Music to Everyone’s Ears
Nora Bumanis is a professional musician who plays the harp with the Edmonton Symphony.
She leads an active lifestyle and is very involved in the arts community. Nora is president of the Edmonton Recital Society, a small non-profit group that presents recitals of established and emerging international and local solo artists or small ensemble artists.
As a musician, Nora works very odd hours and works on holidays as well as tours. This and that she and her husband enjoy entertaining, often throwing dinner parties, and host traveling musicians that the society brings in to perform.
This meant that her home needs to be very versatile, the neighborhood needs to be near lots of with lots of accessible walking paths for walking in nature with her dog.
Nora also wanted a community that was eclectic and interesting, offering a variety of home styles, and environmentally sustainable.
She chose the Bonnie Doon area. As a rapidly emerging neighborhood with a mix of large and small homes, duplexes and triplexes. This is where it gets interesting.
Musicians are always practicing and struggle to find a quiet place to work. Nora lived in a variety of residences in Edmonton, but the last few condos there was an issue with the sound coming out of her unit.
Nora was approached by Battle Lake Design Company, and asked her if musicians struggle with finding a quiet place to work and her answer was absolutely. They introduced her to a home design that was built of straw, or straw homes. What is a straw home - they are energy efficient, environmentally friendly, strong and quiet.
A straw bale designed home fit all of Nora’s needs, especially the being quiet part.
She can practice in the middle of the night if she wants doesn’t disturb anybody.
Nora’s home is a triplex – main floor living, second floor bedroom and den and a lower floor rental suit. Nora can boast that she lives in the first multiplex straw bale house in Canada.
As environmentally efficient as it is, it needed to be more space efficient. That’s where Edmonton based Wallbeds-etc became the solutions provider.
Nora has a unique house with a unique design. Wallbeds-etc rose to the occasion. With the help of Wallbeds-etc’s expertise and design technology, Nora trusted Chief Designer Lyle Morley to come up with the solution.
Nora’s second floor den and lower floor rental little suite needed to be transformed into bedroom/office.
“On occasion, I have unexpected guests and even people who got stuck here in a snowstorm once. I'm not looking around at night finding bedding and putting it together, so it makes your guests feel more comfortable when they're here. I say, please stay the night”.
The second floor den was small, 8 ‘ x 10’.
As the name implies, Wallbeds-etc, was able to custom design a Murphy style fold-down twin-bed with combination office desk, storage and accent lighting for the den.
Next, the little rental suites bedroom was outfitted with a custom designed double bed/ desk combination with side-tower shelves, pull-out nightstand, accent lighting, file storage and even a space to hide the printer. Plus, easy accessibility of the electrical outlets, with everything hidden out-of-site.
“Also with my tenant's rental apartment, when you walk in, because it's so small and compact, first thing that would really jump out at you is this bed but now it's a tidy office and she feels more comfortable entertaining her guests too,” said Nora.
It’s also very convenient for guests, just effortlessly pull down the bed, then when they leave, you fold up the bed. Now you see it, now you don’t.
Wallbeds-etc offers many choices in attractive finishes and hardware, including Richelieu, but what was most attractive was that Wallbeds-etc custom made everything. Something the competitors could not offer. That is the “etc” part!
What also attracted Nora was the friendly service, wide showroom selection and the fact that all Wallbeds are manufactured right here in Edmonton, including the Araam mattresses, handcrafted, and scientifically designed for the best sleep.
The personalized Wallbeds-etc Cutomer Buying Process was simple, affordable, and timely. The installation was done in a day. And if any maintenance was required, they have the support of the Wallbeds-etc service team for at-home service.
Having a place for guests to sleep, work, and exercise in the same area offered more functionality to her already active life. With Wallbeds-etc’s elegant design and excellent craftsmanship, she can entertain her guests and maximize her straw built home and rental suites overall living space more.
Now that is music to Nora’s ears, but not her neighbors.
Wallbeds-etc offer so much to choose from, fold down single, double or queen size beds, a space that converts to a study area, with desk or workstation. Side towers and overhead storage for keeping things organized to a wardrobe for your clothes. You pick the materials and finish to match your home décor, then lighting, plugins, and USB ports that bring it to life.
Have a question about Walbeds-etc or Murphy bed, contact Wallbeds-etc today at 780 468 7088 or visit their showroom to find how to turn your spare room or empty space into best usable space possible. Wallbeds-etc is the space solution experts in Edmonton and surrounding areas. Don’t just take our word for it, check out customer reviews, then visit our online showroom to get started.