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Elmire

By : La Firme

GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 15th edition

Discipline : Interior Design

Categories : Residence / Residential Space 1,600 - 5,400 sq.ft. (150 - 500 sq.m.) : Gold Certification

Categories : Residence / Bathroom

This project took a space in a mid-19th century building that’s been a textile mill, a Campbell’s soup factory, and finally a condo complex, and tailored it to the clients’ personalities.

As much original structure was exposed as possible. Posts and joists of massive BC fir became a warm accent. A series of arches became a natural divide. They also served as counterpoint to the project’s centerpiece–a massive, multi-functional white oak construction. These contrasting elements organize the space into a rectangular area for the kitchen and salon, and an L-shaped loft for the master bedroom and bath, with a combination gallery, conservatory and meditative space.

Design informed by personality
The oak block creates a narrow entrance in an act of spatial compression that pays off with the reveal of the larger space. Running from there, it hides outerwear storage, a laundry room, a water closet with fixtures by Naoto Fukusawa, and coffee nook with stainless-steel counter and integrated sink. In the kitchen, it becomes a pantry.

One half of the client couple is an engineer and geologist. The kitchen embodies his love of minerals and culinary passion. The counter is laser-cutbent stainless-steel, the cabinets a mix of white oak and Fenix panels. Quebec’s geological richness is brought inside with the island countertop, a slab of Labradorite granite. A table on a raised platform extends the island. At the salon, a higher split-level gives an elevated view of Mont Royal, and a custom drawer in it hides a guest bed.

On the other side of the arches are the gallery/conservatory and master bedroom/bathroom. In the bedroom, cabinets serve not only for clothes storage, but as a discreet home for the client’s wine collection. One wall of the bathroom features five slabs of book-matched Calacatta verde marble The rest is clad in tile, with a floor slanted for drainage. Natural light comes in from the gallery space through a band of glass blocks, in a wink to 1980’s condo design.

The gallery/conservatory is the loft area’s raison d’être. Bright and open, it puts on display the clients’ other great loves: an impressive collection of contemporary art and a space for playing music

Collaboration

Interior Designer : La Firme - Design & Construction Inc.

Photographer : Ulysse Lemerise

General Contractor : La Firme - Design & Construction

Acoustics : Acousticoncept

The project in images

Photo credit : Ulysse Lemerisse

Filter: Dining room, Home, Home (All), Kitchen

Photo credit : Ulysse Lemerisse

Filter: Dining room, Home, Home (All), Kitchen, Living room

Photo credit : Ulysse Lemerisse

Filter: Home, Home (All), Kitchen, Storage and Closet

Photo credit : Ulysse Lemerisse

Filter: Home, Home (All), Living room, Storage and Closet

Photo credit : Ulysse Lemerisse

Filter: Bedroom, Home, Home (All), Storage and Closet

Photo credit : Ulysse Lemerisse

Filter: Bathroom, Home, Home (All)

Photo credit : Ulysse Lemerisse

Filter: Entrance-Corridor-Stairs, Home, Home (All), Storage and Closet

Photo credit : Ulysse Lemerisse

Filter: Home, Home (All), Living room, Storage and Closet

Photo credit : Ulysse Lemerisse

Filter: Entrance-Corridor-Stairs, Home, Home (All)

Photo credit : Ulysse Lemerisse

Filter: Entrance-Corridor-Stairs, Home, Home (All), Kitchen, Living room

Photo credit : Ulysse Lemerisse

Filter: Dining room, Home, Home (All), Kitchen, Living room, Storage and Closet

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