Home In Canada - Montreal - Autumn 2020

MONTREAL

AUTUMN

Sharon Azrieli presents

CANADIAN BY DESIGN

TIFFANY

ISSUE

P R AT T QUEEN OF COLOUR

COLOURFUL DESIGN

CONSERVE AND PRESERVE

Homes with vibrant hues

Make your own jams and pickles

PANDEMIC REAL ESTATE

AGING IN PLACE

The demand for single-family houses

Modifying a home for the long run

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PUBLISHER’S LETTER

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Hello dear reader, I have always believed in colour. Life is too short to spend any of it—at all—in colourless rooms . . . rooms that are beige and charcoal. Part of our mission as a design magazine is to inspire you, dear reader, to think in bold, new ways. I want to show you how wonderful colour can be. How long have I railed against the neutral beiges and greys that have dominated the interior design zeitgeist in North America!

Granted, neutral palettes have their place. They can be soothing, calming. But if ever there were a time to create colourful interiors in our homes, it is now. Especially when many of us have had enough of the grim news that 2020 keeps dishing up. We need a happy-home palette now more than ever.

So when I had the serendipitous good fortune to meet Tiffany Pratt, a Toronto-based designer who clearly has the same opinion as mine about neutrals, imagine my delight. Her world is joyfully colourful and exuberant.

When I interviewed Tiffany in her apartment in The Beaches, I was immediately embraced and felt at home with her bold use of colours, patterns and textures.

I am also impressed by her concern for the environment. Known to Canadians for her television programs, Home to Win and Buy It, Fix It, Sell It, Tiffany believes that it’s not necessary to start from scratch with design.

She retools cast-off furnishings to create new and beautiful interiors, a practice that eases the pressure on our resources. This do-it-yourself attitude and recycling resourcefulness is so important for us all to have right now.

So many of us are struggling, not just financially, but with the constraints on us physically and emotionally. We need to take stock of what we have in the closet, yes, and throw out what does not fit, but that is not always the only answer. As Tiffany says: “If an old chair is still good, repaint it! Re-upholster it! Make it new! Life can be beautiful. Things can be beautiful.”

We just have to keep our eyes new, and using colour is one of the ways to brighten our environments. Tiffany Pratt is a natural “environment brightener,” and heavens knows we need all of those we can get these days!

Enjoy my interview with her on page 20 and please, stay safe!

DR. SHARON AZRIELI Publisher

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THE AUTUMN ISSUE

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EDITOR’S LETTER

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WHAT A DIFFERENCE six months can make.

One minute we’re blithely commuting to our jobs with nary a thought of viruses rampaging around the globe. The next, we’re at home, doing Zoom meetings from our dining rooms and trying to focus on work while children vie for our attention, dogs whine to be walked and cats leap atop our keyboards. Is it any wonder that many of us are carving out special niches in our houses as home offices?

Yes, those dedicated spots may be in the basement between the furnace and the laundry sink or in an attic guest bedroom. But it’s clear that home-based work is probably going to be a way of life for a long time. So, in this issue, writer Elisabeth Kalbfuss tells us about the new home office, which is driven by pandemic demand. Her story is filled with advice on how you can create the right workspace in your own home.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also catalyzed changes in the real estate market as a growing cohort of urban dwellers leaves multi-family housing to move into single-family homes in suburbia and rural communities. Writer Wendy Helfenbaum explores this ongoing trend in her feature about the pandemic-driven real estate market.

We are also dedicating this issue thematically to the issue of accessibility. While accessible public buildings and housing have always been essential for people with disabilities, the need for inclusive design will

become increasingly dire in the next few decades as baby boomers—that giant population bulge—move through their senior years. It’s interesting that the concept of Universal Design (design that benefits everyone, including people with disabilities) arose in the aftermath of the Second World War, when injured veterans of the pre-baby-boom generation needed accessibility.

In this issue, Toronto writer Dee Gibney tells us about the condo building she inhabits that is not only accessible for its residents who have disabilities, but also offers them the services that help them maintain autonomy.

We need many more buildings just like it.

Cheryl Cornacchia shows us how a home can be adapted to allow its aging owners to stay put well into their senior years. Tracey MacKenzie tells us about the growing field of neurodesign, which creates spaces that help people living with dementia.

Finally, because this is autumn, you’ll want to read Susan Semenak’s Kitchen Chronicles column about how to preserve the bounty from your vegetable patch. And if you’re one of those gardeners who laments the end of summer (I am!), do check out Julie Gedeon’s story about indoor plants and how they’re becoming increasingly popular among those of us who don’t want to stow our trowels and watering cans just because summer is finished.

STEPHANIE WHITTAKER Editor-in-Chief stephanie@homeincanadamagazine.ca There are several ways you can stay in touch with us: @homeincanada @athomeincanada @HomeInCanadaMag

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MADE IN ITALY CERTIFIED

CONTRIBUTORS

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DEE GIBNEY As a former newspaper photo-journalist based in Hong Kong and London, and a broadcaster for CBC, TVO and CTV, Dee Gibney has produced exclusive features on social, environmental, and design issues. Years ago, she spent a day in a wheelchair navigating city streets and buildings to understand the obstacles faced by people with disabilities. She continues to address the challenges around disability and accessibility as a journalist and producer of educational films. The unique arrangement for people with disabilities in her own condo building in Toronto’s Distillery District inspired this issue’s story about accessible condo design.

TRACEY MACKENZIE A designer by vocation, Tracey MacKenzie was one of the first of her ilk to embrace the emerging field of neuroscience for design. Her background in feng shui led her to understand how our environments affect our psyches. But it was the impact that a room had on her mother, who’d had a stroke, that led Tracey to study the work of Dr. John Zeisel, and then to study the effects of Snoezelen rooms on children with behavioral issues. In her feature about design for dementia, Tracey cites ways to help someone with Alzheimer disease and other forms of dementia be more comfortable at home or in a residence.

SUSAN SEMENAK Susan Semenak is currently shuttling between her kitchen and her backyard garden in a mad dash to preserve what she can before the first frost. She’s the writer and photographer behind the Kitchen Chronicles column, which is full of simple culinary ideas for holding on to fall’s glory. Susan also profiled the colourful Vancouver home of the Lu family in this issue.

BARBARA MILNER Barbara Milner is a journalist, designer and real estate agent based in Toronto. She has covered design for such television networks as CBC and CTV. She reports for Houzz America on design and decor topics. In this issue, Barbara examines how the rights of disabled veterans after the Second World War gave birth to the discipline of Universal Design and how innovative designers and products are offering creative solutions, proving that designing for human diversity benefits us all.

NADINE THOMSON Montreal-based interior designer Nadine Thomson began her career designing the interiors of high-end private jets and so, as one client puts it, “this is why she is so good working with small spaces.” Her aerospace background notwithstanding, Nadine always keeps one foot on the ground while reaching for the creative ether by mastering the art of harmonizing “high” and “low” elements in design projects. She has a reputation for making clients feel they’ve received the biggest bang for the buck by knowing “when to squeeze and when to make the splash.” The home she profiles for this issue in her Before and After column is no exception. “It illustrates the potential all projects have whenever there is great synergy of creativity and mindset,” Nadine says. “Anything can happen.”

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Montreal Edition Volume 12, number 4, Autumn 2020 Date of Issue: September, 2020 6100 TransCanada Highway Suite 100, Pointe-Claire Quebec H9R 1B9

Call 1-866-846-1640 www.athomeincanada.ca sales@homeincanadamagazine.ca info@homeincanadamagazine.ca

PUBLISHER Dr. Sharon Azrieli, CQ CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Stanley Kirsh EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Stephanie Whittaker ART DIRECTOR Nader Meleika EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Carmen Lefebvre CONTRIBUTORS Cheryl Cornacchia Julie Gedeon Dee Gibney Lana Harper Wendy Helfenbaum Elisabeth Kalbfuss Susan Kelly Tracey MacKenzie Barbara Milner Phillipa Rispin Susan Semenak Nadine Thomson PHOTOGRAPHERS Larry Arnal Azen and Kevin Bongard Maxime Bocken Donna Griffith Drew Hadley Gillian Jackson Joel Klassen Stephen Li Amanda Oster Kate Richards Susan Semenak Nadine Thomson STYLISTS Cynthia Ferguson Amanda Gillies Ildiko Horvath Sara King Reisa Pollard Tara Finlay Yvonne Whelan

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Matthew Azrieli CONTROLLER Jenny Marques DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Artur Kozyra DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS MARKETING & SALES Liliana Da Costa DIRECTOR OF SALES NATIONAL (ON LEAVE) Kelly Chicoine For sales inquiries, please email Liliana Da Costa: liliana@ homeincanadamagazine.ca TRANSLATOR Sophie DesHaies PROOFREADER (FRENCH) Sarah Benchaya LEGAL DEPOSIT 1927-324x Home In Canada Inc. 2019. All rights reserved. Any copying or reproduction of content without the written permission of Home In Canada is strictly prohibited. issn

Design and Planning Integrated Landscaping Project Garden and Lawn Maintenance

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CONTENTS

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20 ON THE COVER COLOURFUL LIFE

Toronto designer Tiffany Pratt has filled her own apartment with bold colours, and designs her clients’ homes with strong hues, too

PLAYING CHICKEN

This home, with its exuberant farmhouse style, boasts an entourage of pet hens, along with four dogs, four cats and a parrot

30

54

INCLUSIVE LIVING

Developers are responding to a growing awareness of the housing needs of people with disabilities

70

TURN OVER A NEW LEAF

As the gardening season draws to a close, avid gardeners turn their horticultural focus indoors

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linenchest.com

32 stores

Canadian owned

CONTENTS

6

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

8

EDITOR’S LETTER

16

THIS JUST IN A selection of new items for your home

38

SHEER GENIUS Sheers, also called privacy curtains, are as beautiful as they are practical

40

HOME WORK Some COVID telecommuters are renovating their home offices for the long term

52

SIMPLIFYING THE PROCESS Real estate broker Sylvie Ménard works to minimize the stress of buying and selling a house

62

URBAN PIED-À-TERRE A Toronto designer transforms a pied-à-terre by using vibrant colour and luxurious textures

78

FABULOUS FENESTRATION Walls of windows open design possibilities in this Port Credit, Ontario home

86

LEGENDARY BLUE Blue Willow is a centuries-old ceramics pattern that depicts a fascinating Chinese tale

90

VIEWS OF THE GREENERY Despite its urban location, this house in the Beaches neighbourhood of Toronto is surrounded by a wall of tall vegetation

96

ROOM TO BREATHE The COVID pandemic has inspired people to buy single-family homes away from urban areas

106

LAKESIDE GENTRIFICATION This year-round home in Venise-en-Québec is part of an ongoing redevelopment of this vacation area

112

WHERE DESIGN AND NEUROSCIENCE INTERSECT The aim of neurodesign is to create nurturing interiors to help those with dementia and Alzheimer disease

126

DESIGNING FOR DIVERSITY Universal Design is becoming the standard for inclusive livability

130

SAFETY STARTS AT HOME Autumn’s Fire Prevention Week reminds us to check our smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

132

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN Artist Ildiko Horvath uses paint to breathe new life into old furnishings

140

A PIVOTAL SEASON A rare astrological alignment promises major changes that will be reflected in home design

142

STAYING PUT Baby boomers are renovating their homes to allow them to age in place

150

THE BIG SWITCH A woman and her husband swap homes with her parents and set to work redesigning and renovating her childhood home

152

DON’T MOVE! A family upgrades their aging home after unsuccessfully scouting the real estate market in search of another house

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WELCOME HOME

This Montreal house was redesigned to allow its owners to host large family gatherings

46

CONSERVES AND PRESERVES

Prolong autumn’s harvest by transforming it into jams, pickles and herb salts

102

EXUBERANT STYLE

A Vancouver couple who love fashion create high-spirited design in their home

118

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DESIGN

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N I T S JU S I H T

SOFT TOUCH Wrap yourself in luxury and comfort with this ultra-soft duvet cover. Made of 100 per cent rayon from bamboo, it is moisture-absorbing, sustainable and naturally hypoallergenic.

Available in eight colours: white, ivory, hickory, coral, spa-blue, lilac, green and silver. Available from Linen Chest.

Linen Chest www.linenchest.com

MARBLE MARVEL Made of marble and accented with a chrome base, the sophisticated and sturdy Marmo bath collection is suitable for any bathroom decor. Complete the theme with the full collection, which includes a toilet-brush holder, wastebasket, tissue box, lotion dispenser, toothbrush holder, soap dish and tumbler. Available from Linen Chest.

Linen Chest www.linenchest.com

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DESIGN • HOME IN CANADA • AUTUMN 2020

STAND ON THE FLOOR

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STAND ON THE WALL With quality and design as their top priorities, Natural Collection Stands

This stylish guitar stand never fails to attract attention. Its sleek and elegant

has created this beautifully designed, high-quality wall hanger to display

curves were designed to complement the beauty of your prized instruments

your musical instruments in style. Features include stainless steel pegs,

while adding a sophisticated touch to the room. Hand-stitched cork fabric

hand-sewn Portuguese cork fabric, solid walnut hardwood construction and

sleeves offer a beautiful protective layer between your guitar and the stand,

a simple cleat-mounting system that makes it quick and easy to put on any

keeping it safe. Available from Natural Collection Stands.

wall. Available from Natural Collection Stands.

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KEEPING EACH OTHER COMPANY

THE WOW EFFECT

These stacking rings by Gloria Bass Design are created to be together.

The word “mesmerizing” applies here. These striking 18-karat white gold

They’re made of 18-karat yellow gold with diamonds.

earrings from Gloria Bass Design have aquamarines, pink and blue sapphires and melaphyr agates. Sure to garner attention.

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THE AUTUMN ISSUE

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Are you fully protected?

First Alert fire safety products provide reliable protection you and your family have trusted since 1958.

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COVER STORY

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QUEEN OF

COLOUR

Designer Tiffany Pratt uses colour and creativity in everything she does

BY SHARON AZRIELI PHOTOGRAPHY: DONNA GRIFFITH

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Photo by Nikki Leigh McKean, www.nikkileighmckean.com

COVER STORY • HOME IN CANADA • AUTUMN 2020

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COVER STORY

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Photo by Lauren Kolyn, www.laurynkolynstudio.com

IT WAS A GREY AND BLUSTERY DAY in February, and I was thrilled that I was able to walk up the stairs to Tiffany Pratt’s Toronto apartment. My broken knee had barely healed, and it was my f irst trip without my cast and cane. Who could have foreseen that three weeks later we would be in a new world of miseries, quarantined with COVID-induced heartaches?

I hope that our readers have been able to enjoy our magazines from the comfort of their homes, with a minimum of health issues. I hope that articles such as this have provided some inspiration by illuminating our homes and bettering our lives.

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Someone as brilliant and creative as designer/artist Tiffany Pratt was the perfect person to have interviewed just before the quarantine lockdown. As we sat down to talk, she said there are many things in her home that are about keeping one’s spirits strong, keeping our creativity at the forefront, and ensuring that “colour is always king.” I retorted that in Tiffany’s case: queen!

Tiffany’s apartment is on the top f loor of a building in the coveted Beaches neighbourhood of Toronto, near the Lake Ontario shoreline. She got a good deal on the rent years ago and has spent a lot of time and energy making the apartment her own, using one room just for her clothes. All of the walls

display her paintings and collections, and most of the furnishings are her creations or found objects. There is not a spot or a space that does not scream “Tiffany was here” or “Tiffany has made this her own.”

As we sat down together, Tiffany spoke about her mother. “She was a creator who just taught us to know who we are and go after what was important to us,” she says. It is this love of the creative urge that Tiffany used to teach art to children and adults at her Toronto studio, Glitter Pie. She put it into her book This Can Be Beautiful. And she infused it into her television programs, Home to Win and Buy It, Fix It, Sell It. –>

COVER STORY • HOME IN CANADA • AUTUMN 2020

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“At a really young age, I knew colour made me happy. I was always moving things around. I was always making stuff because my mom is a creative person. We always had paints in the house and sewing mchines and she just always let me play.”

Photo by SASA www.cali.com

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COVER STORY

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Photo by Danielle Matar, www.daniellematar.com

After a short stay in Australia where she mostly painted, Tiffany studied apparel and textiles at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, but did not graduate. Then she worked at the Saks Fifth Avenue Club as a personal shopper. After that job, she branded a hair care line, and moved into interior design when she and her partner bought a home in Connecticut and she began designing it. This led her to “crafting” or “making.” She refers to herself as a “maker.” Like all great creatives, as I always say, she has her own lexicon, and “maker” is one of her most important words.

“The maker is someone who celebrates the handmade, celebrates the use of their own two hands when assembling something.”

Photo by Lauren Kolyn, www.laurynkolynstudio.com

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COVER STORY • HOME IN CANADA • AUTUMN 2020

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It was her thrifty, funky, salvager style that quickly put Tiffany on the map. Her great television persona and use of social media soon made her well-known across Canada and then in the U.S. In 2008, after a decade in New York, she returned to Canada to be closer to family. She opened Glitter Pie and it was here that her television career was launched after Toronto’s Breakfast Television broadcast from the studio, permitting the city to appreciate her charismatic presence.

She helped my stepdaughter design her nursery for the birth of her first child. “We incorporated new and old items to give her a playful and one-of-a-kind aesthetic,” Tiffany says.

She says people appreciate that she’s thrifty. Her craftiness enabled her to develop a large clientele whom she has fun working with: “I’m going to add things, to upholster what they already had, to paint existing furniture,” she says. It also differentiates her from some designers who encourage their clients to dispose of their belongings and buy new. –>

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COVER STORY

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Tiffany is clear about what distinguishes her from other designers. “Some other designers don’t want to put their hands in it,” she says.

