Today’s modern feminine home tour is simply gorgeous and has great attention to every detail. A serious renovator and designer, you’ll be swept away by this homeowner’s approach to her light and airy home!
Meet Leslie Biggley, who along with her husband is a high school teacher by day and real estate fanatic by night! The live in a dreamy little town on the water in Kingsville, Ontario. Together the two have renovated 6 homes in the 10 years, since meeting. She is proud to say that they are finally done moving in search of the perfect home, and so satisfied with where they have ended up!
Leslie shares her home overhauls on her Instagram account @thelesliestyle Her homes have been featured in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine and she’s been named a Better Homes and Gardens Stylemaker for the past three years.
Leslie describes her style as airy, modern, and feminine. Recently, Leslie turned her last home renovation into an Airbnb vacation rental called Main & Leslie designed for Brides to stay at with their bridesmaids on their wedding weekend. She also took on a new character home renovation, this time with a 1922 Cape Cod on Lake Erie in Kingsville, Ontario.
When Leslie and her husband found the home it had been uninhabited for 17 years and was terribly run down. Restoring the home was a huge undertaking, but so worthwhile!
After having moved multiple times, Leslie knew that what she wanted most in a floor plan was an open concept home that completely overlooked the backyard and more than anything she wanted the home to be on the water!
Despite the horrible condition they found the home in, she knew it checked all the boxes for her potential dream layout, and with a little love it would be perfect for her husband and two daughters Juliette (6) and Penelope (5).
She prioritized opening up the original galley kitchen to the living room, and opening both the kitchen and living room up to the dining room. The family spends 99% of their time in this light-filled open space. The entire back of this modern feminine home tour are patio doors that overlook the lake.
She added a coastal twist to her signature airy, modern, feminine style through hits of rattan, coastal patio door window grills, a shiplap ceiling, and shells sprinkled throughout.
Leslie ran her island perpendicular to the range which isn’t the norm in today’s parallel layouts, so that everyone at a stool would have a view of the lake, instead of their backs to it, and it also allowed room for a living room right off the kitchen. They actually have a family room on the other side of the fireplace and that reveal will be coming to her blog soon, but she knew she needed kitchen, living, and dining all together to achieve her dream layout.
Unconventionally, she placed two ranges side by side in front of windows, which was the only possible wall for them since she had totally opened up the rest of the home. They actually love cooking in front of windows!
One of her favourite details in the kitchen is the deck-mount pot filler, which is perfect because of the windows they couldn’t go with a traditional pot filler.
You can follow along with Leslie as she continues to renovate this home with so many projects left to tackle like the exterior, the entire second floor, and a few new reveals she has coming soon like two bathrooms and a really special mudroom!
Finally, Leslie has no plans to move and though she’s scared to say it, because she’s been wrong before, she’s pretty sure she and her husband have finally found their “forever home”!
If you enjoyed this modern feminine home tour, follow Leslie on her blog The Leslie Style and her Instagram page of the same name The Leslie Style.
Here are a few more recent home tours that you might like to see too!
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So so pretty!
Glad you enjoyed the tour Susan!
Oh Janet this one is a swoon worthy one for sure. I love it all. That kitchen is a chef’s dream come true. I always love homes that the kitchen opens up to the family room like this one. Just gorgeous.
Hugs,
Kris
Hi Kris! This young couple did a fabulous job and I’m so happy that you enjoyed the tour! xo
The open areas are great for cooking, eating and viewing. There is so much utility in the area.
The private areas ARE private. A beautiful job of restoration
They were able to do quite a bit with the the existing floor plan of this older home and make it theirs! So glad that you enjoyed the tour.
This is a time when makeovers like this are way beyond the means of most people. Sorry that I can’t get on this bandwagon when so many people in our country are struggling to survive. Perhaps another time would be most appropriate, but daily essentials are more critical at this time and not scenes with double expensive ovens when many families are truly struggling both emotionally and financially.
Arleen, I can certainly understand where you’re coming from and am well aware. Many have indicated that it’s nice to have a beautiful distraction during these times and that positivity is what I provide on this blog.
I cannot afford a double oven myself quite frankly (my appliances are 20+ years old) but I am inspired by beauty and love seeing and sharing beautiful homes! This couple is a hard working pair of school teachers and I’m so glad that they were able to do this renovation project.
There is always someone who will make a political statement in the face of something nice. I can tell you, because I own one, that the stove pictured is not an expensive one by today’s standards. If people want to sit and ponder over the unfairness of life, why do they bother to look at blogs which are dedicated to home improvements and cultivating beauty in our daily surroundings? Let’s all just fall on our swords in one fell swoop.
Margo, I appreciate your understanding of why this blog is here. We do need beauty in our surroundings, maybe now more than ever since we are hibernating at home. Please stay well and take care…Janet
You may call this “feminine” but it is just airy and light and seems to wrap its arms around anyone in this space. Just lovely!
Actually Leslie calls it feminine on her blog description, and yes…light and airy as well. Glad you enjoyed the tour Barbara!
Thanks for the helpful “file under”
The home is beautiful!
Glad you enjoyed the tour!
So serene and pretty! Your posts of such lovely homes gives me a nice escape from current reality. I can easily lose myself in the pictures and it feels good. Thank you Janet. XO Ashley
SO lovely Janet – Leslie’s home is gorgeous! Thanks for the introduction, I’ll be hopping over to check out her blog and IG!
Hope you’re still well and safe! 🙂