Montreal Home - Autumn 2017

THE

AUTUMN

ISSUE

MAISON & OBJET At the iconic design show in Paris

A NEW LOOK A 1927 N.D.G. home is

BATHROOM TRENDS The latest in design

modernized for today

and fixtures

ART IMITATES LIFE Artist Monica Nudelman

CANAL-SIDE CONDO A Griffintown unit is designed

gets inspiration from her own life

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Chantal LEBLANC Les éléments; Being One, 36 x 36 in.

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Hugo LANDRY Prism, 48 x 48 in.

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Josée FOREST Furioso, 40 x 60 in.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

MAISON & OBJET PARIS IS ONE of the most influential design shows in Europe. Held twice annually – in September and January – at the Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre, the show’s vast scale ensures that it’s impossible for visitors to take in all of the exhibits during its five-day run.

Some 3,000 exhibitors display their wares at Maison & Objet in an exhibition centre that measures a whopping 246,000 square metres. Everything you can imagine that impacts the way we live and design our homes is on display there.

Our associate publisher, Sharon Azrieli, flew to Paris to give us a close-up view of this remarkable event. A word of advice from Sharon to anyone planning to take in the show next January: Pack comfortable walking shoes. If you own one of those useful self-balancing scooters, even better!

Maison & Objet is all about the forward movement of design, which fascinates us and permeates many aspects of our lives. To show you the latest in design in Montreal, we profile several homes in this issue, each one uniquely created for its owners.

The Griffintown condo of Johannes Kau and Annaliese Jagusch is deliberately spare and minimalist to take advantage of the views through the windows on three sides.

Great design for stunning sightlines.

The N.D.G. home re-imagined by notable Montreal architecture firm La Shed is another example of superb design. The company kept the most charming architectural details of this 1927 structure and modernized the interiors to suit the contemporary lifestyle of its owner.

The Pointe Claire home of Claire MacDonald and Richard Clement is an example of how designers can borrow the aesthetics of other regions and claim them here. The house boasts an extension with a country-style ceiling, buttressed by B.C. fir beams. The overall ambience is richly warm and redolent of the West Coast.

We also take our annual look at a room that seems to be in a state of constant redesign: the bathroom. No longer the forgotten, utilitarian room in the house, the bathroom is now given lifestyle elements (think spa showers) and aesthetic materials – unusual tiles, vanities, faucets. I often wonder how much further we could go with bathroom design until I’m delightfully surprised by the interesting products and ideas that come to market every year. Writer Julie Gedeon reports on the trends.

And we bid adieu to the summer of 2017 with a tour through the garden landscape of Debbie Garrick and Henryk Maedler-Kron in Noyan, 70 kilometres south of Montreal.

They operate a thriving greenhouse business that supplies plants to nurseries and to their own retail stall at the Atwater Market. Their three acres of garden was lovingly created and is maintained by Debbie. That is, when she’s not tending to the many tasks that growers tackle during the gardening season.

I hope you’ll derive as much enjoyment reading this issue as our team has had producing it.

STEPHANIE WHITTAKER Editor-in-Chief stephanie@movatohome.com There are several ways you can stay in touch with us: @leahlipkowitz, @movatohome @leahlipkowitz, @movatohome @movatohome

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kitchens  bathrooms  furniture

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CONTRIBUTORS

JULIE GEDEON After tackling two stories for this issue, writer Julie Gedeon appreciates how the extension to a Pointe Claire house is putting a bit more of the rugged west into the West Island with a genuine B.C. timber-framed construction. She likewise welcomes the current trend calling for cleaner, simpler lines in bathroom design in response to people’s busy lives.

She can understand why more homeowners are opting to relax for a few minutes in a steam shower or bathe in soothing light within that stall rather than soak in a tub. “Of course, the ideal home offers every one of these options,” Julie says.

HEATHER PENGELLEY Heather Pengelley is wowed by outstanding views of any kind, particularly picturesque panoramas of Montreal’s urban landscape. In this issue, the longtime freelance writer, who pens articles for national magazines, profiled a custom-built condominium with spectacular views of the historic Lachine Canal.

Heather is an avid gardener and birdwatcher. In her spare time, she plays native-American flute. “There’s something to be said for designing your living space from scratch to focus on what’s important to you now and what will feel comfortable and respect your family’s needs later in life,” she says.

JEAN MONET As a stylist for Montreal Home, interior designer Jean Monet says he is particularly enamoured of beauty, whether he finds it in the interiors of a home or in the gardens that surround it. For this issue, Jean styled a Pointe Claire home that boasts a West Coast vibe thanks to majestic ceiling trusses made of BC fir. Jean also scouted and styled the lovely country gardens we photographed in Noyan, near the U.S. border. He had discovered the gardens serendipitously in a search for bougainvillea for his own garden. “What a lucky day it was when I found Les Serres Maedler and the gorgeous gardens that surround the greenhouses,” he says.

Volume 9, number 4, The Autumn Issue 2017 Date of Issue: October, 2017 6100 TransCanada Highway Suite 100, Pointe-Claire Quebec H9R 1B9

PUBLISHER Leah Lipkowitz ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Sharon Azrieli

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Stephanie Whittaker ART DIRECTOR Randy Laybourne EDITORIAL MANAGER Tracey MacKenzie ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS Carmen Lefebvre CONTRIBUTORS Julie Gedeon

“As soon as I walked into the Pointe Claire home we photographed for this issue, I just loved the immediate out-of-the-city feeling I got,” says photographer Jean Blais. “The very bright and all-white open space was the perfect environment to showcase those remarkable wood beams. The natural stone fireplace adds a country ambience to the contemporary design. I thought it was a beautiful blend of styles.”

Jean is a regular contributor to Montreal Home.

OPERATIONS MANAGER Lynn Tremblay PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Wendy Loper DIGITAL MARKETING Karine Bellisha ACCOUNTING Jenny Marques DIRECTOR OF SALES Kelly Chicoine

Heather Pengelley SALES EXECUTIVE PHOTOGRAPHY

Joanne Mayoff

Jean Blais Maxime Brouillet

JEAN BLAIS

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Drew Hadley

COLLECTIONS Trudy Kerman

Brenda Liu STYLISTS Kennedy McRae Jean Monet Catlin Stothers

LEGAL DEPOSIT issn

1920-1370 Montreal Home

magazine Inc. 2017. All rights reserved. Any copying or reproduction of content without the written permission of Montreal Home magazine is strictly prohibited.

Publication # 41959020

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CONTENTS

18 ON THE COVER THE RIGHT ONE

A woman finds the perfect house in N.D.G. and transforms it into a beloved home

CONDO ABOVE THE CANAL

A Griffintown unit is designed to take full advantage of sweeping views on three sides

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COZY UP BY THE FIRE

A Canadian company manufactures gas fireplaces to warm any home

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78 CREATIVITY IN BATHROOM DESIGN

Homeowners are opting for bold colours, textures and materials in the bathroom

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CONTENTS

36 A GROWING BUSINESS

A couple who own commercial greenhouses in Noyan take time to create a lovely personal landscape

8 EDITOR’S LETTER

RECLAIM, REUSE AND RECYCLE

16 THIS JUST IN

A builder salvages wood from a house he demolishes and integrates it into his own home

A selection of new items for your home

30 EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN

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Montreal Home visits Maison & Objet, one of the most significant design shows in Europe

48 THE UPTOWN BEACH TOWN This hotel in Miami Beach’s Surfside neighbourhood is a restful spot away from the hubbub

66 THE ART OF LIVING Artist Monica Nudelman’s paintings are expressions of how she experiences life

88 WESTERN WOW! A Pointe Claire home is given a West Coast vibe with spectacular B.C. fir beams

106 LOOK UP, WAY UP A large condo garden on a high-rise building’s terrace is a serene retreat from the city

114 COME ON IN

The Thompson Hotel is a draw for out-of-town celebrities and neighbourhood locals alike

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DESIGN

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DESIGN

LOVE BEGINS AT HOME After falling in love with a 1927 house, the owner has it respectfully updated PHOTOGRAPHY: MAXIME BROUILLET

SHE IS A FIRST-TIME HOMEOWNER WHO LOVES HER HOME. But don’t dismiss her declaration as simply a passing fancy that might not survive the test of time. That would be a mistake, because she is a woman who is absolutely, unquestionably, insanely, unabashedly and outright ecstatically in love with her living space.

