It’s off by itself, a very private, pastoral place backing onto a hillside near the bottom of Blackmud Ravine, with its own view of the creek meandering close by. Marking the separation between Bearspaw and Twin Brooks, the ravine widens out here to become a secluded valley-within-a-city. Nature is omnipresent, an ever-changing show of colour and form that unfolds right in front of a remarkable home in a remarkable location.
So it’s no wonder that Stasia Nawrocki — one of Edmonton’s best-known home décor retailers and decorating experts — “fell in love” when she came upon the elongated split-level, an impressive 4,200-square-foot beauty on over three acres that include a creek and a barn.
Nawrocki remembers the day she discovered it with fervent romance: “It was a fall day, the trees were ablaze with colour and I thought, ‘That’s it,’ It was just for me.”
But after 21 great years together, Nawrocki decided it was time for a major update on the interior of her ’60s-era home. She wanted something new, but wanted to ensure the home was still reflective of its extraordinary natural setting.
“The thinking was that it would be more spacious, more open and more modern without being cold. I didn’t want it to be sterile,” says Nawrocki, the longstanding owner of Dansk Gifts in Southgate Centre and a busy hostess who entertains frequently.
The reno began two years ago with her office, an area opened up by installing an enormous glass desk and hiding her many office and decorating supplies behind sleek cabinetry. She also made a dynamic feature wall out of simple shelving from Ikea. New green and yellow tones pick up on the colours outside her windows, where poplar, evergreen and willow trees are in abundance. “I love the view [from my office]. I can be very inspired,” she says. “I spend a lot of time in my office, and I think space influences how you feel and how your work is.”
After dealing with the workspace, Nawrocki replaced the wall-to-wall carpeting throughout her home with a sumptuous African mahogany. She had her ’60s-era cedar-trimmed ceiling covered with drywall, turning a heavy feeling overhead into something considerably lighter and airier. Nawrocki also had the existing ceiling beams in the living-and-dining room refinished to match the flooring — one of several tasks accomplished by her husband, Bill Lepatski, a talented craftsman.
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