“They don’t want to put in the tiling and paint the floors. One of my very, very, very first gigs here in Toronto was a condo that I did with my own two hands by myself—painted out the kitchen, ripped up the floors.”

Similar in philosophy to other contractors and designers we have come to love in this series, Tiffany believes that the more she knows and understands her projects, the better.

“When you learn how to create, it gives you greater power because you can understand the tradesmen and you can explain things with authority,” she says. “You’re not just some diva that’s pointing your finger in your high heels, telling them what to do.”

Photos courtesy of Tiffany Pratt

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COVER STORY • HOME IN CANADA • AUTUMN 2020

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Photo by Danielle Matar, www.daniellematar.com

“I did not come from lots of cash where I felt like I had the ability to waste what I had. I knew that everything had to be repurposed in order to look like there was more. Part of the thriftiness and being creative is to use what you have, to make it look like it is more than what it actually is.”

This do-it–yourself attitude has made Tiffany popular. Her way of explaining things to people enables them to create their own projects that keep them and their children busy and happy.

For many of us, the past few months spent mainly at home have given us an opportunity to take stock of our homes and our situations and to be grateful for all that we have, including our health. But it has also been an opportunity to clean up and clear out our messes.

And now, more than ever, what preoccupies Tiffany is the idea of recycling.

Tiffany’s ideas about recycling and repurposing are important. “I’ve always been so sensitive about the planet since I was a little girl,” she says. “I don’t know why, but it’s always hit me how valuable our resources have been. I remember being the president of the pollution solution club in elementary school, and I’d clean the garbage off the school yard.

“I love understanding that there’s a history to what we already have. I love showing people their own things back to themselves in a new way. I love integrating stories of things-past in a super-styled environment where people would never have imagined this piece of paper or this piece of art in a new context.” –>

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COVER STORY

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It is a timely message that the Queen of Colour has for us, and she claims that it has always been her message. Even when she was teaching art in a studio down the street, she emphasized the use of recycled and recyclable materials. She says it’s important branding for personalities to consider before they become big names. “Who are you, really? What do you stand for? What’s important to you?”

Photo courtesy of Tiffany Pratt

Photo of Nikki Leigh McKean, www.nikkileighmckean.com

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COVER STORY • HOME IN CANADA • AUTUMN 2020

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“We’re not just creative through music or conceptual or physical art. That’s not the case. Art is everywhere. Art is in our buildings. Art is how things are made. It’s all art. We just have different faces. We believe that we’re not artists, but everyone out there doing their work is an artist.”

Photo courtesy of Tiffany Pratt

She was nominated for a Green Toronto Award. “You use renewable energy, you have to be your message every day,” she says. “It’s not just for the public. It’s not just for consumption in magazines. You have to activate the things that are important to you, even when the cameras aren’t rolling, because that’s what actually creates the difference.”

Of course, she is right. But how many of us are able to live the message, to actually learn how to use those complicated composting and recycling bins?

And last, I ask Tiffany what we all want to know: what’s next for Tiffany Pratt?

“Being a guide for others to understand that if this crazy pink-haired whack can do it, you can do it too,” she says.

When I dare to ask if Tiffany thinks that everyone can be creative, I get the lesson for my year: “We’re not just creative through music or conceptual or physical art. That’s not the case,” she says. “Art is everywhere.

Art is in our buildings. Art is how things are made. It’s all art. We just have different faces.

We believe that we’re not artists, but everyone out there doing their work is an artist.

“And so, I want to help or teach or support anyone in their creative journey as an artist, as a designer, to do the same.”

This is the brilliance of Tiffany Pratt. She has been very clear in showing the world who she is. She is open and bright and likeable. Let her light shine on us and let all her colours come shining through. Carry on, Queen of Colour!

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DESIGN

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BEING ZEN WITH HENS

The owners of this joyfully decorated home share their space with a flock of contented chickens

BY SUSAN KELLY PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING: KATE RICHARDS

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DESIGN • HOME IN CANADA • AUTUMN 2020

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DESIGN

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HOW TO IMPROVE on the time-honoured ritual of a quiet cocktail at day’s end? Indulge in the company of a flock of friendly fowl, says Kate Richards, a Pasadena, California-based artist and lifestyle blogger. Her special mix of original drink recipes liberally garnished with quirky wit have led to a large social media following and recently released book, Drinking with Chickens: Free-Range Cocktails for the Happiest Hour (Running Press, 2020).

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Docile poultry pose on laps and in unexpected places in the cheeky photos she posts on Instagram. For this shoot, a favourite hen perches precariously on a stairwell; others roost on benches. But Kate learned early on not to let her small mixed flock free-range into the 112-year-old farmhouse home she shares with husband Jonathon, four dogs, an equal number of cats and an African Grey parrot.

DESIGN • HOME IN CANADA • AUTUMN 2020

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Kate’s love of colourful rugs in ethnic-inspired patterns extends to the back garden.

There her creative use of both wall and vertical planters makes the most of limited space and provides a stylish backdrop for Phoebe, the boxer dog, and Rigby, a Doberman mix. Rugs: World Market; teak chaises: Ikea.

“If you leave a door open, chickens will walk in and take over,” she says. “So we made them their own special compound.” The pampered birds have the run of a tastefully appointed garden at the back of the 7,500-squarefoot lot. At night, they retire to the custom chicken coop, to which Kate added an artful facade of colourful horizontal stripes. It serves a practical function as well, keeping them safe from coyotes and other predators.

When the couple bought the house 12 years ago, it was a foreclosure property in dilapidated condition. But Kate could see potential for the suburban backyard farm of her dreams.

Having grown up on one with “every type of domesticated animal except chickens,” she had always longed for a flock to call her own. At the time, she was unaware there might be zoning restrictions. Fortunately, backyard chickens are allowed in the couple’s area. –>

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The y t ack le d t he r enovat ion o f t he 1,250-square-foot home themselves with occasional assistance from a contractor friend.

The project was completed in stages over six years, during which time they lived onsite.

The top or main floor, which lies at street level due to the lot’s sharp slope in the back, came first.

The home’s interior was gutted to create an open-concept layout. The living and dining areas lie off the front door with the kitchen beyond, as well as a guest powder room and the main bedroom and bath. Two additional bedrooms and a full bathroom are on the lower level that lets onto the back garden.

Nixie, the parrot, greets visitors and makes comments from her vantage point near the door. The dining area reflects Kate’s eclectic approach to decorating, a deft mix of family heirlooms with items sourced at either local shops or online retailers. The red metal wall medallion was a gift from her mother.

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Views of the main suite. The original painting by Kate that dominates the bathroom (below) was inspired by a running joke in the family. As a child she tended to “swear like a sailor,” leading her mother to bemoan: “Why can’t you be a delicate flower?”

Once the bones were in place, Kate then turned an eye to the decor. “It’s all me,” she says. “My decorating style has been called modern farmhouse, but I prefer ‘farmhouse quirk’ or maybe ‘adjacent.’ ” Shiplap, a mainstay of the look, does cover the vaulted ceilings on the main floor and one wall of the main bedroom. But she made the choice before it was a trend and on the advice of her father, a former Navy man and current weekend sailor.

She also likes “things that are brightly coloured and make me laugh.” As a backdrop for them, Kate painted most walls a warm white with the occasional accent wall in an urbane shade of grey. She then adds accessories in her favourite shades of vibrant red-orange or coral. Both the home’s back doors and several items of furniture are painted vermillion, including an antique dresser her grandfather made. The colours also predominate in the paint and patinated-metal mixed-media art she creates. Many of her works hang throughout the house. –>

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Kate still loves the kitchen with its farmhouse sink and concrete countertops. But since she “only cooks cocktails,” the outdoor bar area gets more use. Neon chicken sign designed by Kate Richards: Brite Lite Tribe; encaustic pattern tiles: Merola; chicken-themed barware available at www.drinkingwithchickens.com.

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As well, she commissioned some large-scale chicken portraits in mixed media on wood from artist and friend Emily Reid. And one wall in the outdoor bar area is adorned with a puckish hot-pink neon chicken sign designed

by Kate. Chicken-themed thrift store purchases can also be found. “When you walk in, you know the crazy chicken lady lives here.

They’ve invaded my decor,” Kate says.

Much as she loves the kitchen that dominates the main-floor layout, in retrospect, she thinks that less space should have been devoted to it. Since neither is big on cooking, Kate and Jonathon tend to spend more time outdoors in the lower-level bar area and the garden beyond. Pre-pandemic, they would entertain groups of friends or family on the elevated deck off the kitchen. There, a large dining table seats eight people comfortably, and the spacious sectional piled with pillows has seen many a happy hour.

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The outdoor living-dining room is all about southern California laid-back chic and comfort. Lush greenery in raised planters reflects Kate’s belief that an abundance of plants adds life and texture to any space. The photo below shows the area outside the double garage, also treated to Kate’s decor flair and wit.

“That changed during lockdown, of course,” she says. “My husband is a television editor and now works from home for the first time in his career. Our garden and chickens have been sanity savers.” Kate has always found it very soothing to sit and watch the flock “just chickening around.” She thinks that her social media platform took off so quickly because many other chicken owners do, too. They also share her belief that the experience is that much better with a good cocktail in hand.

“My home is about what makes me happy, and chickens have always been part of it,” Kate says. “They provide the organic fertilizer in which I grow the ingredients for my cocktails, and I often use their eggs in drinks. And they are the happy-hour entertainment.”

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SHEER GENIUS

Sheers, also called privacy curtains, are as beautiful as they are practical

BY SUSAN KELLY

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LET THERE BE LIGHT—plus privacy and on-trend style. You can have it all in a window treatment, according to André Michel, home decor senior buyer for Fabricville. “These are just some of the reasons why sheer curtains are such a big trend for 2020,” he says.

“Sheers” are sometimes called privacy curtains because they excel at keeping the gaze of unwelcome eyes out. They also help block the UV rays that can damage furniture and flooring. At the same time, they ensure the maximum amount of natural light comes in.

And that not only helps elevate your mood but also makes any room feel bigger, brighter and more inviting. Bonus: you can still see out and enjoy the view.

And style-wise, today’s options definitely are not your grandmother’s sheers. The classic look calls for a translucent fabric panel discreetly covering a window, flanked by contrasting heavier drapery. In contrast, the contemporary approach makes the light, airy sheer curtain the star of the show, according to this design expert.

“It’s an evolution of the bare window trend of recent years,” says Michel. “By having a sheer curtain only, the look stays clean and minimal but also adds a welcome design element.”

The approach is especially sought after by condo dwellers with banks of floor-to-ceiling windows, he says. For one, it’s a more cost-effective approach than blinds. And sheer curtains help to soften the look of hard glass and steel surfaces, making a space feel homier and more inviting.

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Photo by Vecislavas Popa

For the ultimate in simplicity and elegance, opt for the ripple-fold type of sheer curtains. It is made possible by installing a track system with special carriers onto which fabric panels are snapped. When open, the fabric falls in a consistent s-curve, creating an undulating wave or ripple effect. When closed, ripple-fold curtains take up far less window space than other styles, less than 25 per cent. And they unsnap easily when it is time for a cleaning.

Ripple-fold sheer curtains and hardware are available at Fabricville by custom order.

While it is possible to install the tracks yourself, Michel recommends calling in the company’s professional installation team. To further personalize the look, there are many

fabric options available, from easy-care polyester voile to linen or cotton blends.

In-store, you will also find other sheer curtain options, including conventional pleated versions, both custom and off-theshelf. You can meet with a designer in-store or take advantage of the shop-at-home service at no charge, an option that is still available in the greater Montreal area. All necessary precautions are taken when Fabricville’s designers visit a home, including mask-wearing, physical distancing and hand-sanitizing.

Staff are trained in the technical side of each kind of sheer to help you get the right balance of style and function. You may, for instance, want to combine your sheer curtains with a blackout shade in the bedroom.

“Another big trend is layering sheer curtains,” says Michel. “You might put, say, an off-white, blush or other colour of sheer over a pure white one. Or try a sheer curtain over a sheer blind. There are so many ways to make this look your own.”

Fabricville www.fabricville.com

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HOME WORK Some COVID telecommuters are renovating their home offices for the long term

BY ELISABETH KALBFUSS

LENNY DI PALMA describes working from home during the early days of the COVID19 pandemic as a game of musical chairs.

He and his wife tried setting up work spaces in different parts of their home—in one of their children’s rooms, their bedroom, the basement—only to move tables and chairs from one room to the next every few weeks when the pitfalls of each location became too much. “My wife is on her fifth desk,” Lenny says, laughing. Given the intrusions from their four children, aged 8 to 13, and their dog, Tiny Elvis, the working-from-home habit has been a challenge for the couple.

Set to begin a main-floor renovation of their Boucherville home later this fall, they recently asked their designer to rework their plans to carve out a second work station in addition to the computer nook they had planned. “Work space wasn’t going to be an integral part of the project originally,” Lenny says, “Now it’s become a lot more important.”

Within a few months of the pandemic shutdown, large companies such as Facebook, Twitter and Shopify all announced that for huge chunks of their workforces, telecommuting would be the new normal, even post-pandemic. Many smaller employers are following their lead, and analysts and businesses agree that even those workers who will return to their offices will likely eventually continue to work from home at least part-time. It’s left many people who thought their kitchen table was just a temporary solution scrambling to figure out how to accommodate that shift in a more permanent way. –> Photo by Joel Klassen, Styling by Alykhan Velji Designs

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“When COVID happened and things were shutting down, I thought: ‘Who will put money into renovations? The economy will tank; things will take a pause,’” says Catlin Stothers, principal at Catlin Stothers Design in Montreal, who is managing the Di Palma family’s renovation. In fact, she says, she has found the opposite. People were suddenly spending a lot more time at home, and all the improvements they had been putting off suddenly seemed more necessary than ever, especially when it came to work spaces.

In Calgary, designer Aly Velji says he, too, has noticed an increase in people wanting to improve their home offices. “The home office definitely comes more into play,” the principal of Alykhan Velji Designs says. “You can only work at the dining table for so long.”

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Photos by Joel Klassen, Styling by Alykhan Velji Designs

Velji finished a multi-functional office/ guest room redesign for his husband, Jason Krell, just before the pandemic hit. “We made it personal to him, let him choose whimsical wallpaper that has tigers and clementines.

You need to be inspired and have fun. I don’t think it needs to be utilitarian all the time.”

Creating a home office is different from setting up a cubicle in an office building, he says. “Think about pattern, texture, seating.”

Having personal items around can take the mind away from work for a minute, and perhaps re-inspire, he suggests.

He and Krell are lucky that they had an extra room in their home that they could designate as office space. Velji included a sofa bed, both for guests and for reading, and a long, custom-designed desk that can easily accommodate an extra laptop, as well as shelving and storage. As Krell says, “It’s one of the best rooms in the house.” –>

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This guest room does double duty, thanks to a Murphy bed that can be folded away to make a dedicated workspace.

Photos by Drew Hadley Courtesy of Hibou Design

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Designer Eugenia Triandos of Hibou Design in Laval, Quebec says that as people are realizing they will likely continue to work at home for some time, they seem to be willing to make a bigger investment in their work space, both in terms of the space they’re willing to allocate and in the quality of furnishings. That might mean designating an entire room if their home is large enough, or choosing custom furniture, as well as wallpaper and window coverings.

“The great thing about doing a custom unit is that you can do specific storage for individual needs, for printers and documents,” Triandos says. They can also hide printers, scanners and other equipment. “People are trying to make it work for the long term.”

Having a separate space to hold Zoom meetings or Skype calls in private and then

close the door at the end of the day is ideal, but in many family homes it’s not realistic, says Stothers. “Sometimes, people ask me for a desk in the bedroom. I say definitely not! It’s important that work space be defined,” she says.

The best option in many homes might end up being a designated spot in the basement, she says. With little or no natural light, it becomes important to get the right light fixtures as well as creating warmth and avoiding that cavernous basement feeling.

It’s difficult to know when—or if—work will return to the way it was done before the pandemic. So, given a need to create the best work space possible, many of us are turning our attention to home…children, dogs, kitchen table and all.

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DESIGN • HOME IN CANADA • AUTUMN 2020

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WELCOME

HOME This Montreal house was redesigned to allow its owners to host large family gatherings

BY SUSAN SEMENAK PHOTOGRAPHY: DREW HADLEY STYLING: ÉRIK MAILLÉ

HOW COULD ONE NOT LOVE a house with a “salle de discussion,” a conversation room?

It’s a calm, casual space just off the kitchen that is dedicated to quiet talk, music, contemplation—perhaps a leisurely drink. A place for a child to play while his or her parents cook dinner.

No television, no computer. Just art on the walls, a sound system and a few well-chosen pieces of comfortable furniture, easily configured into clusters that are conducive to sitting and talking.

This is one of the thoughtful, soulful rooms that designer Érik Maillé created when he and his eponymously named firm designed and oversaw the complete overhaul of a splitlevel house in the Montreal community of Town of Mount Royal. The renovation gave the home a mid-century California vibe that is timeless, contemporary and completely original. –>

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The original curved stairway was stripped and painted high-gloss black, then paired with new black metal railings. Juxtaposed with the wood tones of the nearby kitchen cabinetry, the flash of unexpected black adds drama. It succeeds, Maillé says, because the ceilings are high and the space is open. The floor-to-ceiling cabinets in the entryway are housed within custom walnut cabinetry outfitted with black hardware from Emtek Products. Smoked glass in the front door and smoked glass mirrors on the wall add an air of mystery.

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Maillé’s clients, a couple of health professionals, live there with their child … just the three of them. But they have a large extended family and they love to entertain. The house is often filled with guests, and it seems that there is always something cooking in the kitchen.

