Jess Deyong

Hi! Sharing one of my sneaky decorating tips today. In case it’s not immediately obvious, I love bright, shiny things. Patterns, colours, textures, fun stuff. While I have a pretty good eye for raw dogging design stuff by going with my gut, when it’s a task I find overwhelming, daunting or just too darn important to freewheel, I rely on my old bestie… Microsoft power point. (Seriously. lol.) I use this program a LOT. It’s insanely easy to use - and I have a background as an office junkie so I’m already very proficient. I’m 44, guys. I’m tired. I don’t have time to learn fifteen new software systems and the meaning of ‘skibidi toilet’. Generally I just whip my inspiration in there and start playing around until things look right. One of my best hacks, I will share with you… arranging art on your walls. You can do this a couple of ways: take photos of your walls, then photos of your (preferred) frames and prints individually, then play around with them to see where you want them digitally before committing. In this instance, I knew exactly what frames I wanted and where I wanted them, but couldn’t decide on what prints (SO MANY GOOD ONES!!!) and how to cluster them together. Our second floor hallway is still naked (after three plus years) and I’m finally getting around to putting up art. It’s pretty understated up there so I wanted to choose some bright bold prints which will be accompanied by a fun runner rug, eventually. In the adjacent hallway we’re doing a little gallery wall with photos of the kids. Given that I have six trillion photos of the kids on my phone, being able to visualize this digitally was enormously helpful. Tips: take photos of each wall you want to put art on, and take it as straight and head on as possible in good lighting. (Do as I say not as I do! 🤫) If you’re a PowerPoint pro and are comfortable with the stretch/warp tool, you can tweak it a bit to get proportions correct, but, the general idea is to see how colour and patterns and layout interplay. Hope you find this helpful! Happy Friday, y’all. 🤠 #ikea #ikeahack #prints #art #homedecor #decorating #decoratinghacks #desenio #droolart #pstrstudio

Sooooo, we have a lot of kids (50% of the time). Ryan and I both have a son and daughter from our previous marriages. Initially we were terrified about how this Brady Bunch style mashup was going to pan out, but we’ve been most pleasantly surprised! Our (almost) 11 and (almost) 9 year old daughters have become practically inseparable. Our (almost) 8 and freshly 6 year old sons are a bit like the odd couple… but they have a blast when they’re doing something they both enjoy! With lots of kids comes a demand for seating. When I refreshed the living room, I spent an A G O N I Z I N G amount of time deciding on a couch and chairs for this space. Like maybe four months of window shopping, mood boards, design mock ups, pestering Ryan for his opinion, and then changing my mind approximately three trillion more times. We finally landed on this wild Pee Wee’s Playhouse style four seater couch which is covered with bluish teal boucle (which is surprisingly easy to clean 👌). The two oversized armchairs are also a huge hit - two kids can easily share one chair. The biggest ‘win’ was these foot stools that are rigid but comfortable enough to double as extra seating! The kids will typically pull these up to the coffee table for dinner (which, to be honest, is generally where we eat most meals). That said, 6 year old rules firmly state that no matter how much agonizing mom did over the furniture selection, the laundry basket is the place to be. 🤣🤣🤣 And just so we get this out of the way now… I have expensive taste but I am FRUGAL. Dropping money on furnishings or any big ticket items always comes with a hefty research process and generally waiting for a sale, using points, discounts and sometimes scratch and dent. I’ll share more tips and tricks for this kind of thing in the future as I’ve become pretty darn good at getting cool stuff for less! I waited for this couch to go on mega sale @wayfair and finally pounced - and very happy I did! 👌🙏🙌 Sofa - @wayfaircanada Chairs - @bedbathandbeyondcanada Foot stools - @wayfaircanada Laundry basket - @walmartcanada #livingroom #livingroominspiration #designattractor #ihavethisthingwithcolor #jupiter10wallpaper

Ok. Welcome! This is the kind of stuff you can expect to see going forward. Yes, I have clients to please at my day job, and their wish is my command, even when it means understated and serene and a wee bit safe. But when it’s my own house? CRAZY TRAAAAAINNNNN We are redoing our basement bathroom. When we bought this house, every single bathroom was barely functioning and whispering softly for a mercy killing. The third floor toilet didn’t flush and the bath faucet is poured onto the floor. The second floor toilet was cracked in half and the ‘shower system’ was pex lines jutting out of the wall with a shower curtain tuck taped to the tub surround. The main floor bath was the only ‘fully functioning’ washroom and I use that term very loosely. It was the type of bathroom you needed to shower after showering in. The basement bathroom takes the cake, though. No sink (because why not?) toilet loooong defunct, and the shower system was a nozzle jutting out of the wall half an inch from the ceiling. lol We are in the process of moving my office into the basement and therefore a bathroom upgrade is, uhm, preferable. 😳🥴🫠🤣 So naturally this lady cave is getting a glam up. I BOUGHT A PINK TOILET YESTERDAY YOU GUYS I’m still undecided on floor tiles, though. Both are amazing, both work, and both give the room a very different vibe. Which one would you choose?! Raspberry hex (‘Heritage’ in ‘Wine’ by @centuratile ) Or Carrara marble look (‘Kobe’ in ‘calacatta voila’ by @eurotilestone ) Weigh in with your vote below!!! #tilesofinstagram #pinktoilet #basement #basementbathroom #bathroom #bathroomdesign #ivelostmymind #designattractor #bathroomremodel

