Kimberley Homes & Crave Interiors
We have partnered with Kimberley Homeowner and Founder of Crave Interiors Lita Lee for a series of posts focusing on her beautiful Kimberley Home!
Lita’s story with Kimberley Homes started about four years ago. She met with Amie, our Keswick on the River New Home Expert – who was building a new home in Keswick at the time – and was confident that Kimberley was the builder for her and her family. Together with her partner, she purchased a Kimberley “spec home” already under construction. The floorplan worked for their family – they have two young boys and two adult children – and Lita knew she could make some small changes to help this home fit their style as well. Ever since then, she has been putting her mark on this Sapphire floorplan, with colour, DIYs, and her trademark bohemian style.
Today we are focusing on her amazing fireplace DIY! If we have learned anything from Lita it’s that determination and elbow grease can go a long way!
The typical fireplace layout that our homeowners choose for their new homes consists of two columns, one on either side of the fireplace box. And depending on our homeowner’s style they customize these columns – and the space between them – in any numbers of ways.
- Ceramic tile
- Stone
- Wood panels
- Accent paint
- Wall paper
- Painted columns (to match their cabinets or their trim)
- Any combination of the above!
Lita’s lovely dark columns match the cabinetry throughout her home, but the space in between the columns was left blank and unadorned so she could make her unique mark with a simple, yet impactful, DIY using shims!
What are “SHIMS”, you might ask?
A shim is a thin and often tapered or wedged piece of material used to fill small gaps or spaces between objects. Wood shims are used quite often in the home construction industry, when hanging doors and windows to make sure they are plum, or to ensure kitchen and bathroom cabinets are level.
And they make a great DIY supply because they are inexpensive and easy to find at your local hardware store. In fact, we put together a Pinterest board filled with a variety of DIYs using shims. Whatever your skill level, you can get some more inspiration here!
Materials List:
- A box of shims
- Various cans of stain (or paint)
- A box cutter or other sharp utility knife
- No More Nails® by LePage®
Installation:
- Start at the bottom and work your way to the top
- Mark and cut your shims around the fireplace (and TV mounting hardware if applicable)
- Randomize the colours based on what you think looks good!
As Lita explained, this DIY takes a lot of time – staining all the shims and then installing them – but it can be an inexpensive and one-of-a-kind way to create a beautiful accent wall in your home that reflects your personality and style. “I love to learn and celebrate individuality because with Interiors it’s an opportunity to do just that.”1
We have put together a Pinterest board with some of our favourite Kimberley Fireplaces, from our Edmonton Showhomes and past client homes. Click here for some more inspiration, or visit our online Gallery!
We’ll be back with Lita next month to talk about her talent for creating eclectic vignettes throughout her home! In the meantime, you can find more from Lita and Crave Interiors on Instagram.
Interior Photos by Trevor Boller & Lita Lee
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