Now more than ever, we want our homes to be a place that’s a true reflection of yourself: who you are, what you value and how you live. We all have a heart of our home; the room we value the most, or that we spend most of our time in. Whether it’s the kitchen for the iron chef, the home office for the future CEO or something in between, there is always a space that makes us feel most at home.

With all of the extra time spent at home lately, we challenged our homeowners to show us the heart of their Empire home. Explore a few of our favorite submissions below.

Not sure what the heart of your home is? Take our interactive quiz to find out now.

We’d like to introduce you to the interior designer behind our Love Design, live Empire video series, Andrew Pike. A nationally recognized designer, host and media personality, Andrew Pike has been in the design community for over twenty years. Andrew’s career has taken him across the world. A five-year stint in Europe, where he worked and traveled, allowed him to develop an appreciation for the way rich history and stunning architecture can create a unique experience at every turn. The classic way Europe blends modern style with ornate, antique structures is an influence we see time and time again with Andrew’s designs. Upon returning to Toronto, he began working as an interior designer and shortly after Empire’s love affair with Andrew began, when he designed the model home of our Wyndance community in Uxbridge. We were so blown away by the seamless blend of elegance and playful design that we haven’t left him alone since.

Want more decor inspiration and advice for your next decor project? Check out all our Love Design, Live Empire stories.

How designer Dominic de Freitas drew inspiration from Thorold’s rural roots to create a cozy, family-focused home.

In a world enamoured with light and bright spaces, embracing a moodier colour palette for our homes almost feels like a design faux-pas. Almost.

Widely shied away from because of the belief that they make spaces feel smaller and gloomier, the darker end of the colour spectrum is often reserved for rooms we spend less time in, like a bathroom or the laundry room. And while inkier hues do suit these spaces, their effect is as equally impressive when welcomed into busier areas of the home. Dark paint tones can enhance architectural features, create a cocooning atmosphere and add drama and movement. “Neutral colours in a darker hue can make a space feel larger,” says designer Dominic De Freitas. This is because they obscure the edges of where the wall starts and stops.

Dominic’s unabashed embrace of dusky hues is what makes the Industrial Ranch model home so captivating. A palette rooted in earth tones — a mix of muted greys, neutrals and rustic colours — gives the home a rich envelope and sets the stage for a blend of industrial and farmhouse furnishings in deep neutral shades. “Authenticity is key,” says the designer, who drew inspiration for the palette from the rural locale where Empire’s Legacy community is based.

And the home’s authentic appeal is undeniable. In the kitchen, a farmhouse-style trestle table and industrial metal chairs encourage laid-back family meals, while pots and pans kept on display communicate a love for cooking and are easy to grab when needed. “The best accents are the ones that also play a functional role,” says Dominic of the freestanding baker’s rack. “Look for pieces that serve a dual purpose.” The raised family room strikes a similar homey note, with natural accent pieces and a mix of leather and wooden furniture carving out a comfortable space that’s perfect for family downtime. “Don’t over stage your home,” Dominic advises. “Keep it casual; think about how you truly live.” To add warmth to the large open space and establish a natural focal point, Dominic opted for an expansive brick feature wall — a staple of industrial design.

Taking in the mix of raw materials, weathered woods and earthy palette, it’s impossible not to feel right at home in the Industrial Ranch model. And for families looking to plant their own roots, it seems only fitting that the inspiration for the home comes from the ground up.

Want more decor inspiration? Check out our Industrial Ranch Style Guide, with exclusive tips from designer Dominique De Freitas and subscribe to receive three more style guides directly to your inbox along with exclusive bonus content and expert tips and inspiration.

When it comes to putting a personal stamp on our homes, you can’t go wrong by adding artwork. Art helps define the personality of a space, and it can dramatically improve the look of any room. And while most of us do have art woven throughout our homes, it’s often limited to a painting or a picture in a frame. If you’re looking to shake up the art in your home, here are some simple ways to do so.

Want more decor inspiration and advice for your next decor project? Check out our 4-part Love Design, Live Empire video series with designer Dominique De Freitas and subscribe to receive the episodes directly to your inbox along with exclusive bonus content including our curated style guides and expert tips and inspiration.

In episode one of our four-part video series, we go behind the scenes with Dominic De Freitas and the figure3 team as they conceptualize four unique model home styles in Thorold – Shabby Chic, Modern Scandi, Industrial Ranch and Manor Estate.

Royal Blue’s enduring design appeal isn’t by chance — this deep hue adds an instant dose of cool sophistication no matter what room it’s used in. The colour is daring yet accessible; it’s bold enough to make a statement in a room, yet classic enough that you won’t tire of it within a few years. Whether you’re looking to coat your walls in Royal Blue or want to use it as an accent to invigorate a space, draw inspiration from our use of it across our model homes in Breslau, ON; Houston, TX and Alpharetta, GA.

Versatility is everything when it comes to decorating, as accent pieces are often shuffled around a room to reflect changes in season or decor preferences. Royal Blue’s adaptability means that it can be used to bring a variety of design styles to life, from playful throw pillows that cozy up Lago Mar’s nautical-inspired living room to Chinoiserie vases that add a dash of daintiness to Harlow’s formal dining area.