Hello. Overdue (re) intro! I am aware that I’m currently typing into the void, and that's okay. This account, no matter where it goes, serves as a time capsule for me and my crazy little blended family, and will document all the insane projects I take on in my weird, maximalist ADHD pursuits. Hopefully there will be some funny/entertaining moments along the ride...! This is Ryan and I, the day we officially assumed possession of this crazy house. Recap: She is giant. She is in rough shape. She is FULL OF SURPRISES. She brings pain. She brings giant invoices and lots of “I’ll add that to the 37 year plan list”. I knew this house wasn’t going to be easy when I bought it with my former husband three years ago, but whooooeeee, I did not know the ride I was in for. So, fast forward, here we are. Me, Ryan, our two daughters and two sons (Sophie, Mischa, Zach and Taejin), our British Cream Retriever Charlie, our three cats - Ziggy (bengal), Zosia (ragdoll), and Zia (rogdoll/Falcor/Squirrel/Ferret/Meercat) and our (fluctuating number of) fish, have been living, laughing and hanging on by a thread for the last couple of years as we continue to revitalize this place we call home. The whole house has basically been musical chairs over the last two years: Initially our family of four, then we (re) converted it back to a duplex for a year when my ex and I split (FTR, his name is Robin, he is a human and a very good person). Long story, but this house is the only reason we were able to stay financially, mentally and emotionally stable and sane. We’ve since converted back to a single family home: each room has served at least 2-4 purposes at this point, lol. We’re finally in the home stretch, the Goal Line is in sight, we’re all pointed at the dawn and ready to rage (Uh, or renovate? Or both.) So, here is a photo of me and Ryan, already well into the chaos, captured for posterity. We look happy! I’m certain we’ll stay that way, but I’m pretty sure I’ll catch up to Ryan’s gray hair in the imminent future. Though his beard will truly always remain superior, no doubt. Welcome to the insanity, friends. :)

Oh hi there. It’s been a while? I had great intentions to keep the internet duly informed of all of my adventures sprucing up this silly old house. Well, life has done a LOT of life-ing over the last few years and things have taken some unexpected twists and turns. First, my husband and I split up less than a year into our time in this house. To say that the surprises the house had in store for us didn’t fast track that process would be a lie. lol. Still, it was for the best and ultimately, we are happy and much better as co parents. That said, a handsome man wandered into my life not long after my separation, and things went FAST as they tend to do when the stars perfectly align. @ryans.nook and I ended up buying the house together and set on a new journey. These may seem like unimportant details, but I promise, they’re relevant. Ryan is an illustrator with a 20 year career doing some pretty cool sh*t. His work is like how the inside of my brain feels: a flurry of colour and activity, whimsical silliness with lots of cheeky elements. When we met, he told me he ‘wanted to feel like he lived inside a painting’. It was this comment that made me realize I’d been suppressing my inner colour-obsessed self with thoughts and ideals of what my house ‘should’ look like as a grown-ass adult with kids. That my elegant century home was ‘supposed’ to be refined and understated, stuffy and restrained. It was this moment that I had some kind of mental and emotional shackles pop loose and I fully embraced the power of F*CK IT, I WILL DO WHAT I LOVE. I decided to update the account name. I’d become so depressed with the barrage of neutrals in design trends and the omnipresent #doingneutralright, I figured this was a time to embrace my inner rebel and rage against the dying of the colour palette. Call me tacky. Call me obnoxious. Dislike my aesthetic. That’s fine. I’ll just be over here living, laughing and loving with zebras and monkeys and rainbows all over the place that remind me life isn’t that bad. Looking forward to keeping you (more) looped in on the adventures ahead. xo

It’s a bit overdue, but please welcome the tiniest, furriest member of the dollHOUSE crew! Meet Yoshi! He is a 3/4 pug, 1/4 Boston Terrier, tiny terror. He is fond of sniffing butts and scratching at peoples crotches, treats, and distracting everyone who’s in a 20 foot radius with his cuteness. Be strong, Adrian! You can do this! 🤗🤣💪🏻 #bug #pug #bostonterrier #bostonterriersofinstagram #pugsofinstagram #bugsofinstagram #hamont #hamontrenovations #centuryhome #bathroomdesign #almostthere