However, it was not love at first sight. The emotional relationship needed time to grow.

And like many stories of this kind, it all started oh, so innocently, when a girl met a house.

They first ran into each other back in 2014, on a residential street in Notre Dame de Grâce. She was young and single, with a bright future ahead of her. The two-storey brick detached house was old, a little tired, with all outward appearances suggesting its best days were possibly behind it. But she saw something. There was a spark. And this unlikely pair began their courtship. •

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DESIGN MONTREAL AUTUMN 2017

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DESIGN

“I was looking for a home that needed some love,” the homeowner says. “I was looking for something that no one had ever renovated.”

Although she had been looking for a house just like this one on the western edge of the city, she knew she needed help. So she turned to an architectural firm she had heard about and admired, the award-winning Montreal-based La Shed. “Every time I saw a project by them, I really liked it,” she says. And the collaboration began.

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“I told them I really like that, I really like this,” is how she tells the story. “I told them I didn’t want colour in the house. I want white, black, grey. They are my colours. I liked the style of the house. I told them I saw it with black windows. I wanted light, a lot of light.”

Renée Mailhot is an architect and one of the founders of La Shed who oversaw the process that transformed the interior of this 1927 home and added an extension off the back. For her, the project focused on creating a contemporary look within a traditional setting, which meant keeping many signature elements of the original design.

DESIGN MONTREAL AUTUMN 2017

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The kitchen is ultra contemporary in this traditional 1920s house. The all-black island features a black, rectangular sink by Blanco and a black faucet by Brizo. Dekton countertops were chosen for their high-performance surface.

“We wanted something very contemporary in a traditional setting.”

“To do contemporary, we don’t have to wipe out the traditional elements; we integrate them,” Mailhot says. And that requires finding a balance. They extended that view of duality to the owner’s black-and-white colour scheme. “Everything revolves around this.”

The biggest change, Mailhot says, is the impact of adding natural light into this old home, which was achieved mainly through the extension that was added to the structure. A two-storey addition with a skylight and floor-to-ceiling windows that lead to a backyard deck was added, while interior walls were removed to allow the light to be drawn inward.

“What they did with the light in the house – it’s amazing,” the homeowner says.

“Before, it felt dark and small with all the separations.” •

The new two-storey extension off the back of the house, with its floor-to-ceiling windows, opens onto a deck and small pool.

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DESIGN

Throughout the home, the all-white walls are in firm contrast to the black wood floors, which are finished in a custom stain.

In the kitchen, the all-black island – with it black rectangular sink and black faucet – is topped with Dekton countertops. It fronts a wall of cabinets featuring white panel doors.

“We didn’t want to be traditional” in this space, Mailhot says.

“We wanted something very contemporary in a traditional setting,” she adds, referring to the backdrop that is the rest of the house.

In the living room, the traditional elements were given more consideration. The brick fireplace was modified, upgraded to include a gas appliance in accordance with Montreal’s new rules banning wood-burning devices. “We kept the spirit of the fireplace, but enlarged it,” Mailhot says. “We gave it a modern uplift.” •

The living room is a study in contrasts: white with black, contemporary and traditional.

The original glass doors fit the new look of the space, as well as the fireplace, which was given an upgrade with a new gas insert.

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DESIGN

Black steel treads with open risers give the staircase a modern flair, while the wooden bannister, now painted white, keeps the traditional look, with a stylish facelift.

Another melding of contemporary and traditional styles is showcased in the stairs leading to the second f loor. The original wood stairs were removed and replaced with a steel structure anchored within the wall on one side and framed by the original wooden bannister on the other. The floating stairs that have open risers are finished in black; the bannister along with the wood detailing is painted white.

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“I go from one room to the other and I say: ‘I love this, I love this.’ ”

Upstairs, the same black floors as on the main level contrast with the all-white walls and ceilings. There are two bedrooms and a music area, along with a sleek light-filled ensuite bathroom. •

A third bedroom – converted into a music space, where the black-and-white theme is extended – is lined with a custom shelving unit.

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DESIGN

The floors in the upstairs ensuite bathroom are clad in Carrara marble as well as some of the same wood that is featured throughout the house.

The tub is by Nautika.

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The basement features an exposed concrete wall, and a concrete floor finished with an epoxy coating. The small gym area is traced by a glass wall that offers a view into the garage.

In the basement, which is dominated by the garage, the owner requested that a glass wall separate the spaces, giving a small gym a full view into the parking area. “I just thought it would make the space look bigger,” she says.

When the garage is clean, “it’s beautiful.”

“I still can’t believe this is my home, that I did this,” she admits, as she reflects on how far she and her house have come. “I decided to do this on my own. I did this from start to finish, completely on my own.”

She revels in her good fortune of having found it. “I go from one room to the other and I say: ‘I love this, I love this.’ ” “I am happy with the neighbourhood. I am happy with the house. I wouldn’t do anything differently.”

Ah, don’t you love it when a relationships defies the odds? •

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DESIGN

FIFTY THOUSAND SHADES OF GREY The best of European design is featured at Maison & Objet Paris

BY SHARON AZRIELI ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Sharon Azrieli at the Christian Dior show in Paris.

UPON MY RECENT VISIT TO MAISON & OBJET PARIS, one of Europe’s premier design shows, I found that it required much more than just a pair of comfortable walking shoes. Yes, I needed those shoes in the vast exhibition space; one hall alone of the eight measured 120,000 square metres. But anyone attending the event would also need an almost-superhuman ability to focus, to screen out the superfluous in order to parse through the many exhibits.

Three-thousand exhibitors show their wares at Maison & Objet. It’s staged twice annually – in September and January – at the Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre, which is comprised of eight halls covering 246,000 square metres.

The center, which opened in 1982, is near the Charles de Gaulle Airport. It is served by free buses that transport visitors from the centre of Paris.

Within the exhibition space itself, there seems to be an infinite amount: the latest in decor, design, furnishings, accessories, textiles, rugs, tableware. In other words, all of the things that make our lives so rich. But the space is so vast, one couldn’t take it all in, not even if one were on horseback or on a scooter.

And I did see many people on scooters.

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My UP! band told me I walked more than 70,000 steps during my three days at the Maison & Objet show. Once I had acclimatized myself to the sheer magnitude and scope of the event, I was able to find some superb exhibits.

If there was a theme that was obvious from the get-go, it was the fact that the colour grey continues to dominate furniture. It looks as if the trend of grey as the go-to colour will continue. In my 70,000 steps, I saw 50,000 shades of grey. Yes, here and there, there was a teal chair, a turquoise couch and even the odd red sofa, but may I suggest, oh dear designers, that you consider blush or taupe for your new neutral?

As a designer myself who loves rich, saturated colour, I found it a challenge to hunt down vibrant hues in anything other than accessories … until I happened upon the work of Ana Roque from Portugal. One of the company’s chairs featured curvy lines, yummy blue and green fabric – velour and velvet – brass fittings, unobtrusive legs and a very broad seat.

