Appareil Architecture accompanied a young couple in renovating part of their duplex, transformed into a single-family home. The ground floor having already been refurbished, their interventions focused on the connections between the two levels and on refurbishing the upper level’s bedrooms and bathrooms.
Refined and inviting intimate spaces
From the moment you cross the threshold, the double-height and the glass guardrail along the first steps bathe the lobby in a soft light and create space in this rather short and compact section, typical of Montreal apartments.
A few steps above, a warm and comfortable resting area welcomes us into a boudoir space with library. While this versatile space is also where the paths leading to the three rooms converge, its position, slightly set back on the mezzanine, lends it the air of a cocoon one can retreat into to relax, read, and enjoy the day’s first rays of sun.
The children’s space, nestled between functionality and harmony
The two front rooms share a walk-in that opens onto a laundry room, thereby optimizing the washing and offering a large storage space. This connection between the two rooms is strengthened by the back wall’s green lime coating.
“In line with the clients’ desire to unite color and timelessness, we opted for a natural pallet – terracotta, clay, warm white – and noble materials like linen and lime, to create interiors that are less artificial, less smooth, more textured.”, explains Justine Dumas, designer at Appareil Architecture.
Practical and playful, the first bathroom was designed with young families in mind. The encased bath allows for toys to be placed all around the rim, and the drainpipe, integrated within the floor, welcomes waves during water fights. In line with the clients’ desire for color, the architects proposed orange-hued tiles on the walls and blue-flecked tiles on the floor and behind the bath. The integrated bespoke accessories and the hint of blue creates an airy and light contrast. To allow natural light to enter this windowless room, glass completes the partition above the bath.
The primary bedroom
The architects made use of the building’s elongated shape to create a bedroom that is almost independent from the rest of the floor. To emphasize a change in location, the wooden floor gives way to large terracotta tiles, which give the bedroom and walk-in closet a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The floor’s tiles match the red oak bed. Bespoke, it has an integrated headboard and side tables, creating a piece full of character that inhabits the space in and of itself, while at the same decluttering it.
A large window at the back of the bedroom and a door-window, which gives access to an intimate rooftop terrace, were added. Visible from the bed, the garden’s large pine tree brings nature into the room and transports its inhabitants out of the city. The Nordic green lime paint, which coats the wall with texture and presence, adds to the forest atmosphere.
The monochromatic bathroom seduces through its details and minimalism. The bespoke accessories, the encased cabinets and the reduced vanity emphasizing the sink contribute to optimizing the space while lending it its cachet. The concrete counter underlines the timelessness of the design.
The water chamber is composed of the same ceramic, cut into three formats: large rectangles on the ground, a half-width in the shower to create a non-slip effect, and fine slivers on the wall to accompany the curved effect.
To allow natural light to enter, the partition between the bathroom and the corridor was made entirely of glass. Two curtains serve to close the bathroom and the shower, creating intimacy when needed. The textile, the curves and the white-cream tones add to the space’s warmth.
During the first renovation, on the ground floor, the clients were forced to demolish the building’s original arches. Thus, they wished to reintroduce these into the current design. A glassed, arched doorway elegantly marks the entrance to the main room’s section. The striated glass creates intimacy while also letting in light.
“Here and there in the house, we find interventions that harken to curves, with the rounded wooden bed corner, the main bathroom’s cocoon shower, the arched glass door, the arch between the library and the corridor, and the mezzanine’s curved corner”, details Justine Dumas.
Taking advantage of the typical narrow plane of Montreal’s residential architecture, Appareil Architecture manages to smartly and beautifully let in more light and create greater intimacy. LA SAPINIÈRE, with its natural materials and thoughtful details, speaks to refined and welcoming interiors.
Material Used:
1. Flooring: Red oak
2. Doors: Custom made 8’ wooden door
3. Windows: Hybrid windows
4. Interior lighting: Luminaire Authentik
5. Countertop: Terrazzo, multi-surface concrete
6. Ceramic: Pico and Tierra by Mutina, distributed by Ramacieri Soligo