There’s a new gal in town! 💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼 This absolutely massive solid oak mantle was a sweet,sweet Facebook marketplace score. I snagged it long before we actually closed on the house and it lived in the @dollhouse_collective storage garage for maybe six months before she finally found her way here. Rumour has it she came from a grand old home in Durand. Pretty excited about her new life here at casa Maniac! I’m not gonna lie, the old weird deco style mantle had started to grow on me… my theory that extensive renovations happened here as far back as the 30s continues to build strength! Still, this Edwardian lady is more at home and really grounds the room. For now… she will stay natural wood. (Until I get bored and paint her. Again. 😬) . . . #hamont #restoration #oldhouselove #centuryhome #centuryhomes #fireplacedecor #mantle

They can be saaaaaaaved! Having a little party over here today - also discovered our third floor attic pine subfloor can be refinished into a rustic, beautiful floor instead of sticking something gross on top of it! 💃🏼🙌🏻👌 Also got the guest bedroom into respectable shape today. A long way to go… but not quite as far as she’s come. Phew! .. . . #hamont #guestroom #guestroomdecor #oldhome#centuryhome #hamontdesigners #currentdesignsituation

I wasn’t kidding. They’re in rooooooough shape. 😳 Water damage, years of neglect and a Jackson Pollock Paint Party have resulted in these floors full of… character? As an impatient person the worst part will be waiting until the very end of renovations to address these babies. Today’s appointment is to assess whether they can be saved and find out what the damage (💸💸💸💸) will be. 😬😳🤢 . . . . . . #oakfloors #refinish #flooring #topnailedoak #oldfloors #hamont #ifrainbowflooringevershowsupiwilltagethem

Waiting very (im)patiently for the flooring company (45 minutes late) to show up for a triage session on our old top nailed oak floors. Whenever humanly possible I suggest saving these old floors! They are approaching irreplaceable - and today’s products are nowhere near comparable. For this house and all the houses I do professionally, I try to salvage and upcycle and thrift as much as possible. This credenza was a #fbmarketplace score, the oil painting that I am still fawning over is from a shop on #otttawastreet in #hamont. The silver tray was a value village score. I will keep you all posted with floor updates! The main floor is in decent shape, but the second floor is uttering a death rattle after years of abuse from the decades this old house was an apartment. Pray for Mojo! 🙏 .. . . #oakfloors #oilpainting #mcm #credenza #thisiswhyihavetothriftshopeveryday #currentdesignsituation #interiordecorating #livingroomdecor #oldhouselove #oldhouse

You can expect to see a lot of photos of the two front rooms. Lol. These are the only ones on the main floor that require only lipstick updates and some minor changes - the rest of the floor will be getting an overhaul this summer as we move a wall (that was renovated in the 80s to block an oriel window… whyyyy), turn the existing kitchen and bathroom into a family room, and turn the back extension into a kitchen. You know, no big deal. (😅😅😅😅😅). While we wait for permits (and our construction team to have availability) I’m keeping myself sane by doing decorating and painting in the parts of the house that won’t be changing. The living room is one of my favourite parts of the house! The biggest win for me was having a separate living room and ‘family room’ (aka Toy Explosion Containment Unit) and this, to me, is heaven: a room that always remains tidy that children rarely tread through, gloriously creating the illusion that I am a tidy, capable adult with their shit together. (I assure you, I am not. LOFL.) . . . . #livingroomdecor #livingroom #oilpainting #currentdesignsituation #oldhouselove #restoration #hamont #hamontdesigners #homesofinstagram

Hello! Welcome! Inaugural post! Our family bought an incredible 1915 home in Hamilton’s East End last summer. Lemme tell ya, while this house is a gem with great bones and enormous potential, she was not for the faint of heart. It’s going to require boatloads of love and patience to restore to her former glory. She’s had major renovations done in the 30s-40s, 50s-60s and 70s-80s, and hasn’t been touched since. But, I’m up for the challenge, and I am committed to sharing it with you: the good, the bad, the ugly, and yep - probably some blood. Lol. By the numbers: 3 extensions. 3 staircases. 1 secret passageway. 4 bathrooms (1.25 of them functional!). 4 floors (including the basement). 3 entrances. 3 kitchens (.75 of them functional!). 24 radiators. 43 windows. (6 of them functional/not broken). 5 bedrooms (3 of them functional!). 4 fireplaces (0 of them functional!). And about 5,300 square feet of house that needs love. Follow along as we give this beauty another chance to shine! 🙌🏻👌 . . . . #maniacmansion #hamont #restoration #homeimprovement #centuryhome