Holiday DIY: A Q&A with @ourhideawayhome
Holiday DIY: Q&A with Nahyun Arnal
As the excitement builds for the holidays, homeowners are looking for new ways to add a fresh look to their home heading into 2023. DIY maestro and Dufresne style ambassador, Nahyun Arnal (@ourhideawayhome) sat down to update us on her mission to renovate a 1950s-split-level house into her new family home. Read on to learn Nahyun’s favourite tips and tricks for fun holiday DIY projects.
Hi Nahyun, thanks for answering a few of our questions. The holidays are here, how are you and your family celebrating?
Hey, you are so welcome. I’m very happy to be here! With the holidays fast approaching, we are very excited to spend some time making memories with family and close friends. We love spending time at home, eating good food and watching Christmas Vacation for the 99th time! When we’re with family, we always make time for board games after dinner. Clue and Connect 4 are my favourite games to play around the holidays, anything with some friendly competition!
We are so happy that you are working with us. We know you are on a mission to make a 1950s split-level home your own. Can you tell us how the project is going?
The project is going very well so far! We purchased our home almost 5 years ago and have since transformed a multitude of spaces. We really enjoy tackling projects big and small and have recently renovated our entire kitchen and also made some DIY wall sconces that both turned out great! There are hiccups with any project and a major one that drastically impacted our home and lives was finding out our main sewer line was broken and having it completely replaced. We had 3 gigantic holes dug in our front yard and our lawn ended up being a big mess, but it gave us the opportunity to do some new landscaping! We added some trees and prairie grasses to cover up the patch of mud that was leftover and really turned around the space. We try our best to minimize the waste that comes with renovating and will often repurpose as much of the existing materials as we can to bring our home up to our current style. It’s a fine balance, but we do as much as we can to maintain the original character of our mid-century home while also doing the necessary improvements!
We know we’ve had the opportunity to add a little bit of 'Dufresne' to your design, can you tell us which pieces you picked and how they fit into your space?
With our growing family, we needed more seating on our main floor so we recently added a gorgeous sectional from Dufresne to our living room! We chose the Camilla Sectional by Kuka and this modular sectional is so great for our family. The material is polyester so it’s easy to clean, the cushions are all reversible and very comfy, and the design of the sectional is clean and minimal, just my style! The sectional fits perfectly on our main floor and I love that we have the flexibility to move it to a different wall since it is modular. We aren’t bound to one configuration, which is great for me because I love to rearrange my space all the time!
You’re a DIY maestro! How have our products inspired your designs and décor?
Thank you, thank you! Dufresne has always been a staple in our lives and a definite stop for quality home furnishings. When our new Camilla sectional arrived at our home, I knew right away that we needed to update our lighting. The sectional is larger than our previous sofa so we no longer had room for a floor lamp. I thought our living room would be better suited with some wall sconces so we decided to DIY them! The design of the scones was modern and minimal, just like our new sectional, but also were stained black so there is some contrast to the lighter shade of the Camilla sectional. The finished look of the DIY sconces is very high end, but at $30 each, it is very budget friendly! The mix of our DIY projects with modern furnishings gives our home a collected and unique look which I love!
With the holiday season in full swing, how have you decorated your home?
We always do a large garland over our fireplace to hang the stockings from and this year I added some vintage looking brass bells for a layered look! Every year we also get a real Christmas tree from a local greenhouse because the smell of a balsam fir tree brings in the holiday spirit into our home so quickly. For the tree this year, I’m decorating it in a woodland theme with pinecones, snowball ornaments, mushrooms and little birds and owls! I’ve never loved a tree more and bonus, our son loves the snowball ornaments and they are shatterproof!
Whether small or large, have you been working on any holiday-themed DIY projects? If so, can you tell us about them?
Definitely keeping holiday themed DIY’s very small and simple this year, but I do plan to make a bunch of paper bag stars for the holidays to hang on a wall in our living room! The paper bag stars are an updated version of the coffee filter snowflakes we made as kids, and can have a big impact on your holiday decor for just a few dollars. I’m also hoping I can make a few DIY ornaments with my son this year too!
The holidays are the perfect time to spend some time at home. What’s your favourite room in the house so far? and why?
My favourite room is definitely our living room, it’s where we spend the most time as a family and it’s definitely the coziest space in our home. It’s close to the kitchen so snacks are always near, and our sectional is so inviting, it’s the perfect place to relax! We have beautiful views to watch the neighbourhood deer walk down our street and so much room to cozy up with blankets and watch a movie!
We are counting down the days till Christmas, which Dufresne products are on your wish list?
The Kisper Coffee Table is so sleek with the clean lines and storage, it would be a perfect addition to our home! I also saw that Dufresne now has some small appliances for sale, and a stand mixer has always been on my wish list!
“The Kisper Coffee Table is so sleek with the clean lines and storage, it would be a perfect addition to our home!” – Nahyun Arnal
“I also saw that Dufresne now has some small appliances for sale, and a stand mixer has always been on my wish list!” – Nahyun Arnal
The holidays are built for festive fun with your kids. Any festive family fun planned at home during the holidays?
We plan to go tobogganing with our little kiddos and ice skating on the red river trail as well! We are also going to try to head to Birds Hill Park for a Christmas sleigh ride too! The best part about doing outdoor winter activities is to come back to a warm home and sit by the fire with hot chocolate and cookies!
With 2023 right around the corner, what’s your home goals for the new year?
We’ve had a busy 5 years renovating different areas of our home but we are nowhere near done! We have the majority of a basement to refresh and would love make a dedicated play area for our son. Another space I would love to tackle is our laundry room, it’s currently an undecorated space that could use some attention! Lots to come in the future!
Shop The Look
Fun fact: Nayhun was one of the first Dufresne customers to take home the CAMILA 5 Piece Sectional—so early in fact, she received it before it even hit our stores in Canada! Needless to say, Nahyun has an eye for style that you can trust. Check out the CAMILA 5 Piece schedule and more products Nahyun likes below.
We will let you into a little secret: the CAMILA 5 Piece Sectional is our new favourite sofa. It’s sleek, comfortable and fits with almost any living room look. Check out the details to see how you can configure it to you home.
“The material is polyester so it’s easy to clean, the cushions are all reversible and very comfy, and the design of the sectional is clean and minimal, just my style!” – Nahyun Arnal
WISHLIST ITEM: Kisper Coffee Table
They say every style eventually returns with a twist and the Kisper Coffee Table is proof it works! A case study in elegant mid-century minimalism, this table brings a 70s look into 2023 with sleek lines and strong wood colours.
WISHLIST ITEM: KitchenAid 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
Good news: we now sell premium small appliances! With everything from coffee machines to stand mixers, our small appliance section can help you step up your kitchen setup. Baking holiday treats? Make the process a piece of cake with a KitchenAid 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer.
Next Steps
With Christmas days, away and the holiday season in full swing, there’s never been a better time to gather inspiration for the new year. Check out our website for great deals on everything you need to complete your new year DIY or find a fresh look to your space. Wishing you a happy holiday from the Dufresne team!
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