Design Tip: If you’re unsure about introducing colour to your home, start by incorporating decorative accents to see how it looks in a room. Colours found in nature, including greens and blues, are among the most livable.

Royal Blue tones down well, which is why it’s a top pick for an accent colour. Draw inspiration from our Lago Mar master bedroom and Riverland family room and pair it with neutrals including grey, ivory, white and beige to keep it from feeling too overwhelming.

Used boldly as a cabinet and door colour, Royal Blue energizes the Lago Mar kitchen and Reserve at Spring Lakes bathroom, playing up the coastal look in the kitchen and punching up the monochromatic colour scheme in the bathroom, respectively. If you’re thinking of splashing a few drops of this inky hue on your own cabinets, don’t hesitate — Royal Blue complements almost any design style, is easy to mix-and-match with, and helps bring rooms to life.

If painted cabinetry isn’t enough to satisfy your love of this hue, then don’t shy away from using it to completely transform a room. Take a cue from our Harlow model home in Alpharetta and turn eyes upward with a coat of Royal Blue on the ceiling, or turn an often drab space, like the bathroom, into one that makes a statement by painting the entire room blue for a cocooning and dramatic look.

Royal Blue’s enduring design appeal isn’t by chance — this deep hue adds an instant dose of cool sophistication no matter what room it’s used in. The color is daring yet accessible; it’s bold enough to make a statement in a room, yet classic enough that you won’t tire of it within a few years. Whether you’re looking to coat your walls in Royal Blue or want to use it as an accent to invigorate a space, draw inspiration from our use of it across our model homes in Breslau, ON; Houston, TX and Alpharetta, GA.

Versatility is everything when it comes to decorating, as accent pieces are often shuffled around a room to reflect changes in season or decor preferences. Royal Blue’s adaptability means that it can be used to bring a variety of design styles to life, from playful throw pillows that cozy up Lago Mar’s nautical-inspired living room to Chinoiserie vases that add a dash of daintiness to Harlow’s formal dining area.

Design Tip: If you’re unsure about introducing color to your home, start by incorporating decorative accents to see how it looks in a room. Colors found in nature, including greens and blues, are among the most livable.

Royal Blue tones down well, which is why it’s a top pick for an accent color. Draw inspiration from our Lago Mar master bedroom and Riverland family room and pair it with neutrals including grey, ivory, white and beige to keep it from feeling too overwhelming.

Used boldly as a cabinet and door color, Royal Blue energizes the Lago Mar kitchen and Reserve at Spring Lakes bathroom, playing up the coastal look in the kitchen and punching up the monochromatic color scheme in the bathroom, respectively. If you’re thinking of splashing a few drops of this inky hue on your own cabinets, don’t hesitate — Royal Blue complements almost any design style, is easy to mix-and-match with, and helps bring rooms to life.

If painted cabinetry isn’t enough to satisfy your love of this hue, then don’t shy away from using it to completely transform a room. Take a cue from our Harlow model home in Alpharetta and turn eyes upward with a coat of Royal Blue on the ceiling, or turn an often drab space, like the bathroom, into one that makes a statement by painting the entire room blue for a cocooning and dramatic look.

Buying furniture for a new home is one of the most exciting parts of the decor process, and in the age of social sharing sites like Pinterest and Instagram, there’s no shortage of design inspiration for every room of the home. Well-designed spaces make homes more livable, but it can be hard deciding between what to save and what to splurge on to help bring your vision to life and make your home function as efficiently as possible. Read on to discover what living room pieces we would save and splurge on.

In need of more design inspiration? See where to save on bedroom furniture, and learn how to budget for your design plans.

The Shabby Chic Flipbook

We’ve put together the ultimate tool to recreate The Shabby Chic look. Register at the bottom of this page to receive this flipbook and 3 more curated style guides straight to your inbox.

When it comes to decorating, black has a bit of a bad reputation. The shade is often perceived as being dark, depressing and dull when the opposite is actually true — black is dramatic, stylish and grounding, making it a must-have in every interior space. Its limitless versatility makes it a design favourite whether used as an accent or a statement-making hue. If you’re looking to welcome this authoritative colour into your own space, draw inspiration from our model homes in Thorold, Breslau, and Atlanta.

If nothing else, use black as your go-to accent colour in every room of the home. Black can help pull a room together, add contrast without clashing and give the eye a place to rest. Using small doses of black repeatedly throughout a space will ensure that it feels unified; accents like black picture frames, textiles and vases are all that’s needed to make a room feel cohesive and stylish.

Design tip: When decorating with black, play with pattern and scale to boost visual interest and add depth and dimension.

Black works well with any colour palette, making it a top choice for an accent hue. Pair it with bold pops of colour and warm metals to punch up a space, or tone it down with other subdued neutrals.

When it comes to black, a little goes a long way. A few drops of paint can rejuvenate a tired space, call attention to architectural details, heighten contrast or add intrigue. This commanding hue rewards boldness, so don’t be afraid to get your paint brush wet.

If you can’t resist having a little drama in your space, then don’t shy away from using black as your statement shade. Draw inspiration from our Hollywood Glamour model home in Breslau, and create a cocooning bedroom space or eye-catching kitchen by using black boldly.