Midway through the second season of the hit reality TV show, My RONA Home, the contest is still too tight to call, but Team Yellow believes they can win by designing a home that caters to the needs of Raegan and Jesse Maley and their four young children.

Team Yellow is building an 1,761-square-foot Axiom home model from Sabal Homes in the lakeside community of Mahogany in southeast Calgary, and their designer Alana Humphreys says their design choices always factor in considerations for the children — Aidan (7), Grace (6), Lyla (4) and Violet (1).

“Ultimately, it is a home that has to work for the Maley’s and we’ve taken steps to ensure that the whole family finds the home to be as comfortable and functional for them as much as possible,” Alana tells New Home Living. “The design is what I like to call ‘transitional’ — meaning it blends traditional design with plenty of contemporary elements.” 

So far in the show, they have finished episodes on dry walling, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, dining room, laundry, living room and flex room. Humphreys says she is proud of the effort the whole team has heroically given in completing each task before them (their contractor, Greg Dudar, was famously injured in the first episode, but came back to help the team win the dry walling stage). 

Alana has worked with residential and commercial clients on a host of design projects to achieve one-of-a-kind living and working environments. Her approach to design is all about creating a seamless fusion of form and function, and she brings this kind of in-tune sensibility to the Team Yellow’s project.

Main floor mastery
The open concept of the Axiom lends itself well to the needs of this family of six, the dining room, kitchen and living room are contained in one free-flowing space perfect for the Maley’s needs. “We used a dark shade of bamboo flooring to create contrast with the light coloured walls – choosing a bamboo floor was important because the home needed to meet LEED specifications,” Alana says.

She says the high ceilings of the home — even the basement has nine-foot ceilings — makes it feel more spacious than its actual square footage, an important element given the family’s size.

“The living room was designed with Raegan’s best interests in mind. Designing a candle-place, using slat walls, a mirror and some creativity, this room was inspired by Raegan’s love for candle holders.”

“But the flex room by the main entrance is for Jesse. A space usually designed as a main office or den, the Maley’s wanted to have a room where Jesse — who has a real love for music — can have his guitars and stereo equipment,” she adds.

Kitchen chic
The kitchen is the beating heart of every home, and this one is no exception. The centre island with quartz countertops is at once a terrific work area for Raegan who loves to cook, has plenty of storage space, drawers and is great for quick meals with its extended breakfast ledge, and is a perfect spot for entertaining guests. 

“We were also able to put the microwave and the dishwasher in the centre island to create a seamless workflow, and also to help balance the overall symmetry of the kitchen with a tall pantry unit on one end, the fridge on the other and a beautiful custom hood fan above their cooktop stove,” Alana says.

Basement wonder
The basement with its cork flooring (another nod to LEED certification) is a family room where they can gather for TV/movie nights and a sanctuary for Grace and Lyla. “They wanted the room they share to be a princess room and that is exactly what they got, very whimsical — we had a lot of fun coming up with the design for this.”

They have their own full bath here, too. The basement adds 675 square-feet to the standard Axiom plan. “We knew we had to develop this space to accommodate the needs for this family,” Alana says.

Aidan’s room
Being the eldest child and the only boy, Aidan was going to need a room for his own, and the one they came up with is rightly his refuge from a houseful of sisters. “He loves dinosaurs and that was the theme for his room, the big windows facing the street give it a cheery outlook,” she adds.

Nursery fun
Violet is the youngest and it’s only fitting that her room would stand out. “We really went all-out with its design, colouring it in bold shades of pink, and also including a contemporary kind of wainscoting that gives the room a very playful, child-like quality.”

Master of their domain
The master bedroom is just as unique and full of the Maley’s character. “It’s spacious enough for a king-sized bed, which was important because we know that the kids are going to end up here more often than not,” Alana says.

But win or not, the Maleys are thrilled to be part of such an incredible opportunity, and Alana says she was fortunate to help make their dream a reality. You can help out the Maleys in their quest by going to www.citytv.com and voting for the Yellow Team.