At home with Anile and Christian

Anile is a girl after my own heart. She's insanely creative, thrifty and very driven - and the same can be said of her lovely husband Christian. Anile is a graphic designer while Christian works as a professional lighting technician for film and television. Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting their home in Montreal's NDG neighbourhood for the very first time since they moved in and undertook a huge kitchen renovation project.

You may remember that I featured Anile and Christian's previous home on LJ and it was a great example of their go get 'em attitude and immaculate taste. I knew that I was in for a great house tour with tons of stories and DIY details. I was right.

Anile and Christian moved into their "new" place about 2 years ago and have been very busy trying to spruce up their light-filled two-bedroom upper duplex. The first major project was a complete kitchen renovation project that saw them transform the back part of the house into an open concept living/dining room and kitchen area.

BEFORE

Anile shared the inspiration book she put together before the renovations began and I've got to say, they really achieved their goal: an inviting and functional space with sleek accents and unique touches.

They tore down walls and reconfigured the space to have more light, more space, more flow, and of course, more storage. They also added tons of great little finishing details that made their space functional and unique including a great display shelf for cookbooks at the end of the counter space and a dining room light fixture found at a film prop warehouse. In fact, most of the pieces in their home have some great story behind them. They're great deal hunters and always willing to wait for the right piece to be discovered.

AFTER

Anile was quick to mention that they have yet to repaint a single room in the house because they've been so busy but I honestly didn't notice the walls because each room was filled with interesting details and great pieces of furniture.

Their bedroom features an exposed brick wall, a huge wooden bed (the deal of the century), an open walk-in closet and an incredible plaster ceiling with original moldings. Their closet is decorated with an antique mirror collection, a black glass chandelier, PAX wardrobes found in IKEA's "As Is" section (another deal), and an antique love seat they had recovered.

I was so excited to feature Anile and Christian's home because I think it reflects the lifestyle and needs of so many LJ readers. They're a young couple with tons of style and motivation but they're also budget conscious and realistic. Their home was filled with great examples of how a little patience and DIY skills can lead to great results.

Thank you Anile and Christian for sharing your home with us!