The job was not a simple one. The decor of the 40-by-45-foot house, built in 1959, was dated, its configuration awkward.

There was also the unexpected matter of removing asbestos from all the walls, which proved a daunting and laborious task. But

Maillé and his clients forged a close bond over the yearlong project as he remade the house with his trademark style, which mixes contemporary and vintage elements, all while echoing their own style, which he describes as a rare and exciting blend of “complex and easy,” sophisticated but simple. “This was a megaproject, with a lot of emotional and financial investment on the part of the clients,” says Maillé. “My design team and I came to feel at home here, too, and we put a lot of time and love into this project.”

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(Above) The living room has its original stone fireplace and wood-panelled ceiling, which were left intact to keep the mid-century California mood. The melamine bookshelves, in their original rose-beige tone, were also saved and reserved for books, only books.

“Orange adds life to a space!”

(Left) It’s got a lot of personality, but the main bedroom’s ensuite bathroom is mostly grey and white, with the exception of the terracotta tiled backsplash for a Mexican/Californian influence.

The floor tiles are faux terrazzo porcelain from Ramacieri Soligo.

The homeowners requested a look that would be devoid of superfluous accessories and unnecessary details. They wanted spare spaces to highlight their collection of paintings and sculptures. And so, like a museum curator, Maillé took an inventory of all the art and then conceived the rooms as galleries in which to appreciate it.

He imbued the spaces with warmth by injecting tones of orange throughout, a colour the clients love. It makes cameo appearances throughout the house: in the cognac hue of the living room’s velour made-to-measure sofa, terra cotta tiles in the master bathroom, persimmon undertones in custom-stained walnut cabinetry.

“There’s something about this colour that warms up otherwise grey and white spaces, and it contrasts so beautifully with the slate floors. It’s a tone I especially love to mix into 60s-style decor,” Maillé says. “Orange adds life to a space!” –>

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The kitchen is the heart of this house, as it often is. But in this case, Maillé says, it’s not just a truism. One of the owners is an accomplished and enthusiastic cook. (Maillé says he knows this first-hand because he was the lucky recipient of many of her delicious take-home Vietnamese specialties.) Elaborate parties with 35 or more guests are not uncommon in the house. And the kitchen regularly hums, as if it were a busy restaurant, for frequent family dinners.

That’s why Maillé removed two supporting walls to give extra space to the kitchen, which features a 12-foot-long island with seating for eight.

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He added extra windows to infuse an otherwise subdued space with light and installed walnut cabinetry. His challenge, he says, was to use as few varied materials as possible and to keep the appliances camouflaged.

Right from the start, he and the owners knew they absolutely had to keep the existing decades-old oversized fridge, in keeping with the overall “West Coast vintage” mood of the kitchen and the house’s mid-century pedigree. –>

(Below) Walnut kitchen cabinets and backsplash by Ébénisterie Germain give the kitchen a subdued unified effect. No ceramic or stone, it had to be all wood, says designer Érik Maillé. The black sink, by Blanco, is set into a Dekton countertop. The eight metal stools at the island counter have a pareddown industrial look. Maillé loves the look of one big dramatic focal point on an island counter. Here, he’s placed a tall vase of tropical leaves. “I love to exaggerate proportions,” he says. “It could be a big plant, or a bundle of tall branches. Sometimes I make it orchids, other times olive branches—always changing with the seasons.”

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The dining room has the look of a sleek Montreal restaurant. Its genesis was a set of eight brass chairs upholstered in luxe green velvet.

Maillé paired them with a long walnut table and left the room otherwise spare, except for a wall of walnut cabinets (which secretly house a large television and a desk) to visually link the dining room to the adjacent kitchen. “This room has a look of vintage glamour, a little bit Art Deco, but also very minimalist,” he says.

He clad the floors here, and on this whole floor, in 24-by-24-inch Montauk black slate tiles,

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partly because they add dark, natural drama, but also because they offer a practical surface for this high-traffic passage between kitchen, powder room and backyard pool.

Where Maillé really let loose with his free spirit is in the powder room. Nobody ever comes out of that room without saying “wow” about the palm-leaf and flamingo wallpaper, patterned cement wall tiles, black ceiling and Hollywood gold vanity.

“Sometimes being daring pays off,” Maillé says.

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SIMPLIFYING THE PROCESS Real estate broker Sylvie Ménard works to minimize the stress of buying and selling a house

BY CHERYL CORNACCHIA

MOVING IS A STRESSFUL UNDERTAKING no matter how you look at it, especially if it involves selling your own home. Questions abound: What needs to be done before listing the property? Should I redo the bathroom?

What about the driveway? Is my timing right?

And what price do I list for?

All of these questions are crucial, and helping to answer them skillfully has helped Sylvie Ménard, a Montreal real estate broker, distinguish herself in the competitive world of real estate. When Ménard, a marketing specialist by professional training and a broker with Royal LePage Humania, takes on a potential client, she visits the owner’s home to tabulate

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the property’s pluses and minuses. She assesses how it stacks up against others that have sold in the neighbourhood, asks herself how it fits into the latest buying and demographic trends and, most of all, suggests what must be done before it goes on the market.

Her objective is to determine what renovations absolutely need to be done before selling and what do not. In essence, the least amount that needs to be spent in order to secure the highest possible selling price. She has a coterie of tradesmen, designers, architects and suppliers at her disposal to carry out the work.

“If you clean, imagine and design what the transformation can look like—and then

do it—you will gain more, not just in terms of money but also in the experience you give to the new buyer,” Ménard says.

She calls this approach “my USP,” citing a marketing term that means unique selling proposition, or what you have to offer to distinguish your brand from the rest. “The key is to invest just what is necessary,” she says.

After living in France for 10 years, Ménard returned to Montreal in 2004, happy to have fulfilled a youthful dream of living and working in Europe, where she was a senior director for Texas Instruments, responsible for marketing programs in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

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Upon returning to Montreal, she worked as a marketing director at ING Canada, but it wasn’t long before she discovered a latent passion and a new love. After buying and renovating her first house, located on the South Shore, she sold it and doubled her money. She was hooked.

For the past decade, she has been “living, eating, and drinking” real estate from her car and home office in St. Henri. “My former boyfriend would say I was doing deals in my sleep,” Ménard says, laughing.

As a young marketing student at HEC Montréal, before she launched her career, she helped her father transform his family’s ancestral property in the Lanaudière region

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into Domaine du Lac Taureau, a recreational cottage community on the lake of the same name.

“I wanted to help my father with it,” she says. “There was nothing on this ancestral lot at the time—only forest and waterfront on Lac Taureau in Saint-Michel-des-Saints.”

As a result of the experience, she was bitten by the real estate bug and didn’t even know it.

Fast forward to the summer of 2020: Ménard says we are currently experiencing a dynamic sellers’ market. One of her recent listings on Lake Champlain sparked a bidding war between four potential buyers. Many baby boomers, she says, are selling their city

homes and making country lakefront homes their principal residences. “COVID-19 has accelerated the trend,” she says.

Ménard says there were 61,000 new listings in mid-July on centris.ca, the Quebec registry of all property listings, down from 100,000 during the same week last year. “We are now under-capacity,” she says. “We don’t have enough to offer buyers.”

Sylvie Ménard, Real Estate Broker Royal LePage Humania www.sylviemenard.com sylvie@sylviemenard.com 514-827-6200

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D ESIGNING AND BUILDING FOR ALL Despite widespread need, developers are in the early stages of creating condos for people with disabilities

BY DEE GIBNEY PHOTOGRAPHY: LARRY ARNAL

CLUMPS OF PATCHY SNOW still clung to the ground on a frigid March evening when pandemonium erupted outside a Sault Ste. Marie pub. Paul VanderGriendt, a young flight instructor, was out with friends when a drunk teenager staggered out of the bar and attempted to drive away. As the men struggled to stop him, the teen rammed his truck into the crowd, crushing Paul underneath.

He suffered a broken neck, ribs and shoulder blades, and a dislodged windpipe. –>

Axess Condos in Pickering, setting new standards for inclusive residential design, will consist of two towers on a podium with commercial and office space, and a restaurant open to the public.

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The architecture and interiors at Axess Condos are designed by Quadrangle, a multi-disciplinary, architectural, master-planning and interior design firm, in collaboration with its social impact subsidiary, Human Space, which offers design for sustainable inclusion.

Photo courtesy of Quadrangle and Human Space.

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Airlifted to St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Paul was in intensive care for 101 days, kept in a drug-induced coma for several weeks to keep him immobile after delicate surgery.

Doctors were amazed that he survived. Five months later, he was transferred to Lyndhurst Centre, a rehabilitation facility for adults with brain and spinal cord injuries. It is here that he learned from a former resident of a Toronto condo that had a unique arrangement for people with disabilities that a suite—a rarity—retro-fitted for wheelchair use, had just become available.

Accessible housing is a challenge for people with disabilities as the traditional model has been one of institutional or group home living. Amid the forests of shiny new condos that have been springing up in Canadian cities for the past two decades, accessibility has been a rare feature. But one building in Toronto’s Distillery Historic District broke that mold.

“Living here gives me the freedom I need to live independently.”

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The unique set-up was the creation of the late Gary Sandler, a builder who had rapidly progressing multiple sclerosis that had paralyzed him. He wanted a place that would be accessible where he’d have attendant care that he could control. Private 24-hour care costing as much as $90,000 a year is not a possibility for most.

In 1997, Options for Homes, a non-profit developer, was just beginning to create a condo where owners would have input into developing their own building. Sandler jumped at the opportunity. He joined the board of directors and worked to ensure

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complete accessibility in the building’s design and to line up other buyers with disabilities who would pool a portion of their provincially appointed funding to hire on-site attendant assistance, enabling them to manage their own care.

After a series of challenging setbacks that left many buyers stranded, all the pieces finally fell into place. Today, the March of Dimes supplies the on-site caregivers who are on call for small day-to-day needs, giving users control over their lives without being tied to an institutional schedule. –>

Paul VanderGriendt was a flight instructor who was scheduled to have an interview with a major airline at the time of the accident that disabled him. He is now pursuing studies in sports marketing.

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“I use them two to four times a day,” says Greg Papp, an architectural technologist who often works from home and was one of the first buyers to employ the service. He suffered a spinal cord injury in a bicycle accident 27 years ago. “It could be anything—help with lunch, getting tea in the afternoon, adjusting the heat,” Greg says. “Many times in the past [living in co-op housing], I’ve been thirsty and stuck, or sitting, roasting in my jacket or needing the washroom . . . it’s still hard to talk about. There are some things that are very awkward to ask a neighbour to help you with. It takes all your courage. Here the staff are trained so there’s no worry and no guilt when you ask for help.”

Having an onsite caregiver in their Distillery District condo building frees Greg Papp and Paul from institutional living, enabling them to partake in community life.

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Greg and Paul order a drink from Balzac’s, The

Greg uses a modified stylus that he and his occupational therapist devised to enable him to pursue his love of

Distillery’s iconic coffee bistro, currently adapted

photography. He uses his shoulder and bicep muscles to control movement and direct the stylus, which is fitted onto a

to follow COVID-19 protocols.

modified typing stick, enabling him to tap the camera’s touch screen and select and focus images.

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Dan Hughes’s Enhanced Day Program, which teaches life and employment skills to young adults with cognitive disabilities, will move to Axess Condos. It will feature a training café, in which program participants will be employed to learn social and job skills.

Paul controls his computer with motion-sensing technology built into the bridge of his glasses. The webcam-like device atop his computer is an infrared transmitter and receiver that recognizes the movement of Paul’s head via a signal from the glasses. These minute movements control the onscreen mouse. The phone mounted on his wheelchair is voice-activated while the TV’s universal remote is built into his wheelchair.

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Photo courtesy of Quadrangle and Human Space

“Living here gives me the freedom I need to live independently,” adds Paul, who moved in January 2018. “The service is fantastic.

There is very little turnover so that’s another plus. Without the on-site help I would not be able to hire someone to come for only 20 minutes at a time to assist me with lunch or get me ready for bed.” His family lives close by and provides pre-cooked meals for him.

The f lexibility and reliability are lifechanging he says, adding: “Knowing that someone will be there, and knowing who is coming through the door, gives me tremendous peace of mind.”

Another first is about to launch in Pickering, a city of 94,000 in Durham Region, east of Toronto. Axess Condos, the world’s first fully accessible condo project according to its developer Dan Hughes, is slated to see shovels in the ground later this winter.

Hughes is executive director of the Enhanced Day Program, which provides life skills for young adults with cognitive disabilities due to brain injury or such congenital conditions as Down syndrome and autism.

His parents both have disabilities, and he has worked with youth and adults with special needs for more than two decades. He’s also a member of the City of Pickering’s accessibility committee. –>

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(Above) A winding path through a sensory garden, designed by the MBTW Group, will feature aromatic plants and textured furnishings that will grace the approach to the Axess Condos’ entrance. Trillium Support Services will provide personal support and respite workers, which can be arranged at the front desk.

Photos courtesy of Quadrangle and Human Space

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Photo courtesy of Quadrangle and Human Space

The 320 units will range from 525 to 1,300 square feet with prices in the $600 to $800 per square foot range. Twenty per cent will be set aside for people with disabilities. Suites can be customized with such features as roll-under sinks, lower countertops, side-opening ovens, and parking for scooters. “We are building a model that will serve families and be fully inclusive, including for older adults looking to age in place,” says developer Dan Hughes. “There is more demand than we can supply. In Durham region alone, there are 18,000 people seeking accessible housing.”

“When I reviewed plans for other projects, I saw that many were not accessible,” he says. “So I founded my own development company, Liberty Hamlets, to provide fully accessible units that would also be inclusive for everyone—from people aging in place to people with physical disabilities or cognitive and mental challenges who, in the past, were not integrated into society. We often take the humanity out of how we build.

“Axess condos will allow families to stay together,” Hughes adds. “In Ontario, we have 1,700 families with both parents over 70 taking care of an adult child with disabilities and no plan for them.”

This includes families such as the Bashaws, retired seniors caring for their adult daughter who has autism, and looking to downsize.

Hughes’s life skills program will be located on the ground floor, affording them respite care as well as some independence for their daughter who will be able to continue living in the suite after her parents pass on.

Features of the 320 units will include wider-than-standard corridors and doorways, walk-in showers, and rooms that afford a full turning radius for wheelchairs and scooters.

With a master’s degree in hospital design from Cornell University followed by studies in architecture and three years of research,

Hughes is well versed in details that support accessibility, such as light and dark walls as well as acoustic contrasts (tile and carpet) in hallways that help the visually- and hearing-impaired orient themselves, demarcating where a wall ends and a door begins.

“We found that the costs of Universal Design are just one per cent above average if the adaptations are built in from the start,” Hughes says. “Instead of regular doorknobs, for instance, we will install levered doorknobs; instead of a tub in the second washroom, we install extra tiling for the roll-in shower stall.

It’s a matter of the design choices we make. We are changing the future of housing.”

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URBAN OASIS

A Toronto designer transforms a pied-à-terre through lavish use of colour and luxurious textures

BY WENDY HELFENBAUM PHOTOGRAPHY: GILLIAN JACKSON STYLING: CYNTHIA FERGUSON

A PROPERTY that is occupied only part-time can feel impersonal, dreary and anything but homey. Toronto designer Cynthia Ferguson took on the task of injecting personality and warmth into a bland condo for a client whose main residence is in Prince Edward County.

The client was moving from a studio into a 1,100-square-foot third-floor unit so she could host her children and grandchildren when they came to town.

“A pied-à-terre can be challenging; you don’t want it to feel like a rental or a hotel,” says Ferguson, owner of Cynthia Ferguson Designs. “My client is very young at heart, so the idea was to make it fresh, colourful, pretty and very easy to maintain so she didn’t have to worry about somebody managing it.”

Initially, the client’s wish list was simple: a coat of paint throughout, and a main bedroom update. But the project soon evolved into a major overhaul that touched every room, including a complete makeover of the kitchen and main bathroom. –>

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(Above) Just outside the main bedroom, the owner’s antique table was paired with a bright abstract painting that belonged to the designer. “When my client saw it during a meeting, she had to have it, so I gave it up,” says Ferguson. “This is the vignette she sees from the kitchen table; I always want to create somewhere that captures your eye, no matter where you are in a space. I love her beautiful table, which gives the space soul and substance.”

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“Because the condo is in the Yonge and Summerhill area, it was a smart real estate investment that made it easy to legitimize spending more money to really freshen it up,” notes Ferguson, adding that the only element left untouched was the dark hardwood flooring throughout.

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The unit was the first to be renovated in the 15-year-old building, so while there were no condo regulations to wrangle with, Ferguson did have to work within the limitations of the space. “For example, the main bath has plenty

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of floor space, but it is pie-shaped with lots of angles,” she explains. “We couldn’t move the tub or make the shower bigger because you can’t change the plumbing, but we made it work.”

Ferguson spruced up the guest bathroom by swapping in new faucets and hanging bright turquoise flowered wallpaper by Hygge & West that she says “feels like a breath of fresh air.”

Grey and white marble provides a classic, timeless look, and lavender kicks it up a notch.

“We also took out the door, making it swing the other way so it didn’t bang into the vanity when you entered,” adds Ferguson. “There were lots of little fixes that made a massive difference. My client couldn’t believe it was the same bathroom from where we started.” –> The ensuite bathroom feels grand and luxurious with a green-glass shower door and an oversized double vanity topped with Carrara marble, also used behind the tub. Vanity: Michael’s Kitchen Cabinets; tiles: Saltillo; faucets, sinks, tub and shower: Roman Bath; tiling: Castorra Inc.

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To complement the room’s blue, cream and pink scheme, designer Cynthia Ferguson picked up a couple of vintage faux-bamboo night stands and refinished them to match. The burnished brass pharmacy arm lamps are perfect for reading in the luxurious bed.