I also loved the JNL collection from Belgium with its curvaceous, feminine-shaped sofa, upholstered in a tweedy wool, reminiscent of a suit from the 1930s.

Jonathan Adler

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Ana Roque

Ana Roque

JNL collection

Jonathan Adler

Jonathan Adler

Imagine my delight and palpable relief when, on the final day of the show, I saw the booth of my favourite designer in the world: Jonathan Adler. Jonathan, thank goodness, is a designer who has no fear of colour.

I sank down gratefully into a turquoise chair and looked at magnif icent cookie jars labeled with various pharmaceuticals. And this brings me to another element of this incredible show, where half of the 3,000 exhibitors were displaying tableware, cutlery, glassware. You could die from the dishes.

I haven’t seen so many dishes since the last time I got married! •

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DESIGN

However, one designer stood out for the simple beauty of her table settings: Claudia Barbari. I was smitten with her tables, decorated with little gold-coloured birds. But then, I love all things gold.

There was also a lot to love about CNB Oriental, a company that specializes in exquisite and delicate Japanese-inspired tableware.

CNB began as a small store in Amsterdam in the 1970s, and is now a global wholesale concern that supplies homes, restaurants and healthcare.

Across the aisle from Barbari’s display was the Aynhoe Park Collection. Aynhoe Park is the British 17th century home of James Perkins, who has a collection of curiosities from those who did grand tours in the 18th and 19th centuries. His ostrich feather lamps with their brass bases are definitely curiosities.

Aynhoe Park Collection

The ostrich feathers come in four different colours, so the light changes with the colour of the feathers and they waft with the breeze.

The feathers sprout from atop spindly brass stems. Think Dr. Seuss meets Downton Abbey in Horton Hears a Who. However, Horton has to wear white gloves.

On a much more serious note, if you are ever to be very cold in the Alps, you would want a blanket made by Monsieur Arpin.

This Swiss company specializes in a broad

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CNB Oriental

Clauia Barbari

Arpin

array of products from bags and outerwear to cushions and bedspreads. Its blankets rival our own iconic Hudson’s Bay variety.

There was one exhibit that all of my friends will consider very important: the collection of pet furniture from Netherlands-based Lord Lou. I was particularly enamoured of the Antoinette dog bed with its plush cushion and Louis XIV legs and I know my dogs would be, too.

Lord Lou

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As Portugal continues to make its presence felt in the global design market, the country’s offerings were very much in evidence at Maison & Objet. Branco sobre Branco, the Lisbon-based company of designers Paula Laranjo and Vera Moreira, is behind some very distinctive furniture, including a boxy sea-foam-coloured sofa and swivel tub chairs.

Portugal is also the country that is home to Royal Stranger, whose unusual honeycomb cabinets invite touch. Covered in hexagonal lacquered wood tiles, the cabinets are practical, yes, but oh-so lovely to behold. These very ornamental pieces must be custom-ordered.

Royal Stanger

Maison Images d’Épinal Regia Style

Jacob Delafon

Maison & Objet is a feast for the senses.

And nothing I saw or touched rivaled the sheer sensuousness of the marble bathtub from Jacob Delafon, producer of high-end bathroom fixtures. The feel of the solid marble bathtub was akin to solid silk. I have rarely felt anything so sexy in all my life. It takes 200 hours of labour to create this masterpiece and, not surprisingly, it, too, is a special-order item. I suppose it’s typical of me to fall in love with the most expensive item at the event.

Maison Images d’Épinal was established in 1796 and boasts thousands of images, created from wood engravings and lithographic stones.

The company produces posters, stationery, cards and tableware, inspired by its history.

And because I love the design of the 18th century, I was captivated and deeply impressed by the craftsmanship of Regia Style, which specializes in ornate wood furnishings, doors and accessories. They were atypical among the exhibitors, most of which specialize in modern and contemporary offerings.

There was something for everyone at Maison & Objet and I must express my admiration for the organizational feat that it is. I thank the organizers for inviting me.

The next M & O show will take place January 19 - 23, 2018. If you plan to go, pack a pair of comfortable walking shoes. That is, if you cannot find a horse or a scooter. •

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LANDSCAPE

A GROWING BUSINESS A Noyan couple grows plants for sale as well as for their own pleasure

BY STEPHANIE WHITTAKER PHOTOGRAPHY: JEAN BLAIS STYLING: JEAN MONET

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LANDSCAPE

THERE IS A POPULAR MISCONCEPTION that people who make a living cultivating plants for the horticulture market have neither the inclination nor the energy to create gardens for themselves. If there is any truth to this, it certainly hasn’t reached Debbie Garrick and Henryk Maedler-Kron.

The couple own Les Serres Maedler, a thriving horticulture business that supplies annual, perennial and tropical plants for

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wholesale and for their own retail stall at the Atwater Market. Despite the many hours they spend growing plants in their greenhouses in Noyan, Quebec, 70 kilometres south of Montreal, they always make time to cultivate their own gardens.

The business, which encompasses several industrial-sized greenhouses, sits on their 50-acre property, as does their home, about five kilometres from the Canada-US border at Lacolle.

(Right, centre) Debbie Garrick and Henryk Maedler-Kron are surrounded by pots of bougainvillea, which they cultivate in their greenhouses for the horticulture market.

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Debbie has been tending and expanding the three acres of gardens for the past 17 years. “At that time, there were only three trees here,” she says, while standing in an area she calls an arboretum. “There was really nothing else.”

What a difference a couple of decades has made. The arboretum now is populated with a variety of specimens, including pear, apple and cherry trees. And in one area, Debbie planted a grouping of pines. “I like to stand in the middle of them while the wind is blowing,” she says. “The pines make a lovely, whistling sound that reminds me of my youth.”

Debbie grew up on a dairy farm in the Eastern Townships. “It instilled in me a knowledge of how to live off the land,” she says. “When you live on a farm, you live off the land. When I was young, we harvested the food to make jams and pickles at the end of the growing season. I still bake a lot.”

She uses the bounty from a berry garden that she created near the arboretum. “I grow blackberries, blueberries, haskap berries, strawberries and goji berries,” Debbie says. “I freeze them and eat them with yogurt during the winter months.”

The winter is the couple’s busiest time of year. The large greenhouses on the property are used to cultivate a vast variety of plants that are sold to nurseries during the gardening season, says Henryk. That season goes full-tilt between May and July, after which time the couple can turn their attention back to their own gardens. •

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Henryk credits Debbie with the creation, maintenance and evolution of the landscape.

“The gardens are truly Debbie’s sole creation and she maintains and expands them 99 per cent on her own,” he says. “She does all the planting, transplanting, moving, pruning, hedge-trimming, staking, mowing, weedwhacking, fertilizing, watering, winterizing and so much more. It is truly the work of one woman – super-woman, actually – because normally you would need a full-time gardener to do what she does out there while still working in the greenhouse and house.”

The sweeping landscape offers Debbie plenty of space to cultivate both ornamentals and food. On the periphery of the arboretum, Henryk created a pergola under which heavily mulched tomatoes are cultivated. They grow up vertical strings toward the sun. And nearby, rhubarb covers a chunk of ground with its ample foliage.

Comfortable with cultivating tender plants, Debbie created a flowerbed near the house, filled with blooms that are native to the tropics. Here, dracaena, cannas and hibiscus share space with aromatic Stargazer lilies and amaranth. “Some of these plants attract hummingbirds,” she says.

Nearby, an herb garden is shaped like a three-leaf clover “because I’m Irish,” she adds.

While Debbie and Henryk are prepared to give their plants plenty of special care to help them thrive, those that don’t do well in their microclimate are eliminated from the garden and replaced.

Throughout the landscape, there are spots in which strategically placed seating encourages repose. Under a linden tree, a stone bench offers the weary an opportunity to stop and take in the surroundings.

