A Playfully Sophisticated Toronto Home Where Green Takes Centre Stage

A classic family home has been reimagined around the realities – and pleasures – of modern family life. Designed by Gillian Gillies Interiors, the 5,000-square-foot home balances traditional architectural character with a fresh, contemporary sensibility, using rich textures, playful patterns, and a considered palette of earthy neutrals and greens.

Home to a family of four, including two teens, the house also accommodates two beloved dogs and a bunny rabbit – so while style was important, so was creating a home that could withstand the everyday movement of a busy household.

A classic home, contemporary family life

Located in Lawrence Park, one of Toronto’s sought-after residential neighbourhoods, the house sits among tree-lined streets and a mix of Tudor Revival and Georgian architecture. The approximately 25-year-old property was originally designed to complement the traditional character of the area.

When the current homeowners acquired the house, they embarked on a big renovation and expansion. The main floor was extended, while the second floor was updated and reworked to better accommodate the family and modernise the interiors – all while retaining a sense of connection to the home’s original architectural language.

For Gillian Gillies, whose design approach is informed by the neoclassical and Georgian architecture of her native Edinburgh, the setting provided a natural starting point.

Her interiors are known for combining natural materials, vintage pieces, texture, and fabric to create spaces that feel timeless rather than overly tied to a particular moment. Here, that sensibility meets the homeowners’ enthusiasm for colour and pattern.

“Their enthusiasm for integrating colour, texture, and family-friendly features aligned perfectly with our design philosophy, making this collaboration both rewarding and creatively fulfilling,” says Gillies.

Green becomes the thread that ties it all together

Colour is one of the defining features of the home, but as opposed to relying on bold shades everywhere, the design team used green as a recurring accent against a backdrop of earthy neutrals.

The effect is subtle but impactful. Green brings freshness and a connection to the surrounding landscape, while also creating a sense of calm. Appearing across different rooms in varying tones and applications, it provides continuity throughout the home without making the interiors feel too coordinated.

Pattern and texture add another layer. Fabrics, furnishings and decorative details bring personality to the rooms, allowing the palette to feel playful without seeming too juvenile – particularly important in a home shared by two tweens.

The overall atmosphere is one of relaxed elegance: sophisticated enough for entertaining, but comfortable enough for everyday family life.

Designed around the way the family lives

The layout was reimagined to improve the connection between spaces, creating a better flow between formal areas and the more relaxed rooms where the family spends most of its time.

On the main floor, a foyer leads into the formal living and dining rooms, while the open-plan kitchen, breakfast area, and family room form the heart of the home. A pantry and mudroom – complete with a doggie shower – add the practical infrastructure required for a household with pets and an active family life.

Upstairs, the primary suite includes an ante room, generous bedroom, walk-in closet, and en-suite bathroom. Two further bedrooms each have their own en-suite, while a kids’ den and home office provide dedicated spaces for study, downtime, and work.

It is a layout that allows the house to shift effortlessly between different modes: lively family mornings, quiet evenings, and weekends spent entertaining.

The formal rooms bring a sense of occasion

The more formal areas of the house provide an elegant counterpoint to the family spaces.

In the living room, the custom marble fireplace mantle creates a strong architectural focal point, while layers of upholstery, fabric, and texture soften the space around it. Rather than treating the formal rooms as museum-like areas reserved for special occasions, the design gives them enough comfort to remain part of everyday living.

The dining room follows the same philosophy, offering a setting that feels sophisticated while remaining connected to the rest of the home.

The kitchen is the practical heart of the home

The open-plan kitchen and adjoining breakfast and family areas form the social hub of the house.

Here, durability is integrated into the design – engineered surfaces selected for areas likely to see the most activity, while natural textures and a restrained palette prevent the space from feeling overly utilitarian.

The adjoining pantry helps keep the main kitchen visually calm, while the connection to the family room means the homeowners can cook, eat, relax, and spend time together without being separated into different parts of the house.

Upstairs, spaces grow with the family

The second floor shifts the mood from entertaining to retreat.

The primary suite is generous in size, with an ante room leading into the bedroom and connecting it to the walk-in closet and en-suite. The arrangement creates some privacy and separation from the busier family areas downstairs.

For the children, two bedrooms with their own en-suites provide a degree of independence, while the kids’ den offers somewhere to gather away from the main living spaces.

A dedicated home office rounds out the floor, acknowledging another reality of contemporary family life: the need for spaces that can adapt to work, study, and changing routines.

A home made for real life

Perhaps the greatest success of the project is that its practical elements never feel like compromises.

The doggie shower in the mudroom, cleanable upholstery, durable flooring, and engineered surfaces are all responses to the realities of family life. But instead of interrupting the design, they have been incorporated into it.

The same can be said of the colour and pattern. Green brings a sense of nature and calm; layered fabrics add warmth; playful details give the interiors personality. Together, they create a home that feels mature without becoming serious.

For this family, style does not exist separately from everyday life. It is woven into it – from the spaces designed for entertaining, to the corners built around children, pets, work, and relaxation.

The result is a vibrant yet grounded Toronto home that proves family-friendly design doesn’t mean sacrificing sophistication. 

Instead, with the right materials, a considered layout, and a willingness to embrace colour, the two can coexist beautifully.

Credits

Interior Design: Gillian Gillies Interiors, Instagram @gilliangillies

Photography: Virginia Macdonald, Instagram @virginmacdonald

Stylist: Me&Mo Creative, Instagram @_meandmo_

Production: Karine Monié, Instagram @karinemonie