Headboard: Cynthia Ferguson Designs with Lee Jofa fabric; wallpaper: Phillip Jeffries; bedding: Serena & Lily; quilt and shams: Pine Cone Hill; accent pillows: Cynthia Ferguson Designs, Lee Jofa fabric, Mokuba ribbon; night tables: vintage; sconces: Hudson Valley; chandelier: Manuel Canovas fabric on shade, fixture

by Jonathan Adler; drapery: Kravet; rug: Allan Rugs; bench: Cynthia Ferguson Designs, Lee Jofa fabric.

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In the main bedroom, Ferguson chose a soothing cream-and-blue palette and designed a plush upholstered headboard that the client requested, as she had never had one.

“Because of the flatness of the condo walls, I suggested we build in a little bit of texture and colour with the Phillip Jeffries grasscloth,” says Ferguson. “Now, every time my client walks in, it’s restful and peaceful.”

Condo design projects often require custom furniture, because walls cannot be moved to make things fit, says Ferguson, who wove more robin’s-egg blue into the

sun-drenched living room with a pair of armchairs and two upholstered stools, plus a cream sofa. “We installed applied molding on the walls, which adds big bang for your buck,” says Ferguson. “It elevates the luxury and sophistication of the space so quickly for a small amount per linear foot.”

She also dressed up the gas fireplace surround and designed the coffee table, which features painted grasscloth topped with glass to create a calm, beachy atmosphere. “It’s a great end-of-the-day spot to read, take a deep breath and hang out,” she says. –>

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(Left) The homeowner wanted a flexible space where she could watch television, work from home, and house a queen-sized sofa bed to accommodate her out-of-town children for visits.

In the living room, oversized chairs feature a soft English arm, making them the perfect curlup-and-read option. The designer hung a bold painting by Toronto artist Sharon Barr over the newly refurbished marble fireplace (above, left), which has storage on both sides.

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In the dining room, the designer reinvented her client’s original dining set with crisp blue upholstered seats, and she customized the lampshades for the chandelier and wall sconces. “We needed something impactful, because the walls were quite short in the dining room,” she says. “We did a custom rug through Kravet; I absolutely love the hint of blue and the pink.”

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She aimed to replace the builder’s-beige kitchen with a sunny, colourful vibe. “We wanted it to feel happy and youthful, and my client loves the light blue we chose for the cabinets,” she says. “We used the same material for her backsplash and countertops, which made it feel bigger, and we expanded the island with storage on both sides.”

Ferguson added playful pink paisley fabric to the light fixture in the breakfast nook, and edged the drapery with luxurious embroidered trim.

“We really reinvented this condo for her so it feels special,” she says. “She’s in the city every month, and staying longer now because she loves her condo so much.”

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A NEW LEAF Indoor plants are enjoying renewed popularity as we spend more time indoors but yearn for Nature

Photo by Michael Morris

BY JULIE GEDEON

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LIFESTYLE • HOME IN CANADA • AUTUMN 2020

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Photo by Darryl Cheng

JENNY MORRIS found an abandoned Pothos plant when she moved into her first apartment years ago in Montreal. “I saw one vine desperately reaching for the window and had to save it,” says Morris, Plantbaby Studio’s founder/owner.

Her love and knowledge of houseplants started there and grew. She now helps others choose and maintain indoor greenery with online workshops and Toronto-area popups.

The cultivation of indoor plants—popular in the 1970s—is being embraced anew. “They

Photo by Kimon Kaketsis

(plants) give people who choose to delay or forego traditional home ownership, marriage or starting a family something beautiful to look after,” Morris suggests. “And they provide urban dwellers with some connection to Nature.”

Virtually every design photo these days features greenery as we welcome more of the outdoors into our homes. A return of Mid-century Modern decor has many opting for monstera (Swiss cheese) and rubber plants.

“Instagram has spurred interest,” adds Darryl

Cheng, who shares his passion through his online House Plant Journal and book, The New Plant Parent. “You don’t have to wait for visitors to admire your plants. You can show them off online.”

Cheng became enthralled with plants after his mother asked for help. “I couldn’t understand why a superb gardener was challenged by houseplants,” he recalls. “I discovered basic information was lacking.” –>

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Photos by Heather Saunders Photography Plant aficionado Lisa Eldred Steinkopf outlines how to make a Japanese string garden with kokedama (moss balls) in her Houseplant Party book.

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Interest has burgeoned since North Americans began spending more time at home this year. “It’s easy for a collection to get out of control,” warns Lisa Eldred Steinkopf, who owns nearly 1,000 plants. “Start with a few and see how much time and effort they need.”

Her latest book, Houseplant Party, contains practical, fascinating information for beginners. She encourages starting with a Philodendron, Pothos or Dracaena trifasciata (snake plant)—all hardy varieties—to experience the joy of successful cultivation.

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Morris had 35 plants at last count. “Consider your lifestyle,” she advises. “If you travel often, you’re better off with cacti or succulents that can dry out completely between waterings.”

Her current favourite, the fiddle-leaf fig, is a design world darling now. “They can be challenging, but if you give them bright, indirect light, preferably from a west- or south-facing window and allow them to dry out about halfway between waterings, they’re usually happy.” Otherwise, she prefers lowlight/minimal-care plants and varies their display with hangers, stands and side tables.

Photos by Heather Saunders Photography Macramé plant hangers are back in vogue, and make great DIY projects. Author Lisa Eldred Steinkopf also suggests creating small wooden frames to display air plants as living art.

Experts agree that the primary consideration should be the amount of light a specific plant requires to thrive. Direct light with sunrays hitting a plant for hours is ideal for cacti and succulents. “You might need sheer curtains to diffuse that light for other plants or it can burn their leaves,” Morris warns, adding that bright, indirect light suits the majority of houseplants. –>

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Photos by Darryl Cheng

Photos by Darryl Cheng

Visual interest is easily created by grouping several varieties of the same plant in one area, such as the hardy snake plant of which there are now some 70 different types available. Plant lover Darryl Cheng notes that ample light is essential for healthy foliage.

Of course, being an engineer, Cheng uses a light meter to gauge the exact amount of sun in each window and the solarium of his Toronto apartment. “I know the best available spot for each of my approximately 100 plants.” Cast-iron plants and peace lilies are low-light options. “As long as they’re within a window’s range, they’ll likely keep their shape,” he says.

Snake plants endure low-light situations, but won’t flourish under those conditions. “They’re from Africa and want full sun,” Steinkopf notes.

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Photo by Darryl Cheng

Artificial lighting expands options. “I have a maidenhead fern in the middle of my living room with its own grow-light system,” Cheng says. “The new LED grow-lights are inexpensive, aesthetically pleasing, and work well for tropical foliage.”

Watering an entire plant collection on the same day might be doing the plants a disservice.

Cacti and succulents prefer to dry out between

waterings. Most low-light varieties like to partially dry out. Tropical plants want consistently even moisture without over-saturation. Some like to dry out completely between waterings.

Cheng is able to tell when his plants need watering by how much lighter the pots become.

Morris sticks a finger into the soil of her pots.

Steinkopf inserts a stick to the bottom of large containers. –>

Darryl Cheng documents the lives of his collection in The New Plant Parent and in his online House Plant Journal.

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Photos by Darryl Cheng

While Morris prefers to let plants drink what they need from the bottom upwards, she has no qualms about top-down watering. “Just pour the water slowly enough to reach everywhere before it drains out,” she says.

Pots with drainage holes offer greater success. “Otherwise, you have no idea whether the bottom is getting enough or too much water,” Steinkopf explains. “And don’t put rocks or clay fragments inside the base: they hinder drainage and shorten root columns.”

Try placing ferns and palms on saucers filled with pebbles and water for additional moisture. “Small humidifiers also work,” Steinkopf says, adding that spray-bottle misting is rarely sufficient.

Fertilizers support rather than encourage growth. “Only add some if you see abundant new foliage,” Cheng advises.

Compacted roots are a sign that a plant needs to be transferred into a pot that’s one size larger.

Propagating plants to give as gifts has become more popular and appreciated, especially when they’re presented in a ceramic, brass or other beautiful pot.

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LIFESTYLE • HOME IN CANADA • AUTUMN 2020

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Photo by Darryl Cheng

Jenny Morris, who founded and operates PlantBaby Studio, holds online workshops to help others enjoy long-lasting relationships with indoor greenery. She makes the most of her apartment light and her plants as decorative elements by placing them at various heights with the help of shelving, hangers and side tables.

He notes that interior-scapers top-dress plants in huge pots, replacing some topsoil to provide fresh nutrients. “Then you only have to re-pot these every three to five years.”

Most potting mixtures contain little if any real soil these days. “So if you see the potting media overly flaking or clumping, it might be time to replace it,” Steinkopf says.

Increase the pot only to the next available size. “If you put a plant in a large pot expecting it will grow into that space, all that additional moisture will cause its roots to rot,” Steinkopf warns.

Morris, who loathes repotting, notes that most plants thrive in their original containers for a year or two. “If the roots start to force their way out the bottom, or the plant is beginning to tip over, then it’s time for a larger home.”

And, sometimes, a plant just runs its course and it’s time to let it go. That’s what Morris did after 10 years with her original, adopted pothos.

Photo by Kimon Kaketsis

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A WINDOW ON

L U XU RY Walls of windows open design possibilities in this Port Credit home

BY SUSAN KELLY PHOTOGRAPHY: GILLIAN JACKSON AND MAXIME BOCKEN STYLING: TARA FINLAY

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ARCHITECTURE • HOME IN CANADA • AUTUMN 2020

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FEW SUBURBAN HOMES CAN BOAST 20-foot-tall window walls. Though more common in upscale downtown condos, this feature is integral to the design of this newly built three-storey home in the Port Credit area of Mississauga, says its designer, Nicholas Ancerl.

“We really wanted to make the most of the southern exposure, which means lots of natural light,” says Ancerl, owner and principal of Ancerl Studio design firm. “Plus, they frame amazing views of the surrounding greenspace and nearby historic waterfront.”

The designer and his team were called in at the beginning of the project. A vacant 45-by120-foot lot provided a blank canvas. They worked with the homeowner on every aspect, from concept through approvals and construction to interior furnishings. The completed 4,500-square-foot home was shortlisted in four categories by the 2020 International Design & Architecture Awards jury.

Window walls form a courtyard, cutting in at the midpoint of the main floor and extending upwards to the floor above it. The central dining room facing it benefits directly. And two other rooms at ground level benefit from the three sides of windows it makes possible.

The contemporary-style black-steel-framed windows contrast with the more traditional red-brick exterior walls. Corten (weathering) steel on the house’s facade provides a warm architectural accent. Windows: Kingshore Windows.

The living room, located off the front entrance, receives light from two sides through 20-foot-tall windows. At the opposite end of the home, the family room that opens into the kitchen is also treated to the full 20-foot expanse on two sides. “That window adds a lot of both light and drama,” the designer says.

“As a complement, we installed a 12-foot-high fireplace faced with black riveted steel beside it.”

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Views of the rooms on each side of the courtyard: Above, the view from the front living room; below, the family room and breakfast area adjacent to the kitchen. Black steel fireplace surround: designed by Ancerl Studio; custom cabinetry: Space Furniture.

The home’s layout includes three bedrooms on the second f loor, with the third storey given entirely to the principal suite.

The basement has a spare bedroom, wine cellar, and family and home theatre rooms.

When it came to design, the homeowner, a single mother of one teenage daughter who recently relocated from China, was on board with the Ancerl Studio team’s contemporary approach. At the same time, her own tastes were more on the traditional side. So, in addition to the contemporary window walls and black steel roof, the home’s exterior is also clad in red brick. –>

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A bank of mirrors above the vanity reflects the freestanding tub and porthole window. The other side of the wall is devoted to a steam shower. Bathtub and filler: TopBath; pendant lights: Kuzco.

The roof is adorned with gables, resulting in areas with sharply sloping ceilings on the third floor, where the principal suite is located. The designers made ingenious use of one in the suite’s bathroom, inserting a contemporary porthole window. In front of it stands a sculptural freestanding tub. A long vanity parallels it, over which a wall of mirrors lets the homeowner enjoy the reflected view as she applies makeup. “It feels like a spa somewhere in the Alps,” says Ancerl.

Natural materials were used judiciously in the home’s interior design. For consistency’s sake, the same six-inch engineered white oak flooring was run throughout. Sheer and chic white linen curtains soften some of the window walls. As well, every room has a finishing flourish in the form of sparkling crystal. Most striking are the unique crystal pot light casings in the centre of each square of the coffered ceilings that define the living room, breakfast area and kitchen. –>

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ARCHITECTURE • HOME IN CANADA • AUTUMN 2020

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Ornate coffered ceilings with contemporary crystal details define the living room, breakfast area and kitchen (shown above). A corridor off the principal suite (below right) is furnished with seating, a small refrigerator, and coffeemaker for a private lounge area. Crystal fixtures: Eurofase; appliances: Wolf; Statuarietto marble kitchen countertops and backsplash: Crystal Tile & Stone.

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And for a touch of timeless luxury, every tile and stone feature found in the house is of genuine marble: For the kitchen backsplash and countertop, strikingly veined Statuarietto marble slabs. A mix of solid and tumbled white mosaic marble tiles was used in the principal bathroom, while an elegant burnished black marble surround adorns the adjoining bedroom’s fireplace. “As materials, both marble and crystal have the kind of Old-World elegance the homeowner wanted,” Ancerl says, “but the way we incorporated them is sophisticated and modern.”

The home’s design is also notable for what lies out of sight. A clutter-free entryway is ensured by two closets hidden behind cabinet doors in the first room to the right, the living room. Near the closets is the elevator that runs to all three storeys plus the basement. In the kitchen, a panel opens with a touch to reveal a second, smaller kitchen beyond. Called a wok, fry or spice kitchen, it is an amenity more commonly found in Vancouver homes.

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ARCHITECTURE • HOME IN CANADA • AUTUMN 2020

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(Above) Viewed from the third floor, the custom-made contemporary chandelier, crafted of heavy-gauge metal wire and LED pin lights, fills the stairwell while artfully providing overhead lighting for the dining area. Table: Restoration Hardware; vintage chairs: Elle & Eve; chandelier: KINGLONG Lighting.

In contrast, the dining area provides a feast for the eyes, and from every angle. Situated at the bottom of the stairwell, it has a ceiling soaring 30 feet above it. The stairway itself provides ample design interest, with plain oak treads that complement the railing, made of ultra-slender steel spindles. Each is slightly offset for a softer effect and finished in a mix of black, chrome and bronze.

And it is the room that has proven to be the homeowner’s favourite spot in the house.

She loves nothing better than sitting in one of the refinished antique Vienna straw-back chairs to gaze at the beautiful view outside the windows. Or, when entertaining, showing off the massive light fixture overhead that is more like an art installation than chandelier.

“We wanted every ceiling to have a distinctive feature,” Ancerl says. “I had seen one like this in a high-end shop in China, which was able to create this custom version to my exact specifications. And it’s a showstopper.”

Just like the rest of the house.

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Blue Willow plate. England c 1930.

BLUE WILLOW

The historic porcelain tells a visual tale that has fascinated us for centuries

BY LANA HARPER

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IT’S A UBIQUITOUS, POPULAR LINE of pottery found in many homes. Yet how many of us know the story behind Blue Willow?

The body of a Blue Willow piece depicts a pagoda with a pavilion or teahouse on the right, an apple tree behind. A willow tree overhangs a bridge over which three figures are crossing. A boat floats in front of a small island while two doves fly overhead.

Despite its modest dimensions, the piece holds an astonishing amount of visual imagery and information.

The origin of Blue Willow begins with a Chinese legend: Li-Chi lived in a pagoda beneath an apple tree. He had a beautiful

daughter named Koong-Shee who was to marry an elderly merchant named Ta-Jin. However, she fell in love with Chang, her father’s secretary, who was fired when it was discovered that they were meeting secretly.

Koong-Shee and Chang eloped with the help of her father’s gardener. On the plate, they are seen running across the bridge with the angry father in pursuit, a whip in his hand.

The lovers use the boat to escape to Chang’s house. The furious father discovers their retreat and pursues them. The lovers are about to be beaten to death when the gods take pity on them by turning them into a pair of doves, depicted at the top of the image.

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Worcester spoon rest with landscape and no story. England c 1820, pseudo-Chinese mark.

There are variations of the design, taken from Chinese wares (note the English spoon rest, a direct copy with the pseudo-Chinese mark), and there are various versions of the tale. In one, Chang runs carrying a box of jewels given to Koong-Shee by Ta-Jin, the unwanted betrothed.

The current form of Blue Willow originated in England in 1780 from a design by engraver Thomas Minton. He sold the design to potter Thomas Turner, who mass-produced it on earthenware.

Other English factories copied the pattern.

Early versions (1830–1860) are either unmarked on the underside or bear small blue symbols that do not help owners identify the provenance of their pieces. In the absence of copyright laws before 1842, designs were pirated by various factories. Later, engraved marks were added to designate the origin, as in the example shown.

The desirability of Staffordshire ware comes from its surface decoration rather than its composition. It was easy to hide potting errors by covering the piece with an overall design.

Often, transfer papers were not carefully applied, making join lines or transfers on borders apparent. Transfer-printed designs were used to mass produce dishes quickly and cheaply to meet demand and undercut Chinese imports.

In 1986, my partner Ellen Lyons and I travelled to Stoke-on-Trent, known as the “potteries.”

During my guided tour of the Minton factory, I observed every stage of pottery-making. I collected broken pieces and transfer papers, and I took notes to help tell the story when I returned home. –>

Transfer mark on underside of Blue Willow plate.