And there are whimsical installations, an example of which is a giant concrete chessboard embedded in the ground, which Henryk created 12 years ago. Fifteen-inchtall chess figures stand atop its squares, ready for play.

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“I look at something and visualize what needs to be there.”

The shaping of the landscape has evolved over the years. Once a farm, the land had a drainage ditch around its periphery. “It was always dry in the summer, but in the spring, it would fill with water from the snow run-off,” says Henryk. The couple decided to transform it into a water element. By hand, the two hauled thousands of stones and placed them in what would become a little riverbed. Then they installed a recirculating waterfall that feeds the ditch-come-stream. • Photo by Randy Laybourne

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LANDSCAPE

By far, the best-kept secret in this landscape is the secret garden, an area enclosed on two sides by a 12-foot-tall cedar hedge. Before Henryk had the space cleared of brush though, he received an unexpected visit. “An elderly man in his 90s came by the house and asked if he could see the rock,” he says.

“The rock,” it turned out, was actually a boulder in the centre of what would later become the secret garden. “It was all concealed under brush,” Henryk continues. “We pulled away the weeds and saw the boulder that this man remembered from having lived here as a child.”

Now exposed, the rock stands about four feet tall and “you can lie on top of it to stare at the stars,” says Debbie. • Photo by Randy Laybourne

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That visit from the elderly man also solved a mystery. Henryk says he often wondered why there was water in the basement of their house during the spring melt. “The old man told us that we had built our new house over a well that his family had taken water from,� he says.

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The garden continues to evolve every year.

“I look at something and visualize what needs to be there,” Debbie says. The pergola over the back deck is a case in point. “I planted grapes to cover it.”

Everything seems to grow so happily in this landscape. Then again, cultivating beautiful plants comes naturally to Debbie and Henryk. •

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More than one address for design‌ a district.

Town of Mount-Royal Economic Development: 514.734.3048 www.town.mount-royal.qc.ca

www.q uar tierd esig n royalmo u n t.co m

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TRAVEL

BEAUTIFUL ACCOMMODATIONS IN A PERFECT LOCATION

This Surfside, Florida hotel offers plenty of amenities in an off-the-beaten-path beach town

FROM BEING KNOWN AS the honeymoon destination of a generation to transforming itself into the playground for the rich, Miami Beach, Florida, needs no introduction. But if you’re thinking of a visit, you might just consider doing it via Surfside. Think of it as the best upscale family-friendly approach to south Florida. And Arthur Holman will be waiting there for you.

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Holman is the general manager of the Residence Inn Miami Beach Surfside Hotel.

And, as he puts it, this is “not your average Residence Inn.” But first, let’s take a step back and focus on the three things that have always been key in the Miami area – location, location, location.

Where exactly is Surfside?

TRAVEL MONTREAL AUTUMN 2017

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It’s the little town just down the road from Miami Beach. And just like its neighbour, Surfside is an island city connected to the Miami mainland by bridges. Oh, and when they say small town, they mean it. Surfside covers an area that is no more than one square mile, or approximately 2.5 square kilometres. It has 11 streets that run parallel to the beach, nine cross streets, and a population of about 5,800, according to census estimates for 2016, the latest year for which statistics are available.

Surfside is immediately north of the town of Miami Beach and just south of the shopping hub in Bal Harbour. It markets itself as “Miami’s uptown beachtown.” With about a mile of oceanfront, Surfside is designed to cater to visitors, especially families.

It’s a fabulous place to serve as your base when visiting the area, Holman says. Close to everything, the town is a pleasant sanctuary away from the frenzy that whirls around the club scene of South Beach and Miami.

“It’s a very unique community,” Holman explains. “It’s family friendly.” •

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Surfside is also home to the celebrated Turtle Walk, a colourful homage to the area’s most beloved residents: loggerhead sea turtles. The walk stretches much of the length of one of the main streets near the town’s community centre. It is an outdoor art exhibit that features 13 turtle sculptures each painted by a local artist. These larger-than-life works of art promote a popular Surfside cause: the preservation of the sea turtle, as this area is known as a popular nesting region for these creatures from the deep. In fact, small areas of the beach are regularly cordoned off for short periods of time when one of these large turtles crawls across the sand to nest and lay its eggs. Local wildlife authorities regularly scan the beaches in the early morning hours, especially from May to October, as the turtles tend to make land under the cover of night to lay their eggs during these months. The wildlife officers protect the nests from being disturbed by passers-by until the eggs hatch and the baby turtles return to the ocean, but you can still see them.

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TRAVEL MONTREAL AUTUMN 2017

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Now, let’s get back to the Residence Inn Miami Beach Surfside Hotel, and another element of the importance of location. The 175-room resort that is part of the Marriott chain of hotels is located right at the beach in Surfside. In fact, Holman says, it is 88 steps from the waterfront. Not 80, not 90, not “about this many” or “about that many,” but exactly 88 steps.

It opened just over a year ago, and offers studios and one-bedroom suites, with many connecting rooms to accommodate large families and multi-family guests who are vacationing together.

Holman says his hotel offers the best value in Surfside. “We’re the value play, but we are not a cheap hotel,” he says.

Guests can enjoy free breakfasts and several extras included in the destination fee, such as access to the community centre tennis courts, complimentary bicycle rentals to use along the beachfront paths, complimentary beach chairs with signature red umbrellas to provide shade when needed, and two welcoming beverages when they arrive.

The Residence Inn is ready to introduce you to all that this uptown beachtown has to offer under the sun. •

Residence Inn by Marriott Miami Beach Surfside 9200 Collins Ave., Miami, Florida 305-514-3101 www.marriott.com

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THE MADE TO MEASURE COLLECTION

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DESIGN

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DESIGN MONTREAL AUTUMN 2017

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SPECTACULAR AND UNIQUE A custom-home builder creates an abode for his family that lives up to expectations PHOTOGRAPHY: PAUL GRDINA

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EVERYONE HAS PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS ABOUT PROFESSIONALS. For instance, you don’t expect a doctor to be a smoker. You don’t expect orthodontists to have children with crooked teeth. Accountants should be able to do simple math in their heads, and carpenters ought to be able to find a stud in a wall. But what about custom-home builders? What do you expect of them?

Well, first, the concept of “custom” evokes the expectation that there is the ability to create something unique. And second, the combination of the terms “custom” and “home” automatically generates an expectation that the creation will be spectacular. For proof, you can browse through a custom-home builder’s portfolio of projects.

If you look at Jim Smith’s portfolio, the first house you would see is his own. And the descriptors of “spectacular” and “unique” only begin to tell the story.

After almost 20 years of building and renovating homes in Vancouver, Jim, the founder of Smithwood Builders, has recently completed the construction of his own family’s home in Deep Cove, a district of North Vancouver.

It is a modern 3,350-square-foot, three-storey residence that is now home for him, his wife Joanne, and their twin six-year-old boys.

They bought the property, a 6,000-square-foot lot, three years ago. •

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So what is spectacular and unique about it?

Well, there is a list of items. Jim salvaged cedar planks from the house that stood on the lot when the Smiths bought it. Built in the 1930s, the original structure was deemed to be in too poor a state to be renovated.

But before tearing it down, Jim removed the cedar that covered its exterior. That’s when he discovered that the wide planks had been stamped “Haida Gwaii,” making reference to an area once called the Queen Charlotte Islands, a region of B.C. that has the biggest and best trees, he says.

The kitchen has two walnut-clad islands, topped with quartz. The polished concrete floors flow throughout the main floor. The kitchen boasts unobstructed views to the front deck – accessed through large patio doors – and the back, where bi-fold doors open onto the back deck.

