subway tile, and a built in beverage fridge is waiting to greet us” says Mike.

As we round the corner from the Butler’s pantry we step into the show-stopping kitchen. This trendy kitchen was all about creating a space that felt upscale and impressive but still totally relaxed. The contrast of the dark Ebony coloured island in an otherwise completely light kitchen adds a boldness and richness that we just can’t get enough of.

Joey focused on simple, classic finishes with some statement pieces throughout to make this kitchen feel effortless yet exciting. Gold subway tile accents and a custom Walnut range hood break up the monotony of our Wellington White coloured cabinets, while adding a level of warmth and a simple luxurious touch.

The contrast in this kitchen lends itself to the modern design trends that we are seeing this year.

“The white with warm wood is a very popular look – Mike and I both loved the combination of the Wellington White and the Walnut range hood as a focal point. Adding in the dark Ebony island adds some depth and contrast to the space, making it both fun and timeless”, says designer Joey.

When asked about the strategy behind the layout of the kitchen, Joey says that her and Mike wanted to create visual separation to the area that is similar to a Butler’s pantry area. The tall pantry cabinet pictured below acts as a wall divider to the adjacent area with floating shelves.

Other custom design details:

“The tall oven cabinet was designed so the top door height matches the pantry on that wall.The visual of the line of Walnut uppers was determined by the required clearance height for the cook top. The height of this is more for the final look rather than a functional reason as the cabinets are higher than standard uppers”.

Next on our tour we have the luxurious Ensuite.

This beautiful wall-to-wall custom vanity designed by Joey features Deslaurier’s Walnut grain doors in the same Brookfield style that is used throughout the rest of the house. Sturdy, sleek hardware by Berenson adds some modern bling to balance out the natural and earthy feel of the vanity, while Bianco Carrera countertops and marble backlash in the shower top it all off for a lavish finish. We love the consistent use of white and black throughout the house for that modern and timeless feel, while warm walnut accents throughout give the home life.

A premier home builder and leader in energy efficiency in the Ottawa area for over 3 years,  Cartesian Homes is a valued partner of Deslaurier. We like to work with home builders who match our dedication to quality, professionalism, and customization – and this newly built home is no exception.