Later celluloid transfer ready to be soaked in water

Shards of porcelain with and without the glaze finish;

England c 1930, blue.

and placed on the rim of a plate.

rim of a plate.

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Blue Willow plate pre-1842, no maker’s mark on the back.

On the Blue Willow plate depicted here, separate transfer tissue papers were used for various surfaces: one for the border, another for the centre image. Imagine a more complex piece such as a soup tureen on which one transfer paper is needed for each side of the body, another for the cover, another for the knob, and others for the handles and borders.

See the photo of the tureen (opposite page, top).

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Each design was engraved on a copper plate, covered with a black tar-like paint.

Tissue paper was applied to the copper plate to absorb the design, then lifted and transferred to the designated place on the piece of pottery. The piece was kiln-fired, setting the design into the plate.

During the 1760s, pictures on copper plates were made of small engraved lines done with a tool called a “graver.” The thickness of the lines was controlled by hand pressure, requiring great skill. A copper plate had a life-span of 600–800 “pulls” or transfers.

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Soup tureen decorated with transfer

Later celluloid transfer on thicker paper ready to be

papers. England c 1840.

soaked and put in the kiln.

The 1800s saw the development of stipple engraving in which images were etched on copper plates, creating tiny dots in graded sizes. The result: pictures with greater depth, contrast, perspective.

By the mid-19th century, celluloid cut-out designs were applied to the ware, creating the decoration method on most of the plates we use today.

Why is blue-and-white so universally beloved?” asks Mary Gilliatt, author of The Blue and White Room. It has been a colour combination for centuries. The Chinese associated blue with immortality while the Egyptians believed it represented virtue, faith and trust. In East Africa, blue is a symbol of fertility and childbirth.

I asked my daughter Gillian if she liked Blue Willow porcelain. “Whenever I see the Willow pattern I look for the two birds,” she said. “The birds are the heart of the story. It’s a story about forbidden love, an angry father and certain death. Yet they (the lovers) persist.

And their love conquers everything, even death. It’s a story about hope and redemption.

I always smile whenever I see those birds; they represent freedom and the power of love.”

The different shades of blue and their tie to Nature—sky and sea—create an appealing and warm atmosphere that transcends traditional and modern tastes. Although we are in a period of neutral greys and beiges, don’t underestimate the power of blue and white to return to our contemporary living rooms some time soon.

Transfer design on tissue paper pulled from the copper plate.

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NATURE IN AN URBAN NEIGHBOURHOOD This Toronto home in The Beaches area makes the most of the surrounding greenery

BY ELISABETH KALBFUSS PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING: AZEN AND KEVIN BONGARD

A THIRD FLOOR SURROUNDED by treetops, views of Lake Ontario—designers Azen and Kevin Bongard set out to make their city home in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood feel as rooted in nature as possible. A wall of 12-foot-high windows in the family room at the back of the house brings in natural light and opens the interiors to the backyard. “You really feel like you’re living half indoors, half outdoors,” Azen says, “until it gets super cold.”

To achieve that kind of biophilic design—a term used to describe design that optimizes people’s connection to the natural environment—they needed more than just a few large windows, she says. The layout, choice of finishes, and even furniture and accessories all contribute. –>

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The couple, principals at Studio 8 Design, found and bought their home while it was under construction, and so were able to create the inside space exactly as they wanted.

Walls built with insulated concrete forms and radiant floor heat throughout make it energy-efficient and eliminate the need for a furnace with bulkheads and ductwork that can limit design. They do have a small boiler to heat the water pipes and individual units to provide air conditioning.

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Homeowner/designer Azen Bongard chose a light concrete board to surround the fireplace in the living/ family room. “Because the house is concrete, we wanted to honour that in some of the decorative finishes,� she says. To make the contemporary design feel warm, she chose upholstery and accessories in natural fabrics and oversized knits. Sofa and chairs: Lee Industries through Studio 8 Design; coffee table: Arteriors; concrete finish: Dekko Concrete.

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(Left) The third floor features its own deck, with the surrounding trees guaranteeing privacy. Organic textures in furnishings and accessories reinforce the connection to the natural world. The macramé wall hangings here, on the family room feature wall and throughout the home were made from branches collected during neighbourhood walks and about $10 worth of rope. In most cases, Azen says, she planned to do more intricate designs, but found they seemed to fit in perfectly as simpler pieces. Tree-stump side tables: West Elm.

(Below) The family’s son and daughter, aged 13 and 21 respectively, share the second floor, which looks down over the kitchen. Each room was designed with its own bathroom and built-in storage, as well as enough space to hang out with friends.

Since it functions as both a family home (their children are 21 and 13) and an office, every inch of the 3,000-square-foot space counts. The basement is dedicated to the couple’s business, and includes a staff washroom and kitchenette. The main level is shared family space: the dining room and kitchen look down over the back family room.

The second floor is given to the children, and on the third floor is the main suite, with its own wall-to-wall windows opening to another deck. “You can sleep with the windows wide open and feel like you’re sleeping in a treehouse,” says Kevin, the firm’s project manager. “You’re so high, you feel secure.

There’s no place where I’ve lived in the city before where I felt like I had so much visual privacy.” –>

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The home is smaller than their previous house, says Azen, the firm’s lead designer.

So she wondered whether it could accommodate the karaoke parties and family pizza-and-movie nights they were used to having. It all works out, she says, and the new space feels bigger than the old. On karaoke nights, they open the back doors and the party spills outside. The TV is on a swivel mount that they turn to face the kitchen island where they gather for pizza. Also crucial was the right allocation for storage space: “We have custom built-ins and closets in every possible area,” Azen says. “Everything is divided and organized and set up for our life.”

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The heated floors are wide-plank white oak that’s been fumed and oiled. Azen loves that she can feel the grain when she walks barefoot.

The window seat at the front of the dining room is a favourite reading spot for the family, and the dog likes to curl up there, too.

Because the outside colours change every season, Azen chose a neutral palette indoors to complement that range of hues. “We didn’t want to be clashing with what’s outside. We wanted nature to be highlighted,” she says.

That’s also why they chose retractable window coverings, with the blinds hidden in black valances similar to the black window frames.

“Imagine how different it would be if we had drapery everywhere.”

Getting close to nature is not easy in a city, but the house that Azen and Kevin designed allows them to find it right outside.

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ROOM TO B R E AT H E Pandemic demand for singlefamily homes and more space drives buyers beyond the city

BY WENDY HELFENBAUM

IN THE WAKE OF THE COVID-19 pandemic that upended the economy, big changes are afoot in the real estate market. In July, Statistics Canada released a report revealing that Canadians looking to purchase a new house are opting for larger single-family homes— especially ones that provide room for at least one office to accommodate telecommuting— instead of condos or multi-family dwellings.

For many, that means seeking properties outside the city, where the market appears to be surging after an initial downward trend, says Wilson Ramcharan, a residential real estate broker with Keller Williams Connexion in Montreal.

“Right now, in the Greater Montreal area, we’re seeing single-family-home sales up 12 per cent compared with the 2019 second quarter, and inventory is very low,” says Ramcharan. “We’re seeing a lot of folks right now who have enjoyed being close to Montreal, but with all the rules and regulations about how you can actually move around, the attraction of being in the middle of the city with a wonderful Walk Score (walkscore.com) is less compelling. Now, people just want space.

I’ve had many conversations with people living in a very comfortable apartment in a great area, but all of a sudden they realize: ‘I want a deck, a backyard and green space so I won’t feel trapped in my own home.’” –>

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In Calgary, buyers are also looking for space outside the city centre, says Christina Hagerty, a real estate agent with RE/MAX Realty Professionals. “We have seen a trend of clients desiring more elbow room. Areas such as Elbow Valley, lake communities, and the suburbs are seeing a resurgence in the market,” she says. “Many buyers are looking for a home they will be spending the next 10 to 20 years in instead of the historic three to five years they spent when the markets moved very quickly. People are looking for a place to raise their family as it grows. COVID has helped us to recalibrate what is important in life and is allowing us to choose how we want to live.”

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Hagerty says that clients she never would have expected to exit the inner city are doing just that. “One family living around the Erlton-Mission area who used to walk to work moved to a lake community in Chestermere,” she says. “People are thinking: ‘If we go to south Calgary, it’s 25 minutes, and if we go to Lake Chestermere, it’s also 25 minutes, but look at how much more space we get here.’ ” In Winnipeg, an initial dip in the market when the pandemic first hit swiftly changed, says Jennifer Queen, a real estate agent at RE/ MAX Professionals. “It’s turned into a strong sellers’ market and we continue to have a shortage of supply,” says Queen. “This means intense bidding wars, homes selling well

above the listed price with many new records being set and quick selling times. Low interest rates have contributed as well to the demand.

We’ve also had very few COVID-19 cases in Manitoba, so the concern in touring homes has been minimal.”

Queen adds that properties with such shared common spaces as elevators and communal foyers have become less attractive as people worry about physical distancing.

“Homeowners started feeling the need for more space—both within the home as well as in the yard—as our homes became our workplaces, schools and gyms,” she notes.

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And as we adapt to the next normal alongside COVID-19, more of us will continue to work remotely, and as long as there’s a decent Internet connection, buyers feel comfortable leaving the city behind, says Catharine Inniss, an agent with Johnston and Daniel Rushbrooke Realty in Port Carling, Ontario, who covers the Muskoka area.

“It’s been very, very busy here, and we’ve had record-breaking sales: July numbers have been up 19 per cent and June was up 25 per cent,” Inniss says. “Now, we’re seeing what we usually see at the end of May: people scrambling to buy something up here to get into the market and others switching to having an apartment in Toronto and spending most of their time here.” –>

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Photo by Jamshed Khedri Photo by Annie Spratt

Even with 2,200 lakes, the Muskoka area has limited waterfront supply as GTA residents f lock to the area, Inniss adds. “People are looking not only for waterfront, but also a place big enough for their extended families and a dedicated home office. Buyers are making decisions a lot more quickly, and I think this strong market will continue well past Thanksgiving.”

Typically, cottage sales in Quebec’s Laurentians are lower in the late summer, but after months of confinement, this year’s delayed market gave way to surging sales, says Alex Zamozdra, a Keller Williams Connexion broker who covers the Laurentians. “A very competitive market going into multiple offers and selling over asking was never really present in the Laurentians, but now we’re seeing many properties sold in under 90 days, and not just in sought-after areas like St. Sauveur and Mont Tremblant,” Zamozdra says.

“The average sale time has been hovering at around 120 days for years, and only recently dropped below 90 since May. “It’s moving at a much quicker rate than I’ve ever seen; a place two doors down from me sold in three days at $23,000 over asking.

Buyers want properties that are green and away from people, and even less sought-after properties are moving at a very astonishing rate. It’s really driven up the market and property values tremendously.”

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Zamozdra says buyers are discovering that for the price of a condo in downtown Montreal, they can buy a sprawling waterfront property 75 minutes north. “You can have tranquility, you can still work, and with none of the drawbacks of being in close proximity to other people and potentially at risk,” he says.

Montreal real estate broker Bunny Berke of Christie’s International Realty says she has also observed a new interest in homes outside the urban sectors. “People are tired of being in the city and want to be in more peaceful

surroundings,” she says. “I was working with one couple who looked for a home in the city for two years, but were very happy to find a lakefront home in the suburb of Beaconsfield during the pandemic.”

Berke says she’s witnessed stiff competition for homes in such off-island areas as Rosemere, St. Eustache and Mirabel. “One of my clients sold his condo in downtown St. Henri in one day. He wanted to look at homes outside the city, but every time I called a broker to request an appointment, I’d be told that they already had an offer on the property.”

As frequent travellers start realizing that their future vacation plans will probably keep them closer to home, rural lots are selling faster, adds Jennifer Queen. “Our team has seen a 400 per cent increase in search requests for homes with large lots and pools,” she says.

“I think the beautiful weather, coupled with people not feeling comfortable going to the local pool or beach, has driven much of this demand. Staycations—not just within the city but within the home—are on the rise, and everyone seems to be doing all they can to make sure that their personal residence is THE place to be.”

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CONSERVES AND PRESERVES

Prolong autumn’s harvest by transforming it into jams, pickles and herb salts TEXT AND PHOTOS BY SUSAN SEMENAK

ALL SUMMER LONG, I make plans to fill my pantry with homemade jams and preserves, though I rarely do. It’s either too hot or I’m distracted outdoors.

But I perk up with fall’s first chill. Come late September, the kitchen is just where I want to be, making small batches of late-season pickles.

With their sweet-and-salty crunch, they make great additions to sandwiches and charcuterie platters. Late-season fruits—apples, pears and

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plums—are slow-cooked with sugar and spice into thick, rich fruit butters. And even carrots get the sweet treatment.

Drying herbs is another way of holding onto late summer’s bounty, whether for blending into herbal tea or grinding with sea salt and chili pepper for spice mixes.

Here are a few simple ideas to celebrate the harvest’s last gifts.

Green Tomato Pickle Most tomato growers could use a few extra weeks of summer. There are always green tomatoes left on the vine when the first frost approaches. This recipe makes bright, aromatic use of them. Makes 1 1-litre jar.

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2 cups apple cider vinegar 1 cup water 3 cloves garlic, peeled 1 2-inch cinnamon stick 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon whole allspice 1 dried chili pepper ¼ cup sugar 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt 8 large green tomatoes, cut into thin wedges (or 3 cups green cherry tomatoes, halved) In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the tomatoes and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring, until the sugar and salt are dissolved.

Place the tomatoes in a sterilized jar and pour the brine over them, being sure they are completely submerged in liquid. Cover, let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least two days before using. Store in the fridge for up to a month.

Carrot Marmalade This is an old-fashioned jam whose main ingredient is a surprise to most people. It’s nice on toast in the morning, or alongside goat cheese as an appetizer. Makes 1 500-mL jar.

4 large carrots, peeled 1 orange Half a lemon 1½ cups sugar 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger Grate the carrots into a bowl using the medium side of a box grater. (You should have 3 cups.)

Using a microplane, finely grate the zest of the orange and lemon over the carrots. Then squeeze in the orange and lemon juice. Stir in sugar and ginger. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for at least two hours and as long as overnight, to allow the carrots time to release their juice. Transfer to a heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over medium heat until the carrots are soft and the liquid has thickened to a syrup, about 15 minutes. Stir often to prevent sticking, adding a little water if necessary. Transfer to a clean jar and cover while hot. Keep refrigerated. –>

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Tuscan Herb Salt This seasoning blend is a favourite of Italian butchers and home cooks. I rub a little onto chicken and fish before roasting or grilling or add it to vegetable soup. Use more or fewer chili pepper flakes, as you like. Makes 1 small jar.

2 large branches fresh rosemary, leaves only (about Âź cup, 60 mL) 12 fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped 10 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 tbsp coarse sea salt Âź tsp red chili pepper flakes Finely grated zest of half a lemon

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In a spice grinder, clean coffee grinder or minifood processor, pulse the rosemary, sage and thyme with the garlic and 1 tbsp of the salt until very fine. Add the remaining salt and grind again until the mixture has the texture of coarse sand. Transfer to a parchment paperlined tray and add the chili pepper flakes and lemon zest. Toss to combine, using your fingers to separate any clumps. Spread the herb blend on the tray in a thin, even layer. Loosely cover with a clean dishcloth, and leave to dry at room temperature for a couple of days. Transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Keeps for several months in a cool, dry place.

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Roasted Agrodolce Onion Preserves Sicilian-style sweet-and-sour onions are curiously addictive, and when roasted and charred before pickling, they take on even more personality. These preserves are good on top of crostini or pizza, or warmed up and tossed with pasta and Parmesan cheese. I keep them in the fridge, preserved under oil. Makes 1 500-mL jar.

4 medium onions ½ cup (125 mL) olive oil 2 tsp finely chopped rosemary Salt and freshly ground black pepper ½ cup (125 mL) red wine vinegar

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 tbsp maple syrup ½ cup (125 mL) raisins 2 tbsp capers ½ tsp cayenne pepper Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Peel the onions and cut in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 4 wedges. In a roasting pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat, toss the onions with 2 tbsp of the oil and the rosemary, salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once or twice, until the onion is tender

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and broken apart into slices that are brown around the edges. Remove from the oven.

In a saucepan on the stovetop, combine the vinegar, garlic and maple syrup and simmer over medium-high heat, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the roasted onions, raisins, capers and cayenne and simmer, uncovered, for 3 to 5 minutes or until the liquid is reduced to a glaze. Transfer to a clean glass jar and top with the remaining oil. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate.

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LAKESIDE GENTRIFICATION This year-round home in Venise-en-Québec is part of an ongoing redevelopment of this vacation area

NO EXPENSE WAS SPARED by the owners of a New England-style cottage on the north shore of Lake Champlain when it came time to upgrade their property. It has 200 feet of waterfront, a private boat launch and mature oak and maple trees that shade the expansive lawn from the back of the house to the shoreline.

The owners’ goal was to bring their once-modest seasonal cottage, circa 1959, up to a standard that matched the premium waterfront property that it is, just a 45-minute drive south of Montreal.

High-quality windows, top-of-the-line appliances, oiled cherrywood floors, radiant heating, quartz countertops, heated bathroom floors and a new addition were among the many upgrades included in the threestage renovation. The four-bedroom cottage in the municipality of Venise-en-Québec is no longer just a summer getaway retreat; it is a year-round home. –>

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For much of the late 20th century and early 21st, Venise-en-Québec, situated on Lake Champlain’s Mississquoi Bay, a stone’s throw from the Quebec-Vermont border, had a RV-camping reputation. To be sure, there are still several campgrounds within walking distance of the town’s big beach. But gradually, Venise-en-Québec has been sprouting evidence of accelerating gentrification, with new and renovated lakefront cottages like this one, which was listed during the summer of 2020 for $795,000 with Royal LePage.