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The planks were used, Jim explains, to create an attractive interior feature wall that runs from the basement through to the main floor and up to the top level. With its various colour tones and textures, the wall is definitely on the list of spectacular features. “It’s a conversation piece,” Jim says humbly. You can’t miss it.

The feature wall does not stand alone though. It also serves to frame another spectacular and unique feature: the stairs – and in both directions, but for different reasons. •

The stairs are made of Douglas fir; the risers are set against the feature wall, which is clad in planks of cedar reclaimed from the house that formerly stood on the site. A glass balcony at the top of the stairs offers a view to the living area below.

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DESIGN

The dining room features a large custom-built table made of Douglas fir that seats 12 comfortably.

Floor-to-ceiling windows from Germany flood the room with light. The ceilings are finished in hemlock, which is also used outside.

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In one direction, from the main f loor to the top level of the house, the stairs are an impressive set of floating blocks of wood. Jim says that the idea for the design was his. It consists of a single steel blade stringer, with each step made of a solid block of Douglas fir, which he cut, planed and milled himself from 12- and 16-foot-long pieces, then finished with a natural clear-coat varnish.

Not to be outdone are the stairs that run to the basement. This bank is made of a combination of concrete and wood, with each step alternating between the two materials. The visual impact gives viewers a bit of a double take. “It kind of plays a trick on you because there are two different materials,� Jim says.

But definitely spectacularly unique.

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Jim also bought cedar planks that he submitted to an ancient Japanese preservation process known as Shou Sugi Ban, whereby each piece is charred, making it more resistant to weathering and insects, but also giving the wood what he calls a dark “unique look.”

They were used to clad the home’s exterior.

Then there is the dining room table. It’s custom-built by Jim, who joined two large slabs of Douglas fir – creating a surface that is eight feet long, six feet wide and three inches thick. It sits on a steel base made of two trapezoid stands: one right side up, the other inverted. “We were very happy with the way it worked out,” he says, again invoking a humble tone in response to a compliment.

Spectacular and unique. Check and check. • Large glass doors in the living room open to the back patio area. The steps to the living room level – like those leading to the lower level – are both concrete and wood.

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The home has five bathrooms and five bedrooms, including a separate suite in the basement that Jim rents as a mortgage helper. The plan is to give it to the children once they’re older.

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But what is it like living there? Jim says he and his wife enjoy the flow of the house, from top to bottom, and from the deck out front to the open space in the back. “We wanted to make sure we used every room,” he says. “We wanted to see the kids, hear the kids. At this age, we wanted them to feel connected. Our intention was that we would build this to be here for at least 20 to 30 years.”

That shouldn’t be a problem. Who wouldn’t want to stay in a place that is

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BELOEiL Les salles de bains PGL 1957 160, Serge-Pépin street Beloeil, QC J3G 0K1 450 467-1212 www.pgl1957.com BROSSARD Céragrès-Les-Bains Quartier Dix30 8240, Leduc Blvd. #20 Brossard, QC J4Y 0K7 450 443-5590 www.ceragreslesbains.ca Centre de plomberie Jean Lépine 5855, Taschereau Blvd. #101 Brossard, QC J4Z 1A5 450 676-1322 www.plomberiejeanlepine.com mAGOG Espace Bain Design 2349, Principale West Magog, QC J1X 0J4 819 843-7892 www.espacebaindesign.com mASCOuChE Espace Plomberium mascouche 10, Montée Masson Mascouche, QC J7K 3B5 450 474-3881 www.espaceplomberium.com mONTRÉAL Ciot montréal inc.

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Montréal, QC H2N 1N2 514 382-7330 www.ciot.com Espace Plomberium L’Acadie 9150, L’Acadie Blvd.

Montréal, QC H4N 2T2 514 385-1212 www.espaceplomberium.com montréal-Les-Bains 2174, Mont-Royal Avenue East Montréal, QC H2H 1K3 514 526-6683 www.ceragreslesbains.ca PiERREfONDS Vague et vogue 14915, de Pierrefonds Pierrefonds, QC H9H 4M5 514 620-3125 www.vagueetvogue.com SAiNT-EuSTAChE Boutique plomberie Décoration 25 471, 25 th Avenue Saint-Eustache, QC J7P 4Y1 1 800 268-8492 www.decor25.com SAiNT-JÉRômE Espace Plomberium Saint-Jérôme 1075, Grand Héron Blvd.

Saint-Jérôme, QC J5L 1G2 450 436-2308 www.espaceplomberium.com

ART

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OF ART AND LIFE

The paintings of Monica Nudelman reflect the artist’s new life in Canada

DOES ART IMITATE LIFE? Or, is life – with all its subtle shades, shimmering moments and bold stokes – reflected in art? Monica Nudelman will have to get back to you for the answer.

She’s still creating both – her art and a new life. The two are shaped, in many ways, by the same influences.

Nudelman is an artist living in North Vancouver with her two daughters, ages 19 and 16. Originally from Brazil, she started a new life for herself in this country about a year-and-a-half ago.

“I always loved the country (Canada) and wanted opportunity for my girls and me,” she says. “You have a wonderful country. People are so polite. Everyone is respectful. I feel very happy here.”

One of the reasons she feels at home is the new focus on her second career. She simply has always wanted to be an artist. •

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Nudelman is pleased to say she is now a permanent resident of Canada. She came here to pursue a career, and is now fulfilling that dream, explaining how she could not survive as an artist in her native country, where she studied art at university. “It’s a shame I didn’t have the opportunity when I was young,” she says.

But she is not looking back. The focus is straight ahead to the future.

Her work, which can be best described as contemporary, features bold colours and collage techniques. She works on canvas, wood and furniture. •

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“When I work, I feel I live; I feel so creative.”

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ART

“I like to explore materials to find something new,” she says, explaining that she often combines elements. “I always transform images into something new. I like to join pieces and make a new scenario.”

For her, it’s about giving an image a new context, a new purpose, a new life in a different setting. So is art imitating life for Nudelman? Or is her life inspiring the works she is creating? Again, the answer is not immediately clear.

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“I feel that I can transform things that nobody cares about into art,” she says.

In a small studio she has built in her home, Nudelman paints every day. Due to space limitations, she often works on small pieces, but hopes to expand to larger surfaces. She is accustomed to large canvases of sorts, she says, pointing to past commissions, including painting a feature wall for a new hotel. •

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ART

Sometimes working with a piece of reclaimed wood or an old window shutter, she looks to start with something established and give it a new direction. “Each piece has a story, a history to tell,” she says. “Like when you see a piece of old wood with a lot of layers of paint, you can imagine how many people painted it.”

Nudelman’s work has been featured in a few exhibits in the Vancouver area, including one at the Britannia Community Centre.

Before coming to Canada, her works were also included in exhibitions in Cannes, Paris and Brazil.

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“I feel complete when I work,” she says, as she attempts to express why her new start in Canada means so much to her. “When I work, I feel I live; I feel so creative.”

The viewer feels the vibrancy in her work, too. “People always say they love the colours I use. The experience I’ve had until now is that my work makes people see something beautiful. I love colours; I love colours and the possibilities you can draw.”

She is talking about her art. But the statement could also apply to her new life. •

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TURNING VISIONS INTO REALITIES

4300 Cote de Liesse Mont Royal, Quebec H4N 2P7 514-345-0909 • www.loffice.com

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Photos courtesy of Aquabrass

DESIGN

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THE MINIMALIST SPA Bathrooms are becoming serene retreats with beautiful fixtures and a high level of design

BY JULIE GEDEON

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Photos courtesy of ACO Systems

LESS IS NOW MORE when it comes to current bathroom design, and there is a strong leaning toward greater minimalism. “People want a cleaner, simpler look,” says Dinu Filip, the president of ACO Systems, which specializes in drainage products. “They want rooms that better suit their busy lifestyles.”

