Pygmalion House Design

Pygmalion House Design Pygmalion House Design delivers fabulously beautiful interior design/decorating and landscape design services for your lifestyle, personality and budget.

Pygmalion House Design is a boutique professional design team based in Elmira and serving Waterloo, Kitchener, Guelph, and region with over 12 years of experience in interior design and over 25 years in exterior design. We offer services tailored to our clients' homes, styles, and budgets, ranging from consultations to all-inclusive project management. Whatever your needs, we work to make sure the end result makes your heart sing.

Enjoying your interiors is not just about surrounding yourself with beauty. When you step into a home, what greets you? ...
12/13/2021

Enjoying your interiors is not just about surrounding yourself with beauty. When you step into a home, what greets you? Simultaneously you have the visual and olfactory senses that make that first impression. Every home has a 'fragrance' to it. We burn candles, perhaps a Lampe Bergere or diffusers to disguise the air with or to enjoy. We know that products we use to decorate with are 'gassing off' chemicals. We might have pets and dander floating around. Perhaps messy renovations have been done. These all affect the air quality in our homes.
After 10 years of constant renovations which affected my breathing, I started to investigate air cleaners. Fortunately, I have a cousin who is a HVAC engineer and gave me some sound advice. She also has a colleague who has had one for a number of years and shared her experience, of which I posted a snippet above. Her review sold me on the Aprilaire 5000 (see a screenshot of it's cleaning ability) and it's been one of the best investments we could've made in our home. Aprilaire has qualified installers which you can locate on their website. I dealt with Total Home Energy Systems in St. Jacobs. Craig came out to make sure that the unit would fit. I queried him about duct cleaning and the lack of honesty of some of them (personal experience here). He recommended only one local company - Ontario Duct Cleaning - and they were amazing. Surprisingly, the ducts weren't horrible, but the cold air returns were quite nasty. So after everything was cleaned, then the Aprilaire 5000 was installed and it's been an absolute godsend. I can breathe easily through both nostrils now and my sleep quality has improved 100%. The dust in the house is minimal now - so minimal, that dusting is required only about every three weeks. The bedside tables are worse as linens and wool carpets are constantly being disturbed. It's wonderful to not have it look like I haven't cleaned two days after I had! Cleaning the ducts was major and keeping them that way is so easy now. Walking into our home is fresh now and practically germ and dust free. It's a great feeling! 🖤
If you have any questions, ask away - I'm happy to share information on this.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXa6BC7O-dg/?utm_medium=share_sheet

It's taken 10 years, but I've finally got the kitchen the way I've wanted it - thanks to Covid - we had the time, otherw...
04/28/2021

It's taken 10 years, but I've finally got the kitchen the way I've wanted it - thanks to Covid - we had the time, otherwise it might not ever have gotten done. As you scroll, you'll see three "before" photos sandwiched between the current "after" ones. When we purchased this house (our 7th and might be final 😉), it was all original from 1979. We didn't do the kitchen right away, as the bathrooms were more pressing, as well as all the mechanicals - but that disgusting carpet came up immediately and we lived with painted plywood floors for a couple of years. When we did our first rendition of the kitchen - which Dave built from MDF - we had laminate tops and the counter on the window wall was 30" shorter. Last year, I painted out the cabinets with ( uppers are in Casement and lowers are in Little Lamb). We replaced the backsplash with DZN Concepts marble tile from and the countertop in quartz from . We extended the cabinets and counter top by 30" and added another upper cabinet with an appliance garage. Now this is the coffee/tea centre and all nicely hidden away. Adding that improved the flow and functionality of the kitchen enough to make it well worthwhile. I love the breadboards I've picked up over the span of a year. I've found them to be so very functional, as well as beautiful - my two mainstays in design/decor.


















Better late than never - almost 11 years after moving into our current home that was supposed to be a 5 year flip, the f...
04/28/2021

Better late than never - almost 11 years after moving into our current home that was supposed to be a 5 year flip, the family room is finally completed. As you swipe left, you'll see the corresponding before photos. The very last photo was from last year, so you might notice a couple of decor discrepancies. 😉 The room faces northeast and is dim at best. Instead of trying to brighten it up, I designed it to be cosy and conducive to napping or reading by the fire or movie watching. The rest of the house is quite bright and airy, so this was a great opportunity to visit the dark side and makes Dave very happy. It's been a two year process, starting with the fireplace and finishing with the kitchenette in this last lockdown. The area rug from brought in the gold with the stripes of colour in it, essentially creating the accent colour in the room, including the grout around the black tile backsplash. The cool retro style lighting on either side of the bookcases are also theirs, but I painted out the white stripe to black. The bookcases were from Zehrs 20 years ago. Painting them with mustard and black has given them a new life, as well as the kitchenette cupboards (made by Dave) the credenza (a second hand store find) and the small dresser (Marketplace) were also all painted with black . The walnut nesting coffee tables were a blow-me-away find at Zellers 20 years ago for $75. Not sure where they dug them up, but I was happy to give them a new home. It'll be great when we can entertain again and welcome friends and family to share this space.



















