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MODERN MAKEOVER SWANKY NEW LOOK FOR A SONGHEES TOWNHOUSE BY CAROLYN HEIMAN PHOTOS BY LEANNA RATHKELLY
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HE PREVIOUS OWNERS OF A SONGHEES TOWNHOUSE didn’t even recognize it after being invited back to see its top-to-bottom renewal. “They weren’t sure it was the right place [although they had lived there 20 years],” says new owner Rob Blackwell. And it’s small wonder that their recall synapses got a jolt. Right from the threshold of the front door, the alterations erased all trademarks of yesteryear — like peach and mauve colours, white melamine cabinetry, shiny gold pulls, carpets, small rooms and dated wallpaper. The space has been completely rethought from how it is used to how it fits with the outside environment. The former cubbyhole entryway is now bright and offers a welcoming view to the principle public areas. Go one step farther and the main floor — once cut up into smallish rooms that sabotaged the panoramic vista — is now airy and draped in a warm, transitional style, imbued with comfortable ambiance. The kitchen, completely reconfigured by Claire Reimann, certified kitchen designer for Jason Good Custom Cabinets, carries on the theme of easy elegance. “One of the challenges was to fit in every appliance [and the Blackwells wanted them all — from steam oven through to built-in Wolf coffee maker], have them in a good, functional location and still maintain enough storage space.” Reimann adds the island’s subtle L-shape mimics the kitchen shape, allowing more than two chairs to be seated around it.
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In the kitchen, a message centre (located away from food prep) provides a space to charge cell phones, leave keys and write memos and grocery lists on a chalkboard.