An increasing number of homeowners with more than one full bathroom are trading master suite bathtubs for a large shower area. “A lot of us don’t have the time or inclination for baths these days,” Filip says.

“As boomers age, they’re also looking for the convenience of European-inspired shower areas that have no enclosure whatsoever so they can easily walk or, if ever necessary, even roll a wheelchair under the showerhead.”

Frameless glass enclosures remain popular, too. Linear drainage quickly dispenses with spent water, eliminating the need for an enclosing border. “It also facilitates the use of larger tiles because the shower floor doesn’t have to incline toward a central round drain,” Filip says. “The linear drain can run along the far side of the shower area or serve as a visible but flat division into the space.”

A choice of linear drains now abounds.

“Again, the strongest preferences are minimalist, such as a solid piece of stainless steel that allows the water to run through its edges,” Filip says. “You can also have a cover made in the same tile as the rest of the bathroom so the drain is virtually invisible.”

Tempered glass is gaining a lot of attention as a material for linear drains. “They’re very popular in both a shiny black and a translucent white as more homeowners revert to these basic colours for overall simplicity,” Filip says.

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Photo courtesy of Aquabrass

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Black is also making a big impact in faucets and fixtures, according to Gaelle Marrasse, managing director of Aquabrass, which designs, engineers and manufacturers an extensive array of bath products. In 2017, the Montreal-based company added a new matte black finish called Montreal Black in tribute to the city’s 375th anniversary. The black finish is plated rather than painted to withstand wear, scratches and fingerprints.

Additionally, the company recently introduced the Marmo Collection, a series of pieces that float atop a marble base, showcasing Italian artisanship and know-how. “The elegant pieces are one-of-a-kind and well suited to fit a range of decor from classic to modern,” says Marrasse. •

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Photos courtesy of Canaroma

DESIGN

Floor-mounted faucets for standalone tubs allow those who still prefer a leisurely soak to stretch out without bumping heads or stubbing toes. “The Marmo tub filler seamlessly integrates storage, a hand shower and temperature controls into one sculptural design,” Marrasse says.

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Marble is standing the test of time, along with other traditional materials that have been given a modern touch. “We’re seeing traditional cross handles for more faucets, for instance, but in matte black, brushed nickel or other newer finishes,” says Gary Millan, the national sales manager at Nortesco, which carries a myriad of bathroom designer brands.

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“It’s never gone away, but traditional decor is currently gaining a lot more appeal, especially among younger homeowners who are renovating larger, older homes and want to restore some of their former Victorian elegance.”

Yesteryear’s simple charms are being reincarnated from mansions to modest country homes with such historic-style faucets as the Julia Victoria series that Horus recently made so popular in France.

Porcelain sinks are favoured these days, embedded in customized cabinetry or as wall mounts. “Wall mounts are really popular for everything in the bathroom right now, especially in powder rooms where they make the space feel bigger and cleaning a lot easier,” Millan says. •

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Photos courtesy of Aquabrass

DESIGN MONTREAL AUTUMN 2017

As for large shower areas, they’re now being equipped with new technologies to make us feel like we’re singing in the rain. The Cura Aquademy rainhead series by Aquabrass offers a spa-like retreat with 16 colours and sprays ranging from soft tropical-like droplets of mist all the way to a drenching waterfall effect.

“Chromatherapy is an age-old form of healing that mixes colour and light and is most recognized for its ability to improve personal overall health,” Aquabrass’s Marrasse says. “More and more homeowners are

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investing in these features to transform an ensuite bathroom into a home spa experience.”

Steam showers are in greater demand now for the same reasons, according to Millan.

“Their remote control lets you start up the shower and built-in speakers so it’s all ready for you to enjoy in the time it takes to find your bathrobe,” he says.

Mr. Steam, the most popular manufacturer at present, is among those offering an aromatherapy option that features the invigorating mist of eucalyptus and other

revitalizing oils during a steam – with or without chromatherapy’s soothing colours.

“It’s such a great way for people who don’t want to wait for a bath to fill up or don’t have time to soak in one to become totally Zen within minutes,” Millan says. “And a 20-minute steam uses only about a gallon of water.”

All these new options are making homeowners eager to hit the showers. •

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A view on the world.

Custom made Solariums

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DESIGN

INTO THE WOODS A Pointe Claire home gets a new great room with dramatic structural wood accents

BY JULIE GEDEON PHOTOGRAPHY: JEAN BLAIS STYLING: JEAN MONET Floral arrangements: Le Marché aux Fleurs du Village

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IT WAS A QUESTION OF BALANCE: How to incorporate heavy timber trusses into a room without overpowering its interior design. That’s exactly what interior designer Sheryl Johnston of Design Essentials Group achieved in her design of a new great room in Pointe Claire.

“I looked for ways to keep the eye moving from the overhead trusses to all the other elements – everything from the antiqued pine range hood to the metal-framed chandeliers through to the large fireplace and French doors on the far wall,” says Johnston.

Homeowners Claire MacDonald and Richard Clement are delighted. “We’re never moving,” Richard says.

The couple initially wanted a small extension for a dining room, but Johnston, who’s also a neighbour, showed them how they could expand and transform the ground floor of their 1950s split-level home.

Claire welcomed a design that would allow family and friends to chat with her as she prepared meals without having to repeatedly ask them to step aside from the stove or sink. “I put all of the snacks at the far end of the island now,” she says. “It works beautifully.” •

Installing twin chandeliers over the 12-foot-long handcrafted table provided a necessary visual aid to draw the eye down from the B.C. fir beams. They also created symmetry.

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Johnston initially suggested faux beams but, as a woodworking enthusiast, Richard wanted real timber. He did some research and put Johnston in touch with Canadian Timberframes in Parson, B.C. “I couldn’t be happier with the structure and how all of it arrived – including the ceiling and wall panels – on a flatbed truck ready to install,” Richard says.

Sales representative David Gagné and designer Garrett Cox worked with Johnston to ensure the framing met Quebec construction specifications and municipal bylaws. “We included steel tension rods to prevent the trusses from moving, even if there’s heavy snow on the roof,” Gagné says.

Once the plans were finalized, everything was cut, numbered and stained or painted for Éco-Habitation le Draveur, based in St. Hyacinthe, to unload by crane and assemble.

“They definitely have the necessary expertise,” Gagné says.

Richard praises the yesteryear look that Canadian Timberframes achieved by using an old-fashioned circular saw and wire brushing to bring out more of the fir grain before staining the wood. “Some of the round wooden pegs form structural joints but the other dowels are simply to hide screws and other metal fastenings, so it looks as if it’s all made of wood as it once was,” he adds.

The homeowners selected the sofas and chair after speaking with their designer about how many people they planned to seat while entertaining.

The fabrics lighten the space while the strong traditional lines stand up to the trusses and stone fireplace. A change of cushions easily alters the decor seasonally or for holidays.

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Johnston called upon Cardilli Construction to custom-build everything that wasn’t part of the timber-framing kit. “An excellent mason taught by his father, Marco Cardilli was the ideal person to create the large fireplace,” she says.

Advised by Johnston, the homeowners shopped for a gas insert. “She told us to look at the actual flame of each one at the store, which I never would have thought of doing,” Claire says.

French doors flank the fireplace on each side, welcoming in natural light and fresh air. A third set of doors on a side wall leads to a deck.

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Tailored seating surrounds the fireplace.

Claire selected sofa fabrics coloured with specks of grey and brown to help conceal any stains the couple’s two young children and large dog might cause. “I also wanted a style that would stand the test of time,” she says. “We can reupholster it all one day, if necessary.”