Part Three - I remember getting a call from the heating and air-conditioning company, while I was on my way to the IDS i...
07/09/2020

Part Three - I remember getting a call from the heating and air-conditioning company, while I was on my way to the IDS in Toronto. This rental had had no heat or hot water for months and so the new landlord (who lived in the U.S.) asked us to hire someone to rectify this. She was appalled at this and wondered how it could have happened. He was so disgusted with the condition of the furnace room - it was ankle deep in dog excrement - everything needed to be replaced. We found out later from neighbours that the dogs were almost never outside, so the furnace room became the backyard. Once we sent photos of the inside of the rental, the new landlord gave them notice, as it became a health and safety issue even though they created it. This was in January and it wasn't until July that we could start on the rehabilitation of this place. Once it was done, it sold for above asking and we all breathed a sigh of relief that this saga was done.






















@ Kitchener, Ontario

Part Two - the before and after saga continues on the rental we worked on four years ago. That summer was just as hot as...
07/07/2020

Part Two - the before and after saga continues on the rental we worked on four years ago. That summer was just as hot as this year. Masks and foot coverings needed to be worn to protect yourself from the rat urine and droppings when we did our walkthrough. The ceilings on the second floor had to be all ripped out, as that was where they had lived. It still boggles the mind that a family actually lived in these conditions, as well as their pets (more on their pets in the next installment). The living room and kitchen windows had to be replaced, being they were rotted out. You might be wondering where the landlord was in all this? Stay tuned.......



















@ Kitchener, Ontario

• • • • • •Part One - Once upon a time, four years ago this week, we started work on a semi that had been a rental. Un...
07/05/2020


• • • • • •
Part One - Once upon a time, four years ago this week, we started work on a semi that had been a rental. Unfortunately, one of the tenants had issues and the result over the years was a nightmare of an interior. The rat infestation was just one issue. This had to be done on a tight budget and still be attractive to a wide market to sell quickly. In hindsight, this project should have been filmed - the drama and issues that popped up weekly could not be believed at times - and I won't even begin to go into that here, but it will forever be burned into our memories. It certainly tested our mettle and mental health.
In the end, it essentially became a new house, as everything had to be replaced due to the destruction inside by both the tenants and animals. I'll be doing more posts on this project later this week, so head on over to my page to see more before and after transformations on it.





















@ Kitchener, Ontario

April 23rd of this year was the 10 year anniversary that we took possession of our house. As you swipe left you'll see t...
06/22/2020

April 23rd of this year was the 10 year anniversary that we took possession of our house. As you swipe left you'll see the before photos on the day we did the viewing. We (meaning Dave) sanded and stained the wood siding, figuring it would give us 10 years before we needed to side it - and this spring, thanks to a pandemic, we were able to do it (always looking for that silver lining). We decided to repaint the front and back porches, as they had not degraded at all. Dave added strips of battens to mimic the siding and I used Acry-loc to prime and exterior Designer Series paint, both from that Cassie colour matched to the siding (from Marspan Home Hardware) for me. Amazing paint that literally covered in ONE coat!! I had very few spots that I had to go over and was so happy about that. 😁 All the doors, as well as the garage door was paint from . This paint comes premixed and I loved the colours to coordinate with the siding. I felt that the front door needed an extra punch of colour, so Arsenic was what I chose - it ties in to the glazed pot - and really pops in that dark enclosure. The garage door and other exterior doors are done in Salon Drab. I'm so looking forward to next year when we have nothing to do outside and can just enjoy a bit of R&R. 🤫 Not one word - you know who you are! 😂














• • • • • •The weather outside hasn't been conducive to working in the garden - at least not in our area. I got one se...
04/20/2020


• • • • • •
The weather outside hasn't been conducive to working in the garden - at least not in our area. I got one serious day of garden cleanup done. So what to do in the meantime? The re-siding has started on our house (hasn't been the best weather for that, poor Dave!) and I've started painting our kitchen cabinets. We built our kitchen 7 years ago and couldn't afford much. The cabinets were sprayed by a furniture finisher and the lacquered top coat has yellowed over the years.So now with all this time on my hands and never needing to worry if someone were to pop by, I've started the process. You'll have to wait to see it, but in the meantime, I've posted some after and before photos of just a few painting projects over the last five years that I've done. I've used both and also . The very first photo is a kitchen I did for a client that really gave it a fresh new look for very few $$'s. When I first started painting, I painted fabric - it was so dead easy. I bought a brilliant red chair off of Kijiji and painted it in AS Charcoal. Waxing it gave it a weathered Ralph Lauren canvas look and feel. I also needed a pair of shoes to match a skirt I bought from . Rachael had a pair of white beaded mules that I painted a lovely moss green. If I ever need a different colour, I'll just paint over them! I love the lines of the teak credenza I bought off a friend- but not the orange colour. The solid black creates a very chic look. Last summer, some of you might remember the stencilling I did on the risers of our back deck stairs. The happy colours give it the lift it needed from the wall of brown that is the back of the house. I've several more projects to showcase and perhaps I'll one day learn how to put it under my stories, so that you budding DIY'ers can be inspired to tackle anything that sits still long enough. 😉 It's such an easy way to have something 'new', as well as almost instant gratification.It's a Win Win in my books. Feel free to share any of your paint projects - we can all use a little inspiration!



