Ideas of transparency and connection are explored in a house that blends old and new. An existing two storey house – renovated to include a third floor – is combined with a two storey contemporary addition that modestly integrates itself into the fabric of the neighbourhood. Visual and spatial connections travel three dimensionally, offering changing views and sensorial experiences as the occupant moves throughout the home.

The focal point of the residence is an uninterrupted flight of stairs spanning three stories. Ushering occupants to the third floor office and rooftop patio, the stairs are anchored around a three storey wooden insert that begins in the basement and stretches just shy of the roof.  An ascending flock of laser cut swallows helps to draw the eye upward, past all three storeys, through a large skylight at the top of the stairs and into the sky beyond. The use of modern materials – steel, wood, and glass for the stairs – helps act as a natural counterpoint to the textured brick dividing wall.

Similar connections between spaces occur in many areas throughout the home: A wooden slat wall immediately upon entry offers framed glimpses of the rooms beyond. A short passageway lined with illuminated ceiling panels helps to demarcate the division between the existing house and the new addition. A planter on the back deck continues through the exterior wall and into the kitchen, creating programmatic continuity between outside and in. A series of linear lighting features running throughout various spaces provide ambience while bridging rooms together. Custom millwork in the master ensuite begins as a vanity before wrapping down to terminate in a shower bench. These examples, among others, ensure a graceful path through the residence that still provides for unexpected moments of discovery.

This project is scheduled to be completed in the Fall of 2011.

On historic Palmerston Avenue, the interior of an old Victorian house has been re-imagined for the contemporary family. The interventions made in the home are uncompromisingly modern, yet still warm and compatible with its residents child-centric lives. The cheerful clutter of toys in the space doesn’t detract from our work, rather they complement each other, proving that modern design and family living need not be exclusive.

As the house has a very open plan, our work traces throughout the ground floor and helps to delineate different areas. Just inside the entrance foyer is a free-floating storage unit for coats and keys. The materials used here – a base of walnut wrapped by a band of white lacquered MDF – are the primary material choices for the home. Their deployment throughout the ground floor helps to unify the spaces and ensure a continuous and graceful flow from area to area.

Opposite of the storage unit is a built-in bench that serves as both a place to untie one’s shoes, and a seat for the main living space. This area is defined by a floor to ceiling wall of cabinetry - a strongly asymmetrical arrangement of open and closed storage, grounded by a built-in hearth. A wonderful cross section of the family’s interests exist here, some put on display, others neatly tucked away. From books to photos to children’s toys, the cabinet is an evolving hub of life in the home.

The materiality of the kitchen is integral with the rest of the house, but also defines itself with the addition of two new materials. White countertops wrap throughout the kitchen and a row of walnut uppers both provide a pop of colour and complement the other areas. The rest of the cabinetry is made of grey lacquered MDF and topped by laser-cut openings that provide for recessed lighting to shine through. The subdued colour palette of the kitchen allows for the living area to rightfully take centre stage.

Credits:

Photography: Andrew Snow