What happens when you design a home for your best friend?
‘We live two streets apart; I bought my house because she bought her house,’ says Ali Budd. The interior designer lives in Uptown Toronto, a smart residential area known for its historic charm. Her lifelong best friend and her family were considering leaving the neighbourhood and had been looking at homes for a year until she persuaded them to knock down and rebuild instead. ‘This was always our dream,’ she says.
The original house was small and dated – ‘a definite teardown’ – as Ali puts it. She was given complete freedom to transform the building, turning it into a home that would suit her friend’s family life. ‘Here’s the truth: they love entertaining, so having a big space that opens up room to room was another was necessary. They want to feel cosy in their house. They have kids and they didn’t want a museum,’ she explains.
She started by eliminating the formal living room to make all the other spaces bigger, which suited the family’s lifestyle better. Beams on the ceiling and wooden walls add warmth and character; now it’s one of Ali’s favourite rooms – ‘just a big, cosy inviting space.’
‘The fabric on the sofa is Designer’s Guild,’ she adds, ‘the whole palette is so delicious. It’s a cool mix of materials that you wouldn’t think work but they do.’ Ali’s team also designed the ‘Joey’ rug, which proved to be so popular that it’s now being sold on Art and Loom.
In the kitchen, Ali put the fireplace on the wall where the windows were and added a huge sofa to face into the space. Her friend really wanted a white kitchen, so to make it interesting they added the details on the panelled fridge which, in combination with the custom brass hardware, elevated the scheme.
A bespoke curved banquette hugs a warm timber pedestal table in the kitchen’s bay window, making a sunny spot for breakfast and the kids to do their homework.
Warm cream and caramel tones and a striking lilac headboard make an elegant statement in the main bedroom. Ali says her friend wasn’t convinced by the palette initially, ‘but she trusted me and it came out so beautifully’.
Beautiful and functional with pale marble lining walls and floors, one of the dreamiest spaces in the home is in the bathroom; ‘she got the makeup area she always wanted,’ says Ali. ‘Airy and big, it’s a place you want to hang out.’
Undertaking a project of this scale for someone she has known since she was five years old gave Ali a unique insight into her client’s hopes, dreams and practical requirements. ‘She loves comfort and I wanted to do something that felt elevated and cosy.’
Her very satisfied ‘client’ is thrilled with the results: ‘Beyond being a brilliant designer, Ali’s also been my best friend for over 35 years, and I could not be more proud of her talent and success,’ she says. ‘Our home is more than just beautifully designed; it’s a true reflection of Morgan and I and the home we wanted for our children. I never want to leave.’ alibuddinteriors.com
