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Résidence à Westmount
By : Martha Franco Architecture & Design
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 16th edition
Discipline : Architecture
Categories : Special Award / Architecture + Heritage Enhancement
Categories : Residential Building / Prestige House : Silver Certification
A history of heritage – Connecting the past and present
The 11,800 sqft. home includes three main living floors, buffered between an upper attic space, and a storage cellar below. Gallery windows and vaulted ceilings provide a heritage framework for each of the home’s unique spaces. On the main floor, beginning at the entrance vestibule, a fabulous promenade serves as a natural connector between the spaces. Upon entering the home, a dining room area opens to the left, offering stunning city views through its expansive windows. The dining room is elegantly appointed with the custom-designed furnishings of MFA&D artistically anchored by a beautiful Italian marble table and a magnificent chandelier from Barlas Baylar. The room epitomizes the firm’s approach to the home, striking a demonstrative dialogue between classical design and present-day relevancy.
The living room is characterized by the elegance of custom contemporary furnishings in rich Italian velvets and silks. The adjacent breakfast nook includes a stunning chandelier by Gabriel Scott that brings to life the room and transitions into a contemporary kitchen showcasing a perfect blend of fresh materials and timeless heritage design.
Harmonious destinations
The main floor includes a music room, where the family often spends time playing music together in a space offering more intimate and secluded external views. Internally, the traditional feel of the room’s heritage elements is balanced by the custom-designed, contemporary furniture and lighting pieces carefully selected by MFA&D to highlight the couple’s art collection. Lighting design is prominent throughout the project and is epitomized by the music room’s stunning Nepenthes Cordon by Christopher Boots, characterized by its solid brass tendrils and glowing hand-blown glass.
Each room is designed as a destination within a destination and the main floor office space continues that trend with its theme of old and new. Green leather upholstering connects the space to traditional heritage office design with circle pendant lighting by Roll & Hill providing a fresh and illuminating touch.
Curating the museum details
In addition to achieving the seamless harmonization of heritage and contemporary design philosophies and elements, MFA&D’s informed selection of the most exquisite, high-quality materials for this project adds the vibrancy that brings it all to life. Minute detailing includes custom-upholstered walls that are consistent with traditional design but infused with fresh spectacular Italian fabric with a rich texture that captures light in a variety of different ways.
Detailing continues upon ascension to the master bedroom suite and guest bedrooms and bathrooms of the upper levels. We commissioned Canadian artist, Nicolas Ruel, to create a triptych installation for the second-floor hallway that connects the level’s rooms together. The artist, recognized worldwide for printing photographs on metals, delivered a triptych portrait of the owner, printed on bronze, as an artistic correlation between traditional design elements and modern techniques. Nicolas\’s exquisite work is well known among others in Peter Marino’s projects for Bvlgari and Christian Dior.
Lighting design and contemporary comforts carry through the unique spaces of the lower-level rooms, which includes a state-of-the-art gym, and a modern cinema room. The latter features lighting designs by Kelly Wearstler, including Covet Double Box and Nouvel sconce fixtures
Collaboration