Plain and plaid cushions pick up on colours of the stone and wood elements while the turquoise adds a playful touch. “Good design always adds unexpected elements,” Johnston says. •

Small windows on a side wall allow natural light to enter the space while maintaining privacy.

The pine furniture that the homeowners already had also draws the eye down from the overhead trusses.

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Another example of that good design is the wood panelling around the kitchen sink that Claire requested. “Once we went with the much larger gas range than we’d ever intended, Sheryl recommended building an oven hood out of wood as well,” Claire says.

Metal cross-backs and strappings anchor the chairs along the 12-foot table that Richard fashioned from a slab of parota wood from Costa Rica. It has a cast-iron base that he purchased online. In the kitchen, the upper cabinetry is light grey; the lower is dark grey.

The two tones soften the industrial sheen of the appliances. •

Clear pine was antiqued for the handcrafted oven hood and the wood panelling around the sink to have them marry nicely with the timber framing.

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The general contractor panelled the fridge in a frame that included large durable handles, which the family’s young children can pull with ease. The microwave shelf can be pulled out to simplify food preparation.

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We chose a timeless marble pattern for the quartz countertop to brighten the darker grey island with the same white freshness as the walls,” says Johnston, adding that the Edison bulbs within the open glass pendants cast ambient light with a modern rustic twist.

Claire initially rejected installing an island sink, fearing it would attract clutter.

“Am I ever glad that Sheryl convinced me otherwise,” she says. “It’s so handy.”

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The homeowner made the dining table from a live-edge parota slab that he bought at Courchesne Collections in Laval. Custom kitchen cabinetry, range hood, fridge and dishwasher panelling, sink cabinet: Ébéniste JYRO; stove: Viking Professional 48˝ dual-fuel range; lighting fixtures above island and office lighting: Multiluminaire.

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Johnston also persuaded Claire to turn a former walled-off living room into her new office by the front entrance with side pocket doors to the kitchen. “It’s so convenient,” Claire, a graphic designer, says. “I used to have my office on the second floor near the children’s bedrooms and would close all their doors before a client arrived or invite the client to my kitchen table instead.”

The foyer’s heated ceramic tiling makes it a good place to remove shoes or wait in boots. The same tiling is inserted around the great room’s French doors to protect the new oak flooring. “We even sent a sample of the stained flooring to B.C. to make sure it would go well with the fir trusses,” Johnston says. •

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WARM UP

Gas fireplaces are convenient and they take the edge off Canada’s cool seasons

AS SUMMERS GO IN QUEBEC, the 2017 edition could be summed up with two words: “wet” and “cool.” But that will all change. The sun will shine, and the autumn will be warm and stunning. We know this because inside every Canadian homeowner lives an eternal weather optimist. It explains, in part, why we treat our outdoor spaces as extensions of our indoor living areas. There are two tenets of weather optimism: Sun enhances style. And warmth is always in vogue.

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This brand of optimism is unique, and it comes with a balancing dose of realism. After all, we are talking about Canadians and the weather. Yes, the warm weather will kick into full gear, but the cold will return. We know this. And, although we are not always ready for it, Charles Truchon is.

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He is the Quebec sales co-ordinator for Miles Industries, the Vancouver-based manufacturer of Valor Fireplaces. He caters to the Quebec homeowner’s heating needs in all seasons, and in all settings – both inside and outside. “We do one thing,” Truchon says confidently. Valor fireplaces heat up spaces. “We specialize in it. I want everyone in Quebec to have one.”

Valor makes gas fireplaces. No wood. Only gas. The focus is on heat and convenience.

“When people shop for a fireplace, I tell them a Valor fireplace heats a lot, and doesn’t need electricity,” he says. •

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The only electricity required is if the unit is equipped with a fan. “You turn it on like a TV,” he says, with a battery-operated remote control.

Almost every Valor fireplace unit can be installed inside a home, or in an outdoor setting to create a comfortable space under the stars and extend the use of deck and patio season. Truchon says many baby boomers who no longer want to deal with the work and mess of a wood-burning fireplace in their living rooms or on their outdoor terraces

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are looking to gas fireplaces. And once they decide to do that, a Valor unit should be considered, he says.

“People decide to buy a Valor because they see one and they feel one,” he explains. “It’s made to be a heating machine.”

The amount of heat it produces is unequalled, he says. It’s all-Canadian construction, with stainless-steel burners and ceramic components and it radiates more heat than any other gas fireplace units.

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Also, Valor’s trademarked “HeatShift” system, a heat-management system that redirects the fireplace’s warmth to a higher elevation in the room, improves conventional airflow.

This is done with a duct system installed in walls. It is ideal for a wall-mounted television hung above a fireplace, as the system prevents any heat from being directed to the screen.

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And then, of course, there is the aesthetic attraction of having the perfect f lame flickering.

“I can ‘t ever get used to looking at a Valor gas fireplace flame,” Truchon says, explaining how, even after years, he is still mesmerized by the flame and finds himself drawn to watch it.

“It has one of the nicest flames in the industry.”

Style and warmth. The more you have, the easier it will be to be a true Canadian weather optimist. •

Valor Fireplaces www.valorfireplaces.com

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200Rebate when you purchase† select window shadings.

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3455 Park Ave., Montreal • 514.849.1297 Email: info@wallpaper.com www.facebook.com/empirepapierpeint Offer valid from September 1 – December 31, 2017. † Receive a $200 rebate for every five units, any combination, of Silhouette®, Pirouette® or Luminette® purchased. *Add PowerView® Motorization to a qualifying purchase and receive a bonus PowerView® Hub. Limit one Hub per order per household.Valid at participating retailers only. The rebate will be issued in the form of a Hunter Douglas Prepaid American Express® Card. THE PROMOTION CARD is a trademark of The Hunt Group. All Rights Reserved. THE PROMOTION CARD is a Prepaid American Express® Card issued by Amex Bank of Canada. ® Used by Amex Bank of Canada under license from American Express. For full details, visit hunterdouglas.ca.

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LANDSCAPE

A PEACEFUL LANDSCAPE ABOVE THE CITYSCAPE The garden terrace of a downtown condominium is a serene escape from the urban hubbub

BY JULIE GEDEON PHOTOGRAPHY: BRENDA LIU STYLING: KENNEDY McRAE

THE DESIGN OF A NEW GARDEN TERRACE in a downtown Toronto condominium was influenced by the building’s sharp architectural lines.

“We made the arbour minimalist but angular in keeping with the building’s linear style,” says Kennedy McRae, project designer and a co-owner of Earth Inc., the company that created the space. “The cedar – which we used for all of the wood elements – will grey over time to match the building’s concrete surfaces.”

The terrace is connected to a condominium that is located in the lowest third of the the highrise building. It measures a spacious 25 by 25 feet. •

The arbour is secured to the planters rather than the building to prevent damage to the condominium’s exterior. The cedar structure provides a convenient way to downlight the space.

Umbrella, teak table, and chairs: InsideOut Patio Furniture.

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The horizontal lines of the cedar arbour and benches complement the building’s linear style and will grey over time to match the concrete elements.

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The landscape designer chose globe thistle (Echinops), pink yarrow (Achillia millefolium), and other tall, hardy perennials for their vertical impact, long bloom, and ability to withstand harsh outdoor conditions eight storeys up.

Earth Inc. divided the space into distinct areas for barbecuing, dining and lounging without obstructing the outermost sightlines. “I never put any plants along the periphery because the planters would have to be a minimum of 42 inches high for safety reasons, and I really don’t like anything in the way of people standing or sitting right at the railings to enjoy the fullest possible views,” McRae says.

By using tall perennials, he created distinct zones without having to worry about the wind load associated with actual wall dividers.

