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A new-build townhouse can feel as layered as an old brownstone when the design starts with what cannot be added later: a clear point of view. In Ajax, Ontario, about 40 kilometres east of Toronto, Melanie Hazell and Robert Daprato downsized from central Toronto and asked their daughter, film and television props stylist and designer Robin Daprato, to give their end-unit townhouse a “Brooklyn brownstone” character.
The transformation relied on paint, hardware, lighting, storage and the couple’s own art and furniture rather than major structural work. Most doors and window frames became black, chrome hardware was replaced with black and brass, and three rooms were limewashed. The result is not a Brooklyn or Toronto residence; it is an Ajax home that borrows the visual language of an older urban house while taking advantage of a new building’s light, ceiling height and wooded setting.
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A new townhouse, deliberately made to feel old
The starting point was a blank slate. Melanie and Robert liked that the townhouse was new and did not require major structural work, but they did not want it to read as anonymous. Their end-unit position brought in more natural light, while the surrounding trees and creek gave the setting a cottage-like quality. Those conditions became part of the design instead of being hidden behind a heavy period-style treatment.
Robin’s concept connected the home to her parents’ creative lives. Melanie’s art collection, a significant armchair, a reupholstered vintage settee and rooms dedicated to music and painting supplied the history that a new house normally lacks. Robin summarized the approach this way: “Even new homes can hold soul, personality and warmth.”
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That distinction matters for anyone painting a recent townhouse. The goal is not to make every surface look distressed or historically authentic. It is to create enough contrast, material variation and personal evidence that the rooms feel inhabited and intentional.
The paint and finish decisions that established the mood
Black doors and window frames
The strongest visual move was also one the homeowners could execute themselves: they painted most of the doors and window frames black. Against pale walls and daylight, the dark outlines give openings the graphic weight associated with older masonry homes. They also visually connect separate rooms, so the townhouse reads as one composition rather than a collection of builder-standard spaces.
The source does not identify the paint brand, exact black, sheen or supplier. For a similar project, treat those choices as samples to test, not as a prescribed formula. Place large sample boards beside both daylight and evening lighting. A near-black with a softer undertone can feel less severe than a blue-black, while sheen changes how much trim reflects light and reveals brush or roller marks.
Black and brass instead of chrome
The homeowners replaced chrome hardware with black and brass finishes. This is a small intervention with an outsized effect because handles, hinges, faucets and cabinet pulls sit at eye level and are touched repeatedly. Coordinating those points with black-painted frames makes the dark color appear deliberate rather than incidental; brass introduces warmth so the palette does not become flat.
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Limewashed rooms
Three rooms were limewashed, another homeowner-led finish that adds cloudy variation rather than a uniform block of color. Melanie described the choice as part of the money-saving strategy: “Overall, we were budget conscious. The marble reeded sink was definitely an indulgence but worth every penny. To save money, we painted the majority of the doors and window frames black ourselves for a brownstone feel, and we limewashed three rooms, too.”
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Limewash is most convincing when the surface variation is intentional. On a test area, check how the finish changes as it dries and how it looks from across the room. Protect adjacent trim, floors and hardware, and follow the coating manufacturer’s requirements for surface preparation and ventilation. Because no product or color was disclosed for this home, copy the technique and layered appearance rather than searching for a supposedly exact match.
Lighting and reflection as visual tools
Robin said a cylindrical pendant helps the small living room feel wider, while a large mirror creates depth. The named dining pendant is the Akari 70EN by Noguchi. These effects are design judgments tied to this room, not guarantees that any pendant or mirror will enlarge every space. In a compact room, a fixture with a clear vertical shape can draw the eye upward, and a mirror placed to catch daylight can extend the apparent field of view.
The home’s airy feeling also depends on its end-unit windows, ceiling height, trees and creek. Paint cannot manufacture those conditions, but it can avoid fighting them. Dark frames can sharpen a view; excessive dark wall area could instead absorb light. Sample colors at the actual orientation of each room before committing.
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A practical painting plan for a brownstone-inspired townhouse
1. Map the visual lines before buying paint
Walk from the entry through the main living areas and mark every door, casing, window frame and built-in that will be visible from another room. A consistent treatment works best when the eye encounters the same dark-note pattern repeatedly. Decide whether closet doors, pantry doors and lower-level openings belong to the same scheme; stopping randomly can make the finish look unfinished.
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Clean the surfaces, remove hardware where possible, lightly abrade glossy factory finishes and repair dents or gaps. Masking alone will not correct uneven edges. Prime where the existing coating, material or color calls for it, then apply the black finish in controlled coats. Work from the least visible edges toward the room-facing surfaces and inspect the result in raking light before reinstalling hardware.
3. Test the black in context
Black is not a single visual experience. Compare samples beside the wall color, flooring, brass and daylight. Check the same sample at morning, afternoon and evening. If the room already has dark floors or cabinetry, a slightly softer black may preserve contrast without making the space feel compressed.
