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Moving into a new home can be tough. Maybe it’s the first time you do it, or you’ve done it a couple of times now. Either way, there is a lot of stress that comes with bringing your personal belongings from one place to another.
What will you get rid of? What will you keep? Where will everything go after it’s all in the new space? It can be quite overwhelming for some people, especially when moving into a bigger home with so much unused space.
Before La-Z-Boy furnished their home in Mahogany Manotick, our client for today’s design story had almost no furniture that came from her previous move. Describing her space as empty, generic, and uninviting she now confidently describes them as welcoming, stylish and timeless, thanks to La-Z-Boy’s design team.
“It’s definitely a full circle moment for La-Z-Boy,” says Zeina Badawi, the brilliant interior designer from La-Z-Boy Kanata behind this design project. The reason she says this is because this address used to be home to a previous Minto Dream Home, which was also furnished by La-Z-Boy!
Now, with this design project finished, this home takes on a new appearance, using different products from the same company.
Our client may not have known where to start in terms of which furniture store in Ottawa to go with. But with Zeina’s expertise, she was able to reignite the life of this once-inspiring home into something new using solely La-Z-Boy furniture and decor.
In This Article…
About The Client
Our story begins with our client (who shall remain anonymous) moving into the home with what she describes as “not a whole lot of furniture.”
Having lived in a place for over 15 years, the majority of the furniture our client accumulated did not make it into the final cut for the new place.“My husband and I had thought that our previous furniture wouldn’t fit what we wanted for the home,” she says.
And so, with only the essential pieces remaining, there wasn't a whole lot inside this massive space. What was once the home made up of dreams was now an empty blank canvas; a hollow cocoon ready for new life. The only problem was figuring out what to do with such a huge space.
Our client was aware that her new home was once a Minto Dream home. Originally built in 2013 for the CHEO Dream of a Lifetime Lottery, the home featured a timeless style of contemporary design. This is heavily shown within the layout on the first floor, as well as the upstairs level.
While our client may not have resided in the property in its original condition, she was thrilled to design it in her preferred style.“I knew it would take time to furnish this home given the pandemic, so I quickly called La-Z-Boy for help and they were quick to respond.”
The Interior Design Process
While our client may have had a vision of what she wanted for her home, she had no idea where to begin. “I don’t have an interior design bone in my body,” she jokingly says. So, she decided to seek out expertise with La-Z-Boy.
Upon hearing about La-Z-Boy's interior design services through a friend, she decided to make her first stop at our Kanata location. Upon entering the showroom, her primary objective was to discover furniture that could bring character to her first floor.
There was the family room, which the client and family used the most for comfort; the kitchen dining area that’s used for casual dining, like breakfast and lunch; the main dining area that’s used to host and have family dinners; and the smaller sitting area close to the main entrance, which is used less than the family room, but still used for leisure activities.
The client had previously shopped at La-Z-Boy, indicating that this was not her first visit to our Ottawa stores. Initially browsing the Canadel section, our client was surprised by the atmosphere presented within the showroom.
“I had this perception of La-Z-Boy that I think a lot of people share, where they initially think of the grandpa recliner and traditional furniture. I hadn’t realized there would be more modern selections on the floor and I think that’s what surprised me.”
And when Zeina came into the mix, that’s where the fun began!
“The first time I met with the client it was in the house. She was very interested in browsing living and dining room furniture, but she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with each space,” said Zeina. “When she heard about the design program, she thought it would be a great idea for us to come into the house and have us take a look.”
According to the client, the shared enthusiasm between herself and Zeina served as the driving force behind the creation of their home. As the process continued there was more and more excitement, which helped establish a great professional relationship.
Step-by-Step Process
According to Zeina, the design process for any interior design project can be different depending on the situation and level of demand.
“My goal, as with any design project, is to find out who the client is as a person–how does she live, what will she use the spaces for, what’s the style we’re going for.” This is all done through a number of meetings and conversations.
For this particular project, there were four meetings. Prior to the initial meeting, the client worked closely with a design consultant in the Canadel showroom, before being introduced to Zeina. The whole process was estimated to take about 8 or 9 months, including delays from external factors.
Their first meeting together was inside the client's home, browsing around each room and figuring out what could be done depending on each room’s purpose.
“I think that was the key meeting. I found in the showroom you couldn’t see the furniture frames in their true potential, but once the interior designer comes in they show you what those pieces can look like in a room and that helped a lot,” the client says.
The client wasn’t sure what kind of style she wanted. So, Zeina brought in a number of fabric samples with different textures to see what the client gravitated towards more, as well as reference pictures to see how the products would look in a space.
“The fact that it was a past CHEO Dream Home really made me excited to work in the space, because of how well done the architecture and overall design looked,” she says.