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Over the past five years, many of the smaller three-season cottages dotting the town’s shoreline have been scooped up, torn down and replaced with tastefully designed new cottages. Other older cottages have been totally rebuilt and expanded into year-round homes, including this one located on Pointe-Jameson Ave., a road that runs up and down each side of the peninsula that juts out into the bay at the eastern end of the town, where much of the transformation is underway.

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“It’s a well-kept secret,” says Sylvie Ménard, the listing broker. “It’s one of the best places in the area for sailing and surfing. The wind is perfect. There’s a whole new generation investing in the community.”

Ménard, a broker with Royal Lepage Humania, says the property underwent a succession of renovations in 2006, 2012 and 2015.

The first one saw new plumbing, electrical wiring, insulation, and radiant heating installed; the cottage was also lifted to accommodate a new foundation and French drains.

The second renovation entailed taking down interior walls and creating a new floor plan that would transform the main level into an open-concept space with eight-foot ceilings. A second-floor addition was built over the family room to allow for a main bedroom and ensuite bathroom. New windows were installed, as well as Alumilex floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall glass patio doors separating the restored sunporch from the main living space. –>

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The third set of renovations featured a new kitchen (custom millwork, quartz countertops, a Bertazzoni gas stove and Fisher & Paykel appliances). The attic was turned into a bunkie for teenagers and the home was then decorated.

The colour scheme is modern nautical: white, turquoise and sea green accents. As a result of municipal infrastructure upgrades, the property is now connected to the town’s water and sewage systems, although it still has its own 130-foot-deep artesian well and septic system. “Everything is of such high quality,”

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says Ménard. “Everything is new. It’s just perfect. And the attic is now a real space that even has a lake view.”

Similar waterfront cottages in and around more exclusive areas, such as Knowlton, Lac Brome and Bromont would be so much more expensive, she says.

Ménard says she sold a $1.26-million property in Venise-en-Québec in November 2019, previously owned by Robert Aumont, the founder and president of Club Piscine.

The gentrification momentum in Veniseen-Québec is a good reason to give the town

a second look, she says. In fact, just before this issue of Home in Canada went to print, a bidding war erupted for this property among four prospective buyers. The property is now sold.

Sylvie Ménard, Real Estate Broker Royal Lepage Humania www.sylviemenard.com 514-827-6200 sylvie@sylviemenard.com

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DESIGNING FOR DEMENTIA Neuroscience research asserts that the environment has a strong effect on the psyches of people with Alzheimer disease

BY TRACEY MACKENZIE

A VASE OF FLOWERS, colourful artwork, family photos and familiar furniture are elements that remind us of who we are. They stimulate our senses.

Stimulating the senses is the goal of the relatively new field of neuroscience for design.

The marriage of interior design and neuroscience may seem unlikely. However, there is plenty of research that suggests that interior design has a major impact on the psyche.

John Zeisel, a Massachusetts-based sociologist and former McGill University faculty member who pioneered the study of neuroscience for architecture, once said that “architects have long been talking about the brain and how it responds to environments, but they didn’t know why. Now we know that the environment affects our brains just as drugs do.” –>

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Zeisel, the founder of the I’m Still Here Foundation and Hearthstone Alzheimer Care, employs his Engagement Replacement Method, an innovative and practical approach to the care of people living with Alzheimer disease.

The author of Inquiry by Design and I’m Still Here: A New Philosophy of Alzheimer’s Care, he uses design as a non-pharmacological treatment for symptoms.

In the late 1990s, Zeisel planned the design—common rooms, porch, garden, and personal rooms—of the Moe Levin Centre at Montreal’s Douglas Hospital; it’s a treatment facility for people with memory problems who receive diagnostic and rehab support.

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“We know from the ground-breaking work of Fred ‘Rusty’ Gage, president of the Salk Institute, that the environment affects the brain, which then affects behaviour,” Zeisel says.

“He’s shown that the central nervous system is affected by environmental stimulation.

His work with mice showed that exercise can stimulate the production of new neurons in the brain. Thus, our environment affects our brains, which affects our genes.”

The Alzheimer Society of Canada says half a million Canadians currently live with dementia, two-thirds of them women. The number of cases is expected to rise to 937,000 by 2031. The Society also cites the fact that

“roughly 56,000 Canadians with dementia are being cared for in hospitals, even though this is not an ideal location for care.”

I became keenly aware of how my mother’s environment affected her after she’d had a stroke in 2007. Whenever she was in her drab hospital room, she was unresponsive and fearful, and her speech was slurred. However, when I took her to the hospital’s common room—which resembled a living room with its sofas, television and piano—her speech improved, and she was responsive and at ease.

This was my first clue that our environment plays an important role in recovery and it led me to study John Zeisel’s work.

Photo by Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.com

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Photo courtesy of Snoezelen

My background in interior design and feng shui has enabled me to understand that our surroundings impact our psyches. However, while working with Maria Mancuso, a behavioral technician for children with special needs, I saw how sensory stimulation leads to great results. She introduced me to the Snoezelen room.

Developed in Holland for people with intellectual disabilities, Snoezelen rooms are controlled multisensory environments, now also used for people suffering from brain injuries and Alzheimer or other dementia. The

room contains components that are soothing or stimulating to affect the senses, depending on the needs of the users For instance, fibre-optic lights and bubble tubes (think large lava lamps) provide stimulation. Floor and wall cushions and a projector displaying gentle patterns and changing colours are used to reduce agitation, anxiety, aggression and depression.

Some Snoezelen elements may also be introduced into the room of someone living with Alzheimer or other dementia. –>

(Above) Snoezelen rooms are controlled multisensory environments that were developed for people with intellectual disabilities. They’re now also used for people who have brain injuries, and Alzheimer or other dementia. The rooms contain components that are either soothing or stimulating, depending on users’ needs.

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Zeisel, however, suggests that the best therapy is engagement. “In daily life, we all touch hundreds of surfaces and textures every day and have sensory experiences via the sun, colours and lights,” he says. “You don’t need a special room for this; you just need to make sure there are lots of textures to touch, varied lighting, and other sensory experiences where the person lives. Also, be sure to go outdoors.”

Research has shown that children with autism engaged in activities in nature react better than while participating in the same activities indoors.

Despite this awareness, people with dementia are often kept indoors or, worse, inside one room, causing sensory deprivation that can lead to aggression and depression.

Room decor can have an impact. “The room must reflect the person’s personality,” Zeisel

says. “For instance, if the person loved to travel, hang photos of his favorite places on walls. If the person was an art collector, hang some favorite artworks. It’s our job to create an environment where they feel respected and have a sense of self.”

Engaging in activities that the person enjoyed prior to the illness is also key. If a loved one with dementia enjoyed taking walks, go on daily walks with them. If they loved to garden, ask for their help with your garden. If they loved going out for pizza, go out with them once a week for pizza. “People need to be engaged in a way that helps them feel at ease,” Zeisel says. “They also need to know that they still matter.”

Stimulating the senses is good for everyone. It’s especially therapeutic for people who have dementia.

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John Zeisel’s advice for helping someone with dementia live more independently at home: • Place a large map or drawing of the house on the back of the bedroom door and use arrows to indicate the location of the bathroom and kitchen.

Place the bed so that the head of it cannot seen from the hallway. This prevents the person from feeling spied on when you check on them.

• In the bathroom, the toilet should be high enough to allow the person to get up and down independently. Their towels should be a standout colour, such as pink or green; the towels of other family members should be white. Keep items that are used daily (toothbrush, medication, etc.) on the counter.

• Create a workspace in the kitchen that allows them to help with meal preparation. Rather than telling them what to do, place the objects for the task in their workspace and ask for their help. Example: Have a bowl with an egg and a fork already set up and say: “Would you be so kind as to beat that egg for me?” Feeling useful makes them “wake up.”

• Remove clutter from the living room; it causes confusion and anxiety. The furniture should encourage autonomy. Paint the television’s on/off switch with colourful nail polish so that it’s easily found.

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Photo by NavinTar/Shutterstock.com

John Zeisel’s advice for designing a space when moving a parent with dementia into a room in a seniors’ residence: • Hang photos of family members with a label indicating the name and relation of each beneath the photo. This enables the person to identify who is with him or who is being referenced in a conversation.

• Hang pictures or artwork that reflect the person’s life. For instance, if the person was a doctor, hang her degree. If she was a performer, hang posters of the plays she was in.

• Do not furnish the room with new objects; it’ll make the person feel unsafe. Take furnishings and linens from his previous home for their familiar associations.

• Do not place all her clothes in one closet. Instead, put in two items in each category so that the person can make an “either or” decision.

Limiting the choice facilitates decision-making.

Keep the rest in another closet, occasionally changing the ones in the two-item closet to liven up the experience of getting dressed.

Photo by Photobac/Shutterstock.com

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EXUBERANT

STYLE A Vancouver couple who love fashion create high-spirited design in their home

BY SUSAN SEMENAK PHOTOGRAPHY: AMANDA OSTER AND STEPHEN LI STYLING: REISA POLLARD, SARA KING AND AMANDA GILLIES

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REISA POLLARD OFTEN HAS TO coax clients out of their comfort zones. Not this time.

The Vancouver interior designer, owner of Beyond Beige Interior Design, says she found herself in an excitingly different creative space while working on a recent project in MacKenzie Heights.

Michael and Jojo Lu were having a new home built in this leafy enclave on Vancouver’s West Side. The building itself is traditional, with a classic European-influenced limestone-look exterior and elaborate interior millwork. But the owners’ personal aesthetic is anything but traditional or conventional.

Jojo is a fashionista with an unabashedly bold and confident sense of style who had in mind a house to match. Her husband, too, wanted a home with a daring look.

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Pollard says the Lus came to her with myriad “wild and wonderful” ideas that reflected Jojo’s own risk-taking fashion sense. “The house is a reflection of how Jojo dresses; she loves fashion and accessories. She is not scared at all to mix colour and pattern,” Pollard says.

“My job was to channel all her energy and ideas into a cohesive theme that would fit into an otherwise traditional house.

“It was a fun and unusual relationship with a client. Fabulous to have someone so ready to take risks and accept new ideas with such enthusiasm. Usually, I’m the one who is pushing the client to be risky, but in this case, I was the one stopping her from going farther and farther so that the look didn’t veer from fashion-forward into kitschy or cartoon-cute.”

Michael is the owner of a women’s fashion accessories business back in China, where the couple own another home, and he and his wife told Pollard they wanted their Vancouver space to echo the “beauty of a gorgeous handbag.” It needed to be glamorous, boldly coloured and well-organized.

The glamour can be found in the extensive detailed custom millwork featured throughout the house: panelled walls, coffered ceilings, even a dome with hand-painted gold-leaf trim in the upstairs landing. It is also on display in the porcelain floors, set in a pattern borrowed from Versace. Even the staircase to the second storey and the basement exudes understated glamour. It’s a brass and black metal replica of a stairway in a European boutique hotel.

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(Above) The upper landing features a domed ceiling with hand-painted gold leaf details.

(Below & right) Leopard print wallpaper makes a “wild and warm” statement in the vestibule, which leads to a grand entry hall, featuring porcelain tiles set in a pattern borrowed from Versace, and a coffered, gold-leafed ceiling. Pendant: Crystorama; tile: Ames Tile & Stone.

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(Below) The kitchen features a mix of materials: frosted-mirror cabinet doors, walnut, and deeply veined quartzite. For a touch of whimsy, the sink’s Grohe faucet is pink.

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(Above) There’s a jewelry box feel to this dining room, with its upholstered pink chairs and delicate lighting fixtures. Pendant: Bethel International.

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The princess-themed bedroom is all pink and gold, with a canopy bed topped by a coronet.

The dressing room, customdesigned to display as many purses as possible, is Jojo’s fashionista fantasy. A glasstopped island makes it easy to choose jewelry.

The couple’s love of colou r i s ev ident throughout the 4,000-square-foot, three-storey home. Though the walls everywhere are painted white, artwork and furnishings in unexpected colour combinations give the decor a fresh and playful look. Pink, one of Jojo’s favourite colours, makes a cameo appearance in numerous rooms. There it is, for instance, on the kitchen’s faucet by Grohe and even in the veining of the quartzite island counter. It appears in the dining room, where the chairs are upholstered in pink velvet, and in the artwork that hangs on the wall behind the table. Pink is the defining colour in the couple’s daughter’s princess-themed bedroom. And pink is front and centre in Jojo’s dressing room, where her extensive collection of purses, shoes and jewelry is displayed in glass cases. –>

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Early on in the project, Jojo told Pollard that she didn’t want anything “boring” or “ordinary” in the house. She wanted upholstery fabrics in numerous patterns and sharp colours.

She asked for unexpected details that would please her own eye and surprise her guests.

One example of that unexpected drama is on display in the living room’s translucent

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onyx fireplace wall, which is backlit with LED lights. When lit, the cloud-like pattern in the stone casts a warm glow.

In the media room in the basement, where the family retreats to watch movies, Pollard’s team designed a “starry night” ceiling with constellations that light up and change configuration and colour; they even twinkle.

(Above & opposite, top) The basement houses a media room, wine cellar, bar and a multi-purpose play area.

The media room, with its panelled walls, reclining chairs and Art Deco wall sconces boasts the ambience of a vintage movie house. Bar tile: Ann Sacks.

(Opposite, bottom) “Most fireplaces are austere, but this one, surrounded by backlit translucent onyx, draws you into the room,” says designer Reisa Pollard. A cluster of furniture in unexpected colours and patterns gives the living room a fun and edgy vibe. Onyx fireplace wall: Prima Stone; living room sofa and chairs: Marcantonio Designs.

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As the parents of two small children, the Lus also wanted their home to be functional and durable and efficiently organized. The procelain f loors, for example, are easy to clean. And though the large, ornate flower arrangement in the entrance is dramatic, it is also practical. The flowers are artificial and the vase is glued to its base, thereby safe from running, playing children.

“Michael and Jojo love glamour, but they are also down-to-earth people who want their home to be welcoming and relaxed,” says Pollard. “They don’t ever want to worry about spilled wine or children running and playing.”

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DESIGNING FOR DIVERSITY Universal design is becoming the standard for inclusive livability

BY BARBARA MILNER

Photo courtesy of Motionspot

WHEN SOLDIERS RETURNED HOME from the Second World War with disabling injuries, they unknowingly embarked upon another transformative battle: a change in how we design. The rights and needs of people with disabilities and the aged were brought to the forefront, and attitudes towards disability shifted. A new “social” model focused on direct action against discrimination, poor access, and inequality.

Architects and designers responded by focusing their talents on creating buildings, products, and environments for all people, regardless of age or ability. This new discipline came to be known as Universal Design.

In a strange twist of fate, the baby boom

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generation, born in the post-war years, is now driving this niche concept into the mainstream.

With their rejection of traditional values and knack for redefining norms, these “actively aging” boomers are saying “no” to spending their senior years in care facilities, and are opting instead to live independently in their homes for as long as possible. In the spirit of living life to the fullest, future-proofing spaces to accommodate a wide spectrum of possible physical and cognitive challenges has emerged as a new standard.

On a philosophical level, it can be argued that this generation has given rise to a new ethos: in design for human diversity, everyone gains.

BED, BATH AND BEYOND In their quest for inclusive design, baby boomers are not dropping their high standards for impressive aesthetics. Motionspot, a design firm in the UK that specializes in accessible design, has debunked the notion that accessible spaces cannot look sexy and sophisticated. “A misconception is that Universal Design needs to look clinical and institutional. That, quite simply, isn’t right,” says Edward Warner, founder and CEO of Motionspot. “With the right design thought, you can really achieve the same high level of design intent as you can in a non-accessible space.”

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Photos courtesy of Motionspot

Through the clever and creative use of colour and lighting, Motionspot designs chic, modern bathrooms for clients with dementia. “The key features of the bathroom are highlighted with colour to more easily see, locate and use,” explains Warner. In the photo

opposite, “the pink wall and alcove contrasts with the flooring to make it easier to accurately gauge the size of the room and navigate around it.”

Beautifully designed accessible bathrooms such as this are becoming the norm. Curbless

showers and removable grab rails with cover plates will soon be commonplace, as will flush flooring between bedroom and bathroom, which greatly reduces injuries that can result from late-night navigation of these spaces.

Kitchens are another prime area of the home where accessibility should be integrated into the design plan. Investing in interior fittings that bring the contents of cabinets to the user, along with multilevel worktops and accessible pulls and knobs, are key considerations.

One of the greatest obstacles in the movement to embrace barrier-free design has been a misconception about its cost. “People’s perceptions are that if something is a disabled adaptation, it has to be clinical. If it looks beautiful, it must be expensive,” says Warner.

Motionspot is tackling this with the launch of a new product line called Fine & Able. “We are trying very much to blast that myth that things have to be expensive,” says Warner. Fine & Able offers a full range of stylish bathroom products with accessibility worked into the design and price. The line’s kitchen collection is launching this September. –>

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Photos courtesy of Sunbrella

FABRICS FOR LIFE Also launching this fall is a new collection of performance fabrics from Sunbrella called Retweed. “Our fabric is designed for a long lifespan, mirroring the very idea of what it means to effectively design projects to meet the demands of aging in place and the principles of universal design,� says Sarah Dooley, director of upholstery at Sunbrella.

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Sunbrella is the flagship brand of Glen Raven Inc., a company that produced parachute fabric during the Second World War, developed pantyhose in the 1950s, and wove the fabric for the first American flag planted on the moon by Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. But it is out-ofthis-world outdoor fabric that Sunbrella has become known for in the design industry.

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All of the company’s fabrics are stain-resistant, mold- and mildew-resistant, UV- and fade-proof.