4. Plan limewash as a room finish, not an accent patch
Choose rooms where tonal movement supports the architecture, then test the finish on a board large enough to show brush direction and overlap. Keep the transition at a natural corner or architectural break. Protect electrical plates and adjacent surfaces, and allow the coating to cure according to its instructions before judging the final color.
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5. Reinstall hardware as part of the composition
Coordinate the finish of pulls, knobs, hinges and plumbing visible in the same sightline. The Ajax project’s black-and-brass combination demonstrates that a restrained mix can feel richer than a single metallic finish, but the balance should follow the room’s existing fixtures rather than a fixed ratio.
Storage and circulation solved more than decoration could
Ceiling-height kitchen cabinets
Closed cabinets run to the kitchen ceiling, using vertical volume for storage and keeping everyday items out of sight. In a small home, closed storage reduces the number of visual objects competing with the dark trim and art. Reserve the most reachable shelves for frequent-use items and use higher sections for seasonal or occasional pieces so the extra height remains useful.
A relocated island
The quartz-topped island was moved closer to the dining area to make the kitchen larger. The change shows why circulation should be tested before cabinetry is finalized: a few inches or a different axis can affect preparation space, passage width and the relationship between cooking and hosting. The family sold the original kitchen because its layout did not work for them rather than trying to disguise the problem with finishes.
Dining area versus a powder room
The couple accepted a smaller dining room to fit a two-piece washroom. That is a permanent trade-off between entertaining capacity and daily convenience. It did not prevent the household from hosting 18 guests for its book club’s annual Christmas dinner, but the event demonstrates that a compact dining room can still support a large gathering when the rest of the plan is flexible.
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Rooms for retreat
The townhouse includes separate places for each person to withdraw: a music room for Robert, an art studio for Melanie and a lower-level studio area used by Robin. These rooms are not decorative extras. They prevent the shared living area from having to accommodate every activity at once, an important strategy when the footprint is smaller.
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What small-home living feels like in this case
When asked whether the home ever felt claustrophobic, Melanie answered: “Not at all! The natural light, ceiling height, and surrounding forest and creek make the house feel airy, open and calm, despite its smaller footprint.” Her answer identifies the specific conditions supporting that experience rather than promising that every small townhouse will feel open.
She also gave a direct account of the compromises: “The pros are it’s easy to maintain, affordable and has a smaller environmental footprint. The cons include a laundry room located two floors away from the bedroom and more challenging space planning.” Those are the homeowners’ reported advantages and disadvantages, not universal measurements. Anyone considering a similar home should test the daily routes that do not appear in a floor-plan photograph: carrying laundry, storing equipment, accommodating guests and finding a quiet place to work.
Clutter control follows from those routes. Keep frequently used objects in closed cabinets, assign each creative activity a dedicated zone and avoid buying furniture that has no defined job. The Ajax home’s art and vintage pieces add personality because they were selected and preserved intentionally, not because every available surface was filled.
Where the budget went
House & Home’s September 11, 2026 feature lists selected costs for the project. These are reported project figures, not current market quotes, an independent audit or a complete budget.
| Item | Reported cost |
|---|---|
| Custom kitchen millwork | $29,000 |
| Furniture and accessories | $20,000 |
| Plumbing fixtures and reeded marble sink | $8,700 |
| Foyer marble tile and kitchen tilework, including installation | $8,500 |
| Kitchen counters and backsplash | $6,000 |
| Lighting | $4,800 |
| Kitchen appliances | $3,500 |
| Rugs, textiles and soft furnishings | $2,700 |
| Wallpaper and wall finishes | $500 |
The listed amounts add up to $83,700, but that subtotal is not the project’s total budget; other costs may not be itemized in the feature. The renovation took about one year. The cost pattern clarifies the couple’s “splurge and save” answer: the reeded marble sink was the indulgence, while painting doors and frames and limewashing three rooms were areas where they supplied their own labor.
Why the approach works for painters and renovators
- Start with the residents’ history. Art, a treasured chair, a reupholstered settee and rooms for music and painting make a new shell feel specific.
- Use paint to change hierarchy. Black openings make doors and windows architectural features; limewash gives selected walls material depth.
- Repeat finishes where the eye travels. Coordinated frames and hardware connect rooms without requiring structural changes.
- Protect light. The dark details are effective here because the end unit receives abundant natural light and has generous ceiling height.
- Design storage before styling. Ceiling-height closed cabinetry and assigned retreat spaces keep the visual character from being overwhelmed by daily clutter.
- Name the trade-off. A smaller dining room, a remote laundry room and more demanding space planning are part of the lived result, not flaws to conceal.
The Ajax townhouse demonstrates a transferable principle: period character comes from a coordinated set of decisions, not from one dramatic paint color. A new home can gain warmth when finishes, lighting, storage and personal objects all support the same story—provided the plan still works for the people who live there.
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