This Former Childhood House Has Been Transformed into a Moody and Modern Home

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Credit: Krista Wells

Name: Krista Wells, my husband, and our geriatric Cocker Spaniel, Eugene.
Location: St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada
Type of home: Heritage home
Size: 2800 square feet
Years lived in: 4 years, owned

Credit: Krista Wells
Recently installed wainscotting adds charm to this living room; it's perfect for lounging.

Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: I live in an 100+-year-old heritage home with my husband of 13 years and our spoiled, geriatric, fur-baby Eugene — a 10 1/2 year old Cocker Spaniel who is my shadow and loves the camera. He’s become quite adept at posing for the perfect shot. My husband on the other hand, would much rather be behind the camera taking the shots.

Credit: Krista Wells
Our DIY fireplace mirror mimics the sweet lines of the "Hale Navy" accent wall behind our bed.

Fun fact: our house is actually my husband’s childhood home. When his parents decided to retire in 2018 and go on an adventure, we purchased it from them and have spent the past few years transforming and updating it. If you’re wondering, his parents LOVE what we’ve done so far!

Credit: Krista Wells
My loft office with a view to inspire and to have that perfect light, too!

I like to think that my personal style leans classic and traditional and that’s reflected in my home as well. You can never go wrong with a pair of blue jeans and a crisp white shirt so I suppose it’s no surprise that dark, moody colors abound with crisp, white shades in my home. I’m also a Gemini so it’s probably no surprise that my home is a mixture of darkness and light.

Credit: Krista Wells
Knocking down a well between two closets gave us the chance to connect two rooms, making our primary bedroom a workhorse for us.

What is your favorite room and why? Last year we did a major overhaul to our primary bedroom space. I knocked out the shared wall between our tiny primary bedroom closet and the room beside it. I created a ‘hidden’ passageway from our primary bedroom to the previously mentioned room, which we transformed into a dressing room complete with wallpapered ceilings. It’s an amazing space that we use multiple times a day!

Credit: Krista Wells
My favourite feature of our dressing room is that wallpapered ceiling. It wasn't easy to install but it was so worth it!

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Moody, modern and traditional heritage home.

Credit: Krista Wells
Our fireplace mantel is one of the original features of our late 1800's home.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? We recently finished a glow up in our dining room and added a beautiful cabinet for storing bar glassware. It has some beautiful lines and details that make it a serious piece of eye candy. It’s from Mobilia.

Credit: Krista Wells
We chose to add tongue and groove board + beams to our soaring powder bath ceiling to draw the eye upwards and warm up the space.

Any advice for creating a home you love? Look to your closet to see what colors and patterns you love and start there with paint palettes. Don’t worry about trends and do what YOU love. But, if you want to try out a trend, do it with inexpensive items like pillows, blankets, etc. that can be easily swapped out when the trend or your desire fades.

Credit: Krista Wells
Welcome to our home! Inspired by heritage colours, our porch welcomes you with high ceilings and rich vertical shiplap.

Worry less about resale value and more about how you live in your home. Your taste might not be for everyone but a happy home is one where your personality is reflected throughout. Live in the NOW!

This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.