They are also soft to the touch and cozy, unlike the medical-grade texture often associated with high-performance fabrics. For these reasons, these outdoor fabrics are making their way indoors.

The Retweed collection will not only provide the high level of durability expected from a Sunbrella fabric, but is also composed of up to 93 per cent recycled content. For the educated active-aging consumers, this is sure to tick many boxes.

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“When it comes to universal design, textile design is an important aspect of most principles, including flexibility of use, tolerance for error and low physical effort. Colour, versatility and function all play a role. Bold colours and large-scale patterns can aid in things like wayfinding,” says Dooley.

The collection offers a palette of colourful earthy hues, blending vintage tweed and a mid-century modern aesthetic. That is, after all, the period that has greatly inf luenced the shift towards a more inclusive, social approach to designing for human diversity.

Columnist Barbara Milner is an interior designer and principal at South Hill Interiors, a design firm that serves the Greater Toronto Area and Kawartha Lakes region. The firm’s real estate arm offers realt y services with Forest Hill Real Estate Inc.

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BE SAFE AT HOME

October’s Fire Prevention Week is a great time to take stock of whether you have adequate smoke and carbon monoxide protection in your home WHILE OCTOBER HERALDS the arrival of autumn, the month also offers us an excellent opportunity to ensure that our homes are safe. The annual Fire Prevention Week—from October 4 to 10 this year—is a time to take stock of your alarms.

Consider this dangerous but common scenario: A homeowner deactivates a sounding smoke or carbon monoxide (CO) alarm and leaves the device disabled, opening up the entire household to a high-risk potential for undetected hazards.

According to the Canadian National Fire Information Database, 80 per cent of fire deaths occur in homes without working

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smoke alarms, often due to missing batteries or expired alarms.

“In a time when so many of us are home, it’s important to ensure your home is protected from the threats of smoke, fire and carbon monoxide,” says Ashley Gocken, brand and public relations manager for First Alert, innovators in the field of home smoke alarms since 1958. “Fortunately, a new generation of home-safety technology can help keep homes and families safe.”

When assessing your home’s safety, a good place to start is to change the batteries in all smoke and carbon monoxide alarms,

Gocken advises. It seems that most of us let this vital semi-annual ritual slide. First Alert conducted a consumer survey that found that 67 per cent of Canadians do not replace their alarms’ batteries as often as they should, usually waiting until the unit begins to chirp.

An easy solution: Install smoke and CO alarms with 10-year sealed batteries. First Alert offers many options that provide a decade of continuous power with no low-battery chirps or costly battery replacements. Plus, 10-year alarms eliminate the risk of having an alarm deactivated due to battery removal.

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Another startling survey statistic: 35 per cent of Canadians report not having CO alarms in their homes. CO is an invisible, odourless and tasteless gas, and can be detected only with an alarm. CO can also be deadly. In fact, it’s the number one cause of accidental poisoning in Canada and is responsible for an average of 300 deaths each year.

CO alarms are required in every Ontario residence that has an attached garage and/ or a fuel-burning appliance. In Quebec, they are mandatory only in certain types of public buildings. More detailed information can be found on the websites of the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs (oafc.on.ca/home-escapeplan) and City of Montreal (ville.montreal. qc.ca/sim/en/evacuation-plan).

“Even if you have smoke and CO alarms in your home, you and your family may not be sufficiently protected if you don’t have enough devices,” advises Gocken.

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The National Fire Protection Association recommends installing smoke and CO alarms on every level of the home, including the basement, as well as inside and near every bedroom. Install them at least 15 feet from kitchen appliances and the furnace, and 10 feet away from high-humidity areas such as showers or laundry rooms. When in doubt, let the phrase “every level, every bedroom” serve as a guide.

For ultimate protection, the First Alert 10-Year Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm provides two-in-one protection from smoke and carbon monoxide and is equipped with a 10-year battery, rendering battery removal and replacement a thing of the past. With a slimmer design, the model is half the thickness of a standard alarm, so it unobtrusively blends into any decor. “Just remember that even with 10-year battery alarms, you still need to test your alarms regularly,” says Gocken.

The 10-year combination alarm can also come equipped with a voice and location feature. Studies show that children aged six to 10 are awakened more readily by voice than by alarm signals. Voice and location alerts identify where smoke or CO is detected in the home, alerting everyone by using a loud, pre-recorded human voice. It helps save precious time so you can best determine the fastest and safest ways out of your home during an emergency.

Proper smoke and CO alarm installation and maintenance can mean the difference between a safe home and a dangerous one.

For more home safety tips and products, visit www.firstalert.ca.

First Alert www.firstalert.ca 1-800-323-9005

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VIBRANT NEW LIFE FOR OLD PIECES An artist infuses her Oakville home with cheerful, boho style by re-inventing vintage finds

BY WENDY HELFENBAUM PHOTOGRAPHY: LARRY ARNAL STYLING: ILDIKO HORVATH

Ildiko hung a large painting by local artist Matthew Warren over the bed, and employed a rustic paint technique to give a soft yellow and green texture to one of her nightstands.“It involves many different layers of colour and spraying water on it for that

ILDIKO HORVATH EMBRACES colour—the brighter, the better. She turned her passion for pigment into a thriving furniture-painting business called Restored4U.com. She scours online sites and second-hand stores for rundown vintage and antique pieces that she then brings to life with vibrant chalk paint and découpage. Ildiko also offers video tutorials on Etsy.com.

Originally from Hungary, Ildiko was a professional pianist before moving to Canada in 1997. She began renovating the Oakville townhouse she shares with her husband Graham about 11 years ago.

“Graham bought the house about six months before we met, and it was very cookie-cutter,” she recalls of the bland 2,400-square-foot property. “It’s in a nice area, so my goal was to make it reflect our personalities.” –>

washed effect. I like experimenting with different techniques,” she says.

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(Above) “Kristina’s room is my favourite space in the house because it’s so bright. I love my own bedroom, which was my first big project, but her room is close to my heart,” says Ildiko, who displayed a vintage typewriter on the wooden desk.

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Room by room, the artist completely revamped the furniture, walls and floors with layers of paint, texture and textiles. “Every time I had a nice piece that didn’t sell, I made it work somewhere,” she says.

The first space to receive Ildiko’s attention was the main bedroom. “My starting point was the bed, which I found on Kijiji, and I chose a blue and white colour scheme,” says Ildiko, who then painted a Union Jack onto an old dresser. “I always like to add something unexpected.”

She did just that with a canary-yellow lamp, an orange nightstand and a rich red trunk placed at the foot of the bed. She also ripped out the upstairs carpeting and installed unfinished hardwood, which she painted white.

In her step-daughter Kristina’s bedroom, Ildiko played up the angles of the space by hanging painted pictures and mirror frames on the wall. “I like the roof line peak and architectural ceiling in that room,” she says.

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She scored the vintage carved bed on Kijiji, painted it a deep indigo blue, and added luxurious linens from Anthropologie.

The main bathroom was gutted. “It had a corner tub, my pet peeve,” she says. To stay on budget, the couple kept the plumbing in the same spot. After searching in vain for the perfect vanity, Ildiko found a vintage dresser in Ottawa that spoke to her. She painted it a rich charcoal grey, added glam glass knobs, a

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quartz countertop and two round white vessel sinks, resulting in the vanity she wanted.

Downstairs, she gave a leftover piece from a sideboard new purpose by making it a spot to hang hats and bags in the entryway.

She paired it with a bench she’d found 20 years ago in an antiques store, on which she hand-painted bright f lowers, to create an instant mudroom.

(Above) Floor-to-ceiling oversized white subway tiles in the bathroom are a nod to Ildiko’s European roots, and she added interest with black grout.

She rescued a broken chair and reimagined it as a colourful stool, and found most of the bathroom fixtures at York Taps in Toronto. (Below, left) Cheery colour greets visitors in the entrance hall.

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(Left) Ildiko found her graphic kitchen backsplash tiles at Quarry Direct Mississauga.“I had been wanting the cement tile look forever; it was a must-have for the kitchen,” she says.“I love these tiles, which are actually made of porcelain.”

In the kitchen, Ildiko painted the original cabinets a crisp white, accenting them with black hardware. An adjacent narrow wall was a great spot for a 200-year-old oversized armoire.

“There’s never enough storage right in kitchens,” she explains. “I found it on Kijiji.

The wood was dried out and the finish was old and tired.” With its new life as a china cabinet, the robin’s-egg-blue showpiece houses Ildiko’s pretty dishes and serving ware. –>

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A living room wall showcases her collection of colourful woven baskets, which she picked up online and in thrift stores. She painted the square coffee table a beachy turquoise, lending some Caribbean fun to the space.

Graham chose the dark hardwood flooring throughout the main floor.

Ildiko always fills the home with fresh flowers, which nicely top the 1950s-era white Saarinen-style Tulip dining set she bought online in a stroke of serendipity. “I found the table and four of the chairs on Kijiji, but really I wanted six,” she recalls. “A few hours later, someone else was selling two Tulip chairs,

exactly the same as the ones I had bought, which completed the set.”

Ildiko enjoys getting creative with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, an ultra-matte product launched in the UK that works especially well on furniture without priming or sanding, she says.

“I’ve been featured many times on their site, and I like that this paint dries very quickly, so you can go on to the next step,” she explains. “They have 42 colours, but you can make 3,000; they’re meant to be mixed with each other.”

(Right) A vintage chair was treated to a layered découpage to complement the emerald green desk and colourful books piled beneath it. A white sofa sets off the festive array of textiles and hanging baskets.

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(Above) A Matthew Warren painting adorns the layered painted wall above the curvy Tulip dining set. “I’m not afraid of colour,” Ildiko says of the soft pastel wash on the walls. (Left) An old sideboard became the ideal entrance hall table, setting off the bright turquoise front door.

Working from her home, Ildiko also takes on custom-commissioned work from clients, who give her the freedom to play with colour and texture. All too often, she falls in love with many of the pieces she finds and paints.

“But then, my hubby keeps reminding me that this is my business, and that I need to sell them,” she says, laughing.

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MOVING ON …

AND IN The stars light the way to a major redesign of our homes this fall

BY SUSAN KELLY

AUTUMN INEVITABLY BRINGS la rentrée, that bittersweet time when summer wanes and we head back indoors. But then, nothing is usual now. Astrologically, we are entering a pivotal season, one of completion and restructuring. At the same time, we’d be wise to keep an eye on the horizon and a vastly different and brighter future.

All of that makes our design choices much more meaningful. Redecorating now can help us create spaces that work for us, while also tapping into a new wave of creativity. It could prove an immensely fulfilling, even uplifting, experience.

What’s winding down Three of the outer planets that deal with collective experiences—Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto—now are in the same sign, Capricorn.

This is a rare occurrence, one that astrologers long predicted would bring life-altering circumstances in 2020. World events aside, we can chalk up the current heavy, sombre and cautious tone to their presence. In decor, it is reflected in the trend toward moody navy blue or charcoal colour schemes and heavier, low-slung furniture profiles.

The big theme is restructuring. During the pandemic’s first wave, we stayed home and stripped down our lives. We learned what was truly vital to our survival; it’s been a very Capricornian lesson. Armed with this knowledge, we can pull up any metaphorical flimsy laminate of our lives and install solid, genuine hardwood.

On a lighter note, we now know our homes can double (or quadruple) as home

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Photo by Tatiana Syrikova

gym or dance studio, classroom, Zoom cocktail lounge, film studio to record sourdough breadmaking sessions . . . the list goes on.

Last spring, we improvised; now we will want to find more permanent ways to make our homes multi-task.

What lies ahead A rare alignment known as a Great Conjunction happens in the visionary and idealistic sign of Aquarius on December 21. It kicks off a new 200-year cycle, a total reset politically and socially. Expect social awareness and

equality to top the agenda. Closer to home, there will be a strong need to express our unique selves, to stand out as individuals.

The Great Conjunction combines the expansive forward-looking nature of Jupiter and the status quo and structure of Saturn. This is an excellent time to revisit what we learned during last spring’s Big Pause (Saturn) and bring forward some of the positive experiences (Jupiter). They might include enjoying the beauty and simplicity found in slowing down and embracing new connections and ways of connecting.

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Photo by Bench Accounting

In Aquarius, creativity—which certainly includes the design and decoration of our homes—will be key. Researchers around the world are looking at the many ways it helped us cope and connect during the pandemic. As Charles Falzon, dean of the Ryerson University Faculty of Communication and Design, wrote: “. . . as we try to imagine what our lives, cities, and economies might look like when we emerge from this pandemic, creativity has never been so important.”

The strong Capricorn influence now might lead us to over-emphasize the practical. Yet as we head towards the big Aquarius shift, there is no better time to unleash your inner decorator. The following six home decor trends for fall will help prepare for the transition.

Start at the foyer: It’s no longer just a place to leave the boots and keys. Now, removing and disposing of face masks and gloves must be considered. Look for ways to make safety more efficient (Capricorn), perhaps adding or expanding a mudroom. Do inject some unique flair and personality (Aquarius).

Let there be light: A lack of light can enhance the Capricornian penchant for gloom. Look around for areas upon which you could shed more light, then add new fixtures and/or

mirrors to reflect natural rays. Or, take a cue from fashion runways and add some bright, vibrant, mood-lifting colours. With Aquarius coming, the more electric the better.

Bring in the green: Capricorn is an earth sign; Aquarius is environmentally minded.

Plus, houseplants are not only on trend but good for well-being. If you lack a green thumb, try botanical-print wallpaper or fabrics. Or an accent wall in the hue might double as a green screen to create a wow backdrop for all the teleconferencing calls.

Get higher tech: Aquarius is all about technology, global connections and distance—as reflected in the meteoric rise in teleconferencing.

It also helps us stay connected with family and it furthers careers, both Capricornian concerns. Expect new and ingenious virtual ways to communicate.

Go against the ’Gram: Aquarius needs to be part of the crowd while expressing absolute individuality. Practical Capricorn is loathe to invest in something that might not last, such as a fad. More and more, people will reject styles that become too popular on social media— until, ironically, being anti-trend will become a trend in itself!

Home, working: Once considered a bonus space, the home office is now de rigueur.

Under the Capricorn influence, it will be out of necessity because an employer demands it, or we need a side hustle to fill an income gap.

As Aquarius takes over, it will be more about needing more autonomy and control over our immediate environment and life. There will be a call to revive communal workspaces, too, post-pandemic.

The timing Many planets are in retrograde motion this fall. One is Mars, planet of putting the hammer down, until November 13. During this time, we may have far less patience than usual when frustrating delays arise in projects, such as scheduling conflicts with contractors or stalled permits. Mercury, which has a lot to do with scheduling and communications, is also retrograde from October 13 to November 3. It’s best to avoid major decisions or projects then.

Jupiter, planet of optimism and expansion, heads direct on September 12. It can bring vision and zeal to the Capricornian need to build and create new structures, a powerful combination. It makes this an excellent time to reimagine layouts with an eye to making them work for all aspects of our lives.

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AG I NG

IN PLACE As Canada’s baby boomers enter their senior years, some are modifying their homes so they can stay put

BY CHERYL CORNACCHIA

THE FIRST BIG DECISION that Tom Moos and his wife Shoshanah made was to renovate and add an extension to their mid-town home in Toronto’s Lawrence Manor neighbourhood. The second and even bigger decision was to tailor the renovations so that they would be able to live in their home longer, in the community they loved, and not be forced to move because of failing health.

“I used to work in community health,” says Shoshanah Moos, now 67 and recently retired. “The two things that force people to move (out of their homes into a seniors’ residence) is that they don’t have a bathroom on the main floor or they can no longer get easily to their bedroom,” she says.

Shoshanah says that she and Tom didn’t want that to happen to them, so they took a forward-looking approach to their renovation.

Thanks to a redesign by Toronto architect Thomas Tampold of Yorkville Design Centre, the Moos’s home is now an artfully configured 2,800-square-foot, two-storey home with contemporary lines and a distinctive curved exterior wall, the one element they retained from the home’s former incarnation as a 1960s bungalow. –>

(Right) Montreal-based CEC Enertech installs vacuumpowered elevators in homes. Each unit is a tube with a smaller tube set inside it. The smaller tube is pushed up and down by air. Photo courtesy of CEC Enertech.

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Photo by Larry Arnal (Above) Tom and Shoshanah Moos opted for a compact kitchen in their Toronto home to limit the carrying distance between the fridge, counter, stove and sink. There are no upper cabinets. (Below) A

Among the new senior-friendly attributes, it boasts a spacious open-concept floor plan; a kitchen designed to be functional even if its user is in a wheelchair; easy-to-manipulate lever door handles and cupboard pulls; two-handle faucets; an elevator that goes from the fully-furnished basement to the upstairs bedroom/office level; walk-in seamless showers with grab handles, bench and handheld showerhead; fortified staircase handrails; hand-pull clothing racks in closets; and a separate basement-level suite that can double as accommodation for a caregiver or guest.

“It took some time to conceptualize everything,” says Tom Moos. “But we had the ability and the means to think it through.

Our idea was if we are going to do it, let’s do it so that it would work for us for life.”

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Photo courtesy of CEC Enertech Inc

new generation of vacuum-powered elevators, sold by CEC Enertech, uses space efficiently.

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Photos courtesy of Pro Accessibility

(Above, left) Ceiling track lifts can be customized for any room. (Above, right) A hand-held shower wand, built-in shower benches and easy-to-reach built-in shelves are senior-friendly bathroom additions. Installed by Pro Accessibility.

As Canada’s post-war baby boomers— born between 1946 and 1965—move into their retirement years, home renovations are increasingly being viewed with owner-occupant aging in mind. According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), research suggests 85 per cent of people aged 55 and over want to “age in place” in their own homes and communities, even if there are changes in their health.

