Christine Elliottt and Ben McDonald are no strangers to home renovation . Elliottt , a certified decorator and the owner of Christine Elliottt Designs , and McDonald , a contractor and the owner of Ben McDonald Design & Construction , purchased a condo in Huntsville with plans to renovate while living in the space . Constructed in the 1980s , the property was dated but had good bones including two bedrooms , both with their own ensuites , a spacious kitchen and living area , and a walkout deck overlooking Fairy Lake . Then , the pandemic hit . “ We forged ahead , working in one space at a time . This was probably the most challenging part of the entire renovation . We were housebound with limited resources available , and stores were only doing curbside pick up ,” says Elliottt . Moreover , the space needed significant work . “ The original floor plan was very cut up with lots of doors and wasted space . It had blue carpet and pine trim work everywhere .”
The homeowners wanted to update and open up the space , while emulating a lakeside cottage vibe that felt true to Muskoka . As such , they opted for a neutral , beachy color palette throughout . The surroundings also influenced the flooring choice . “ We used Luxury Vinyl . I wanted to be able to return from the lake or skiing and not worry about damaging the floors in order to use a bathroom or grab a drink ,” says Elliottt .
In the living area , the homeowners chose to keep the granite fireplace , original to the home . “ There is a lot of granite on