Name: Dean and Shannon Acheson + their three lovely kids + Penny the dogLocation: Ajax, OntarioSize: 3 bedroom, 1050 square feetYears lived in: 2 — owned The Acheson family moved into this suburban bungalow two years ago to cut down on Dean's work commute. The space is modest for an active family of five, but Dean and Shannon have embraced the coziness and maximized the functionality of the home, creating a place where their family and friends love to gather and where they can showcase their DIY and design talents. Although the back room addition was already built when the bunch first moved in, the general condition and appeal of the rest of the house left much to be desired. With a lot of hard work and creativity, the couple has really transformed the entire home. Dean, a sheet metal worker, and Shannon, a former graphic designer turned homeschooling momma, tackle each project together, contributing their complementary skills to the task at hand. The ongoing home improvement projects inspired Shannon to begin a blog, {aka}|design, to document their progress.
The blog is a great resource for DIY inspiration and ideas on how to approach projects around the house without breaking the bank. On the day of our photo shoot, the Acheson home was all decked out for Christmas, but it's plain to see that it is filled with warmth and good cheer through every season of the year. Our Style: Vintage Industrial Farmhouse or Up-cycled Industrial Farmhouse Inspiration: A LOT of online blogs, google image search, pinterest. Favorite Element: The huge back room with all of its windows is INCREDIBLE! Biggest Challenge: With no basement or garage we have to be really creative. What Friends Say: What an incredible change! I'm sure they thought we were NUTS when we bought the house.We have DIY'd so much I can't choose. Biggest Indulgence: For the house? Um, oooh, our West Elm white pintuck duvet cover. Best Advice: Start with the basics. Tidy, declutter and organize. Then pick one piece you love - a couch, a piece of art, etc. - and go from there.
Dream Sources: Restoration Hardware. Love their stuff, but their price tags are a little beyond this suburban, mainly one-income family! • HOUSE TOUR ARCHIVE Check out past house tours here• Interested in sharing your home with Apartment Therapy? Contact the editors through our House Tour Submission Form.• Are you a designer/architect/decorator interested in sharing a residential project with Apartment Therapy readers? Contact the editors through our Professional Submission Form.The Herman Miller Aeron chair is one of your favorite office chairs, but it's no doubt they're expensive. If you can snag a used one for cheap—even if its broken—weblog Apartment Therapy has a full guide for refurbishing it yourself. You don't need much to refurbish an Aeron, just a few allen wrenches and a wrench. Once you disassemble the chair, you can track down replacement parts cheaply from companies like Office Designs, and then easily refurbish it yourself. One of the great things about the Aeron (and partially why it's so expensive) is that everything is user-serviceable, so it's not nearly as complicated as you think.