Repost • • • • • •Time on our hands......who would have thought that we would ever have THIS much time though? It's been...
04/05/2020

Repost
• • • • • •
Time on our hands......who would have thought that we would ever have THIS much time though? It's been an opportunity for me to scroll through my OneDrive and skip down memory lane. I came across photos of our kitchen reno from April 2013. We built the kitchen ourselves and I loved this stage, where everything was loaded into it's home and I got to visually 'sear' into my memory where it all belonged before the doors went on. This is the first house that I actually have a pantry - #7 is a charm I guess - and it's a definite must have if you have the space. If you scroll left, the second and third photos were of a friend of a friend's organized pantry that inspired me to tidy up my space. The result is the fourth photo - and still room for improvement with a couple more lazy Susan's for my baking supplies. I opted for glass containers, to better see what I have. The bottom two shelves are pull out drawers for easy access and the total inside depth is just a smidge under 12 inches. It's much easier to see what you have and access items stored. I have a second pantry in the basement for bulk buys and "overstock" items. The last 2 photos show the pantry of a bed and breakfast kitchen that got an entire facelift three years ago. It was a deep space and not very well utilized, with U-shaped shelves inside. We had pull-out drawers built for every shelf and mounted them within the existing space, doubling their useful storage.
So this begs the question - who out there has a pantry and how organized is it? Have you been working on improving it? Or are you dreaming of adding one to your space either in the kitchen or somewhere else in the house? Let me know what your pantry status is and what tips you might have to pass on!















• • • • • •Spring is coming and getting outside is vital to our well being. Working in the garden is something that I'...
03/22/2020


• • • • • •
Spring is coming and getting outside is vital to our well being. Working in the garden is something that I've been itching to do. My indoor plants have kept me happy, but walking around outside in my garden has me wishing for a bit warmer weather to start tackling the spring clean up. Speaking of work, we have been fortunate enough to have work that is either segregated or are outdoor projects - deck renos seem to be coming in these days (although it is a bit cold for that some days).and we have to finish up that porch project up on Lake Huron once the roof is done this week. The future is an unknown for the moment, but I have faith that all will work out in the end. It has to, doesn't it? Personally, we have lots of projects on the homefront that need to be done - build a kitchenette, reside the house, stone edge garden beds - but we'll see how it goes.That line of credit might get some serious attention paid to it this spring. 😏
As you might have already noticed, being insulated at home for the next while can cause you to see little things that need doing around the house. When you're busy, busy, you don't really see it or your eyes just glaze over it and you tell yourself that you'll get to it eventually. Maybe a bit of painting, decorating or perhaps daydreaming about a renovation you'd like to do. If you're a DIY-er, then you will probably be tackling them. If not, then you might need expert help. We recently painted a room (while he was at work) for a client and then once it was finished, he and I texted back and forth about his furniture layout. He moved the furniture/rug/tables , etc. around and sent me pictures of each stage. I gave him feedback and eventually we got it to the point to where it was perfect in both our eyes. It's not ideal, but it can work in situations like we are experiencing. Reach out if you think you might need advice or help with indoor decorating - I'm only a phone call/text/or Skype away. 😉










Warning ⚠ - this is not about design or renos.I have been noticing happy bits of news that have been overshadowed with w...
03/19/2020

Warning ⚠ - this is not about design or renos.
I have been noticing happy bits of news that have been overshadowed with what is going on right now - a silver lining to the Covid-19 outbreak, as it were (aside from forcing us to slow down and reconnect with our families) and that would be the global environmental aspect. It has had positive results due to the decrease in volumes of pollution on many fronts. China has had huge reductions in their deadly air quality and Venice has clear water is in their canals that has not been seen in ages. And hasn't that been the dire message that has been at the forefront for months? How surprising (or is it?) that this pandemic has come at this time then and has forced us to see what actually needs to be done in order for Mother Earth to be brought back into balance again. Sometimes the Universe smacks back. For the good of us all.












Keep calm and smell the flowers. Our ENTIRE house is filled with the most beautiful blend of fragrance. It smells SO fre...
03/16/2020

Keep calm and smell the flowers. Our ENTIRE house is filled with the most beautiful blend of fragrance. It smells SO fresh and clean. ❤ I highly recommend this natural use of room fragrance. A feast for the senses!
We are in uncharted territory these days. I for one, am not panicked at all. Listening to the experts and using common sense are my hallmarks. I have worn gloves prior to this outbreak and continue to do so. A resurgence of gloves would be a good thing! I also always carry kleenex with me. My dad has ALWAYS used cloth hankies, but I just can't. I'm astounded at the ignorant people out there. Hygiene seems to have gone out the window during the last few decades. No one seems to have been taught how to handle sneezing in private or public. Or even observed and adopted on how to do it properly. Let's hope the numbers they are talking about of people getting sick don't come to fruition, due to the masses actually listening and following the best practices for trying to contain this. If we do get sick, let's pray it's mild, especially for those of us with compromised immune systems. We will recover.











Address

Elmira, ON
N3B3C2

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Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

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