Throughout the process, however, the client was still unpacking from her previous move, meaning rooms weren’t fully thought out. This is where Zeina’s improvisational skills took form and helped shape what the client’s home would look like today.
She also brought the client back to the store a second time to show her some of the products in real life. This helped visualize how big or small the pieces would look like. According to Zeina, this interaction provided valuable insight into the client's preference for a post-modern furniture style, making the product selection process much smoother.
In the last meeting, the client and Zeina met up in-store again, which is where Zeina presented her final design for each room.
The client considered this a pivotal moment in their journey, as it was where they finalized all the crucial details.
“You could see you’re getting one step closer and you’re excited that it’s all coming together before your eyes,” she exclaims.
Furniture & Accessories Chosen
Because of the home being an open-concept design, Zeina wanted to ensure that all of the furniture pieces remained on theme and relatively the same style and colour. The client also had a vision of what she wanted for a colour palette, which Zeina helped orchestrate as well.
Taking a look at the colour of the flooring and the walls, the colours chosen helped match the timeless design the client wanted for her main floor. Taking a look at the home you’ll notice a lot of neutral and muted tones to help accentuate the natural light coming in from the large windows.
Zeina notes that having the area rugs chosen first helped match the style of each room, as well as the colour palette.
As for the furniture chosen, the client wanted pieces that were comfortable, stylish and not over-the-top. “I like homes that you can walk in and immediately feel comfortable in the space,” she says.
A perfect example of this is the main dining room not looking too formal. “We don’t always formally dine as a family, but I still wanted a primary spot for when we do. I also wanted something that looked nice, but not too formal, since we’re not very formal people,” she says.
Although it was smooth sailing for a majority of the pieces ordered, some took longer than others within the process. This was caused by the pandemic and delivery delays, which can be inevitable during any design project.
This is especially true when it comes to custom furniture, which is what happened with some of the Canadel furniture. You can learn more about How Long Custom Furniture Takes to Get Delivered with this article.
The biggest obstacle for Zeina was the family room, mainly how to set up a functional living space. “Everyone in the family seemed to love watching TV, so I had to add more seating in that area than the other room and I think that’s where I got the idea to add the leather sectional with the cuddler piece,” she says.
Along with the sectional, Zeina also added two high-leg recliners as well as a chair & a half in the corner of the room to fill up space.
List of La-Z-Boy Furniture Items
The section below lists each furniture piece in every room.
Family Room
- Meyer Sectional
- Two Riley High-Leg Recliners
- Paxton Chair & A Half
- Nesting Coffee Table from Hammary’s Hidden Treasures Collection
- Ingrid Rug from Surya
Kitchen
- Dining Room Set (Table, Chairs & Stools) from the Canadel Loft Collection
Dining Room
- Dining Room Table, Chairs and Head Chairs from the Canadel Loft Collection
- Area Rug from Feizy
- Table Lamp from Renwil
Sitting Room
- Talbot Sofa & Loveseat (Discontinued)
- Rattan End Tables from Hammary
- Cardwell Rug from Feizy
- Artwork from Decor Supplier Mercana
End Result
After this experience with La-Z-Boy’s design services, the client feels as though this could be something she would use again if the opportunity arises. “It was Zeina’s confidence and enthusiasm that helped me feel comfortable throughout the entire design process, and I would do it again with her in a heartbeat.”
Some of the client's favourite pieces throughout the home are the artwork and the side tables in the secondary sitting area, which are complemented by guests almost every time.
As for the family room, she highlights the rug and the Meyer Sectional as a family favourite piece. For the dining room, she enjoys the Canadel stools in the kitchen and the main dining room area, all furnished by the Loft Collection.
As for what she would tell someone who may be interested in working with La-Z-Boy’s design team, our client says…
“I would definitely encourage them. I think whoever decides to go with this service they’ll be happy with the outcome, and not stereotype La-Z-Boy the way I did. If you’re looking for comfort, it might be worth your while to take the expertise offered, because it makes it a lot easier if you’re busy.”
What's Next?
After collaborating with this client in Manotick over the past year, Zeina has demonstrated that no house is too grand for her to feel intimidated by. As for what she has to say for those looking for design services, she leaves us off by saying this…
“You don’t have to feel overwhelmed because we do a lot of the thinking for you. All you need to do is come with pictures and measurements and we’ll take it from there and help you every step of the way!”
If you’re looking for help within your home and need guidance, we hope this design story has inspired you to check out what else La-Z-Boy has to offer.
Other than Zeina in Kanata, La-Z-Boy has interior design services from our other three local Ottawa & Kingston Locations. Feel free to take advantage of these interior design services by coming in-store, or by booking an appointment online.
If you’re interested in seeing more design stories, take a look at some more by clicking this link.
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