“Ten years ago, we never used the term ‘aging in place,’ ” says Pat Acquisto, president of Pro Accessibility, a Woodbridge,

Ontario-based firm specializing in home modifications that allow seniors to live independently in their own homes.

Acquisto is what is known in the industry as a CAPS—Certified Aging in Place Specialist—and he is also the newly elected chairman of the Canadian Home Builders Association’s committee for Accessible Home Modifications. A sought-after speaker on the subject, including at the annual Aging in Place Conference, last held in November 2019 in Toronto, he says: “People are educating themselves.” –>

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Photo by Larry Arnal

(Above left) Tom and Shoshanah Moos’s Toronto home was renovated so that the couple can age in place.

There’s an elevator just inside the entry. (Above right) Pro Accessibility, a Woodbridge company that specializes in modifying homes to accommodate disability, installs ceiling track lifts to facilitate mobility between rooms.

(Opposite) A seamless shower entrance in the Moos’s home is accessible, even by wheelchair or walker. The built-in bench is both aesthetically pleasing and functional.

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Photos courtesy of Pro Accessibility

Exterior ramps, new main-floor bathrooms and new main-floor bedrooms are the three most common modifications his company currently carries out. The price range depends on how much work is required to make the modification and what materials are used. Going through them one by one, he says, the cost of an average exterior ramp in pressure-treated wood that goes from the ground to the front door of a bungalow with four steps can run between $12,000 and $15,000. The same ramp in concrete would cost about $20,000. Exterior ramps require municipal permits, and must conform to building codes—16 inches of ramp for every inch of height from ground to door.

A new bathroom can be tricky. Five-byeight feet is the minimum amount of space required for a three-piece bathroom, and three-by-five feet for a powder room. However, once the location and space are found, options

include seamless showers with hand-held wands; built-in shower benches; right-height toilets (a seat that stands 16.5 to 17 inches high versus the standard 15.5 inches); floating vanities with space underneath for a wheelchair; one-lever faucets for both hot and cold water; and even motion-detector faucets that shut off automatically when a user moves his hands away.

For main-floor bedrooms, Acquisto says, “part of what we do is psychological.” He says he has seen people released from hospital after a stroke with new limitations set up a bed in the main-floor living room because they are not ready to accept their new circumstances.

“I’m just going to put a bed here for now; when I get better I will go back upstairs.” But he adds that denial is less of a problem as awareness grows of how home modifications can allow one to stay at home longer. –>

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Photos on this page courtesy of Promenaid.

Things are changing, concurs Rob Geller. Ten years ago, Geller, along with fellow Montrealers Kell Warshaw (industrial designer) and David Reich (inventor), founded Promenaid, a Montreal-based manufacturer of award-winning handrails for residential and commercial use.

“The mindset of the marketplace or society was anti-functionality,” Geller says of those early days. “There was avoidance, denial: ‘I don’t want that ugly thing in my house. It speaks volumes…I’m getting older.’ ” Often, he says, the customers were adult children buying for their aging parents.

The Promenaid systems—sleek-looking and modular—have moveable brackets that can be installed anywhere. “They also far exceed building code strength requirements,” Geller says. “Beautiful and easy-to-install doesn’t matter if a handrail is weak and unreliable.”

The company’s handrails are available in a variety of styles and finishes, including anodized aluminum and wood. They look custom-made but cost a fraction of the price: $20 to $35 per linear foot.

They can be used in hallways, bedrooms, bathrooms, walkways and staircases. Homeowners who are weak on one side of the body put handrails on both sides of the stairs for bilateral support. As producers, Geller says, he and his co-founders recognized that installation needed to be easier but that the rails should look attractive, not institutional.

“We get heartfelt thanks,” he says, citing a change in attitude between a decade ago and today. “Yesterday, I got a call from someone in Los Angeles. Their parent was being released from the hospital and they needed handrails installed. We Fed-Ex-ed them and they were installed the next afternoon.”

Handrails and stair-rails can be as attractive as they are functional. These models are from the latest collection of Promenaid, an award-winning Montreal-based manufacturer.

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Photo courtesy of CEC Enertech Inc

Vacuum-powered elevators start at $30,000 U.S. Larger models are available and can accommodate up to three people or one person and a wheelchair. Elevators such as this are sold by Montreal-based CEC Enertech.

Other homeowners who want to age in place are opting for home elevators so they can avoid the stairs altogether. And there’s a new generation of residential elevators that are aesthetic and easy to install.

Joe Lilien is co-owner of CEC Enertech Inc., a Montreal-based heating and air conditioning contractor. Two years ago, the company began installing vacuum-powered elevators. Each unit is basically a large tube with a smaller tube set inside it; the smaller tube is pushed up and down by air.

Lilien says an elevator for a single person can be installed in as little as a 30-inch diameter of floor space. Larger models can accommodate two or three people or a wheelchair.

Billed as “A Work of Art, Powered by Air,” the elevator is designed by PVE, a Miami-based manufacturer, and units start at $30,000 U.S. “There are other ways of going up stairs without putting in an elevator,” says Lilien. “But they don’t enhance the house.”

As for the Moos, Tom says that he and Shoshanah love the way their home feels, and it is already proving itself. He says a friend who uses a wheelchair was able to ride in the couple’s elevator “when he came to dine with us. And a friend who uses a walker stayed overnight in the guest suite and was able to access the house by using the elevator.”

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BEFORE AND AFTER

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THE ULTIMATE HOUSE SWAP

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TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY NADINE THOMSON INTERIOR DESIGNER

It was the ultimate house swap. Married couple Andy Tsartolias and Jessica Rassy moved into Jessica’s childhood home in the Mercier/Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district of Montreal. Jessica’s parents vacated the house and moved into the couple’s condo just down the street.

Then Andy and Jessica got to work redesigning and renovating.

Andy was no stranger to construction and understood the many design details that would make for a tasteful makeover. The couple walked fearlessly into the renovation like DIY pros, ready to prepare the house for the family they were planning. I acted as their design consultant. This is how they transformed the kitchen/dining space into an open-concept layout that reflects their taste and lifestyle.

AFTER

2. The next step was to install a highly func-

tional kitchen (the couple love to cook and entertain) without sacrificing the high-end look they wanted. The kitchen cabinets were purchased from Ikea, making for a reasonable price point. They were installed professionally by Colin Russell, Andy’s brother-in-law,

who is a master woodworker with Construction C. Russell Inc. It gave the space a high-end look through some creative custom detailing. Even with the cost of extra labour, these cabinets came in at around $20,000 less than a custom-built kitchen would have cost.

BEFORE

1. The first objective was to create an open-con-

cept ground floor, especially between the kitchen and dining room. The former kitchen—a long, narrow space—felt closed off from the rest of the house. By demolishing the walls (except for one small 48-inch structural wall that served as a conduit for HVAC equipment and placeholder for automated lighting and heating controls), the spaces were reconfigured to flow into one another, creating the impression of more space. However effortless this may appear, most homeowners forgo this step because structural steel beams are required and they’re pricey. Andy and Jessica installed a steel beam that’s flush with the ceiling to create a plumb line without the visual interruptions of bulkheads. This allows for continuity between rooms and makes the space seem larger.

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3. The five-by-eight-foot island has a slide-in gas 5. Another bold move by Jessica and Andy 8. Andy has a vast knowledge of wood. He range with a downdraft pop-up vent. It keeps the view unobstructed for the cook. It boasts oversized drawers that house the daily dishes that the clients love. The seating for the island is on two sides to create visual interest, but it’s also great for viewing the Samsung Frame TV that looks like a piece of art when turned off. The space-conscious homeowners even managed to sneak in an under-cabinet wine fridge on the dining room side, infusing technology and sophistication into the area with a state-of-theart appliance.

4. The pendant lights over the island pay hom-

age to the intrepid personalities of the homeowners as they boldly mixed metals to great effect. The warmth of the brushed gold metal is repeated in the faucets and the cabinet hardware while all appliances and the legs of the stools are a cool silver-coloured metal. Mixing metals and playing with warm and cool elements adds interest and sophistication to a space.

was their decision to relocate the larger of two windows, which was placed over the sink in the new kitchen, and to fill in the condemned window space with floor-to-ceiling cabinets.

Giving up natural light took courage, but the clients knew that the extra cabinets were well worth the trade-off. Reusing and relocating an existing window was a cost saving, and the window matches others in the house from the interior and exterior.

6. The full-height cabinets on the right and left of the sink house pocket sliding doors which, when open, reveal the microwave, toaster and a coffee station. This frees up counter space and reduces kitchen enemy number one: countertop clutter.

7. The clients kept the existing crystal light fixtures to respect the home’s original style.

Crystal lights add sparkle and elegance while reflecting the homeowners’ bright spirits.

chose a herringbone quarter-sawn American White Oak floor, stained chestnut-brown. The herringbone floor is stylish and elegant, juxtaposing traditional style with the contemporary furnishings. This successful combination of styles creates a warm and inviting home.

It’s evidence of the homeowners’ ability to take design risks.

9. The dining room table was a tricky prob-

lem that we all pondered. In the end, the couple found this sleek, ceramic composite-top table at Structube at a great price. Its leaves allow them to extend the table for large family gatherings. Since the kitchen island and dining table are beside one another, the owners didn’t want the table’s presence to overpower the island, which is the room’s focal point. Both the island stools and dining chairs are in the same colour palette and fabric, creating harmony. These elements yoke the two spaces together delightfully.

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DON’T MOVE! R E N O VA T E INSTEAD A family upgrades their ageing home after unsuccessfully scouting the real estate market in search of another house

BY ELISABETH KALBFUSS PHOTOGRAPHY: LARRY ARNAL STYLING: YVONNE WHELAN

TO MOVE OR TO RENOVATE? Like many families, Noele Wrycraft and husband Brad Warren started house-hunting when the home in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood that they’d lived in for 20 years became tired and outdated.

Instead of finding their dream home, all those open house visits persuaded them to stay put, says Noele, who hired designer Yvonne Whelan to carry out the transformation of their entire home, from the basement entertainment area to the third-floor main suite. Whelan says the couple were both very involved in the design process. “They just needed someone to goad them a little, push them out of their comfort zone,” she says.

The work was executed by Ecclestone Contracting, which, says Noele, “did an amazing job,” completing the reno in a tight time frame. “We put them on a tight schedule as we moved out in mid-June and told them we had to be back in for the start of school first week of September, and we were!” she says. –>

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The best part of the renovation was replacing the back wall with sliding glass doors, the homeowners say. It brightened up the whole house. The sofa and built-in cabinets beside the fireplace are by Yvonne Whelan Design and were custom-built. Swivel chairs: ELTE Market; credenza: West Elm.

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The biggest changes are in the main floor living area, where they removed an inside wall to create one long, open area, and where they blew out the home’s back wall, replacing it with a series of floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors. “It’s the biggest, the most dramatic thing, and we’re super happy we did it,” says Noele. “It makes the whole space brighter, and makes it feel bigger.”

It’s a trend that many homeowners are embracing, says Yvonne Whelan, the principal at Yvonne Whelan Design, especially in neighbourhoods where houses are built so closely together. “People want to bring the light in. The back of the house is where you’re

going to see the most light. Now the room is light and airy, where before it was so dark.”

That back area has become the living/ family room, leading through the kitchen and then into the dining room at the front of the house. Whelan moved the fireplace, which had previously been on the back wall, to the side of the house, and Noele says one of the first things she and her husband chose was the marble-like tile around it. “We fell in love with it,” she says. “We built around that.” The next item they decided on was the sofa, which Whelan designed and had custom-built, and then the rest of the design just followed, she says. –>

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In the kitchen, Noele wanted the island to be as big as possible, knowing that’s where the family would tend to congregate. One side has a waterfall edge, but she wanted the other side open for seating so the family could move their seats around to see each other and chat during meals. “We knew we wanted highgloss for the cabinetry, and knew we didn’t want all white, so we chose a grey-brown just to give it a little bit of contrast,” she says.

In the space leading into the dining area, Brad wanted a wine cabinet with a live-edge plank, similar to one the couple had seen at

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the Toronto Home Show. That live edge gives the wood an unfinished, raw and rustic look, Whelan says, one that’s become increasingly popular, especially on dining tables.

The basement was designed for their two teenage boys, and it centres around a large pull-down screen for family movie nights or for video games. Whelan designed custom cabinetry to include a beverage fridge, shelving and storage, and Noele says they chose family favourites James Bond- and Indiana Jones-themed art. –>

(Above) Given the generous size of the island, it took a while to find the right pendant lighting overhead, says designer Yvonne Whelan. “They’re huge and the insides are brushed gold; the lighting adds a lot of warmth.” Pendants: Union Lighting & Home; cabinets and wine cabinet: custom-built by Ecclestone Custom Contracting.

(Opposite, bottom) With the living area taking over the back of the house, the dining room has moved to the front. Table: designed by Yvonne Whelan; chairs: Korson Furniture; credenza: Modshop.

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The brushed gold accents that designer Yvonne Whelan added in the bedroom are similar to those used on the main floor. They make the room both soothing and sophisticated, the homeowner says. Wallpaper: Graham & Brown. The marble-like porcelain tile in the ensuite gives the room a rich, extravagant look, Whelan says. Tiles: Saltillo Tile.

In the main bedroom, Whelan brought in many of the same brushed-gold tones used on the main floor, in lighting accents and even on the wallpaper. “We thought it would be nice to bring some of that upstairs,” Noele says. “The wallpaper really makes the room look sophisticated and also soothing.”

In the ensuite bathroom, they removed the big corner tub and opted for a single sink so they could have more counter space. “It’s a very small [main bathroom], but we feel we really utilized the space,” Whelan says. She used porcelain tiles that resemble marble, black accents, a sleek soaker tub and a big shower. “It looks like it cost a lot, but it was one of the more affordable [bathrooms],” she says. “Probably because the porcelain tiles look extravagant.”

Because the owners were both so involved in the process, Noele says, it was important that every design decision be unanimous, winning her approval, Brad’s and, of course, Yvonne’s. “We had to get a three-way agreement on everything,” she says, though she adds: “She (Yvonne) might have been the tie-breaker a couple of times!”

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BUYERS’ GUIDE

QUEEN OF COLOUR Tiffany Pratt www.tiffanypratt.com

HOME WORK Catlin Stothers Design www.catlinstothersdesign.com

BE SAFE AT HOME First Alert www.firstalert.ca 1-800-323-9005

Alykhan Velji Designs www.alyveljidesigns.com 403-617-2406

AGING IN PLACE Pro Accessibility www.proaccessibility.ca 647-558-4544 ~ 1-855-402-0886 Promenaid Handrails www.promenaid.com 1-888-992-4943 CEC Enertech Inc. www.enertech.ca 514-340-1985 MOVING ON...AND IN Susan Kelly Astrology www.susankellyastrology.com BLUE WILLOW Lana Harper www.lyonsharperantiques.com

DESIGNING FOR DIVERSITY Motionspot www.motionspot.co.uk

WELCOME HOME Érik Maillé Design www.erikmailledesign.com URBAN OASIS Cynthia Ferguson Designs www.cynthiafergusondesigns.com 647-351-6005

Sunbrella www.global.sunbrella.com

EXUBERANT STYLE Beyond Beige Interior Design www.beyondbeige.com 604-876-3800

ROOM TO BREATHE Wilson Ramcharan, Real Estate Broker Keller Williams Connexion www.groupeimmosolutions.com 514-900-5507 ~ 514-500-5455

SIMPLIFYING THE PROCESS Sylvie Ménard, Real Estate Broker Royal Lepage Humania www.sylviemenard.com 514-827-6200

Christina Hagerty, Real Estate Agent RE/MAX Realty Professionals www.christinahagerty.ca 403-264-8086

SHEER GENIUS Fabricville www.fabricville.com

THE ULTIMATE HOUSE SWAP Nadine Thomson Interior Design www.nadinethomson.com 514-775-2259

Jennifer Queen, Real Estate Agent RE/MAX Professionals www.jenniferqueen.com 204-797-7945

DON’T MOVE! RENOVATE INSTEAD Yvonne Whalen Design www.yvonnewhelandesign.com 416-602-9303

DESIGNING AND BUILDING FOR ALL Axess Condos Pickering www.axesscondopickering.ca

Alexander Zamozdra, Real Estate Broker Keller Williams Connexion www.kwconnexion.com 514-297-2101

A WINDOW ON LUXURY Ancerl Studio www.ancerlstudio.com 416-884-6020

VIBRANT NEW LIFE FOR OLD PIECES Restored 4 U www.restored4u.com 289-218-8224

Bunny Berke, Real Estate Broker Christie’s International Realty www.bunnyberkerealestate.com 514-347-1928

LAKESIDE GENTRIFICATION Sylvie Ménard, Real Estate Broker Royal Lepage Humania www.sylviemenard.com 514-827-6200

BEING ZEN WITH HENS Drinking with Chickens www.drinkingwithchickens.com

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Hibou Design & Co. www.hiboudesignco.com 514-574-0015

NATURE IN AN URBAN NEIGHBOURHOOD Studio 8 Design www.studio-8-design.com 416-565-8721

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Catharine Inniss, Real Estate Agent Johnston and Daniel Rushbrooke Realty www.cottageinmuskoka.ca 705-765-6855 ~ 705-765-3624

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The great indoors beckons as the cold days of winter set in. That makes the season an excellent time to evaluate our homes and decide on the improvements they may need. Our Winter issue is packed with excellent design ideas to help you make those decisions. And because it’s the festive season, our annual gift guide will help you find perfect gifts. Of course, as we move toward the end of an extraordinary year in which we’ve all slowed down and stayed close to home, we offer you an advice-filled feature on how to enjoy traveling safely close to home, within Canada.

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