Lilac-coloured hyssop (Agastache), globe thistle (Echinops), pink yarrow (Achillea millefolium), and purple coneflower (Echinacea), along with lime grasses, create vertical interest. Their slight wildness softens the strict lines of the building and arbour. “While each variety makes a nice impact within its own planted section, the overall looseness provides a feminine quality and balance to a predominantly masculine-oriented space,” McRae says. •

(Right) Hyssop (Agastache) has a licorice scent and is a favourite of hummingbirds.

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Somewhat wild-looking perennials and the pebbled spaces between the cement tiles soften the architectural angles.

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He selected perennials that flower for a long time but are able to withstand harsh outdoor conditions, including a cutleaf staghorn, a small variety of sumac.

McRae opted for galvanized steel planters to support the arbour structure because of the strength they offer. “The steel is also similar in appearance to the frosted glass panel between this condo and the one adjacent to it,” he adds.

The patio is further delineated by the dark pebbles between slightly spaced concrete slabs. “The beach stones open up the area a bit to make it feel like you’re crossing over a bridge from one area to another,” McRae says.

“I always advise clients on a limited budget to spend their money on the vertical interests that will make the biggest impact,” he says.

“They’re as important as the art that we hang up inside our homes and, if done right, no one will notice a plainer walkway or planters.” •

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The plantings are kept away from the terrace’s edges to permit people to fully use the patio’s periphery. Lounge chairs: Andrew Richard Designs.

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TRAVEL

RIGHT AT HOME IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD Toronto’s Thompson Hotel is a go-to destination for out-of-towners and locals alike

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WHEN THE EYES OF THE FILM WORLD TURN TO CANADA for the Toronto International Film Festival, the Thompson Hotel is ready. Because this is where the A-list crowd comes for a little slice of this country’s biggest city’s high-end hospitality. The Thompson has a bit of a unique formula. It’s one part luxury, two parts real Toronto.

And when we’re talking A-listers, it’s a long list – Ryan Gosling, Natalie Portman, Sean Penn, Spike Lee, Oliver Stone. It goes on. They were among the guests who stayed at the Thompson for the 2016 edition of TIFF.

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And don’t even wonder where George Clooney stays when he’s in town. You almost want to look for the Nespresso machine in the lobby.

So why do they come to the Thompson?

“They want to stay somewhere cool,” says the hotel’s general manager, Jeff Waters. “They want a hotel that is contemporary.”

But the Thompson is a bit more complex than that. With 105 guest rooms and 330 condos in three towers in the centre of King West Village, an area Waters describes as “arguably the most vibrant part of the city,” the Thompson has a nightlife that adds to the texture of your stay.

“This area is full of restaurants, bars, architectural companies; it’s a very high-end part of the city,” he says. “And we are at the heart of this neighbourhood.”

And being in the heart of this part of Toronto also means being at the centre of everything that happens in the city. •

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“It’s a microcosm of the neighbourhood.

It’s an entertainment complex.”

Take the NBA All-Star Game as an example.

When the National Basketball Association gave the city the nod to host its annual all-star game in 2016 at the Air Canada Centre, the Thompson was given the nod, too. As basketball fans looked to the event that showcases the top talent in the league, the NBA Players Association looked to the Thompson. The organization rented out the entire hotel for the players and their families. Space inside the facility was converted to cater specifically to their needs, Waters says. The rooftop pool

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area was re-conceptualized into a players’ lounge. The hotel made its screening room available to the players for an exclusive screening of Barbershop 2: Back in Business before it played in cinemas. “We really make them feel comfortable here,” he adds.

But most of all, Waters says, one of the best qualities of the Thompson is that you will always meet real Torontonians here. It’s a place the locals enjoy. And they come to relax in the uniquely designed Lobby Bar and Rooftop Lounge.

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The Thompson offers everything that Toronto is best-known for. “It’s a microcosm of the neighbourhood. It’s an entertainment complex,” he says. “There are few places you can stay in a hotel in the city centre that are frequented by residents. That’s rare. That is what makes us so different. We cater to our neighbourhood.”

Toronto’s business class arrives after work for drinks in the Lobby Bar, which features a massive mural of the city’s skyline. As the evening warms up, a disc jockey keeps the party going. Or, friends often meet up by the infinity pool at the Rooftop Lounge.

Others opt to entertain clients in one of the two restaurants, or drop by after a show for a late-night bite in the Thompson’s classic diner, which is open until 3 a.m.

The Thompson gives everyone – regardless of where they are from – one thing guaranteed: an amazing view of Toronto. “It’s the best view of the city,” Waters says. “It’s stunning during the day; at night, it lights up, it warms up, and it’s spectacular.” And with a 360-degree view of the skyline and the iconic CN Tower that is immediately identified with Toronto, Waters says, there is no doubt: “When you stay at a Thompson, you know what city you’re in.” Even the American cable news channel CNN listed the Thompson on its list of 16 Best Rooftop Views in 2014.

Opened in 2010, the Thompson Toronto was the first international location outside of the U.S. But with hotels under the banner now open in Mexico and other expansion plans on the horizon, Waters says with confidence: “The brand is just taking off.”

Rooms range in size, with suites that offer up to 2,000 square feet of luxurious space. All offer a modern design and heated floors in the bathroom, regardless of the season.

And just in case you are not completely convinced how neighbourhood-focused the Thompson can be, it welcomes pets. •

Thompson Toronto 550 Wellington St. W., Toronto 416-640-7778 www.thompsonhotels.com

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FACING THE CARDINAL POINTS A Griffintown condomimium boasts sweeping views in three directions

BY HEATHER PENGELLEY PHOTOGRAPHY: DREW HADLEY STYLING: CATLIN STOTHERS

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DESIGN

IN EVERY DIRECTION BUT NORTH, the Griffintown condominium of Johannes Kau and Annaliese Jagusch overlooks cityscapes, parkland and the Lachine Canal. So the couple have made these outstanding views the focal points of their custom-built home.

Johannes and Annaliese bought two adjoining condominiums – totalling 2,700 square feet – almost three years ago, in a canal-side complex before construction began, largely because of the developer’s plans for large windows.

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“The windows have an industrial, OldPort feel, reminiscent of turn-of-the-century factories along the canal,” says Johannes, president of Mobilia, a Montreal-based chain of contemporary European-inspired furniture and accessory stores with locations in Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa.

The space checked major boxes on their wish list: a central location, bright in all seasons, great potential. It had clean, simple lines and no walls to block natural light. They wanted to create a modern interior with a comfortable but uncluttered, understated look. Above all, they sought to bring the outdoors in.

The homeowners wanted nothing to interfere with the view. They chose an industrial-style light fixture for the kitchen, custom-built by Anaka, to add a touch of warmth without stealing the show.

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“We wanted as much emphasis as possible on the environment,” says Annaliese.

Beyond that, the challenge of customizing their new home was daunting. “Standing in that open box, it was difficult to know how to go about creating a floor plan,” says Annaliese, who is senior vice-president of a global market research firm.

They asked designer Catlin Stothers of Catlin Stothers Design to combine their aesthetic vision and growing storage needs.

“When you start with nothing, it’s hard to envision what to do,” says Stothers. “We didn’t make impulsive decisions. We discussed and debated every design element. We considered proximity, and thought about how their lifestyle would change at different life stages.”

Stothers collaborated closely with architect Maxime Moreau of MXMA Architecture and Design. Together they worked with the contractors to coordinate the project. “Our role was to ensure that all rooms were optimal in terms of efficiency, natural light, flow and finishes,” Moreau says. •

(Above) Accent chairs and stacking ottomans from Mobilia add colour to the living room area. (Right) The Esmea marble coffee table and Edina sofa – also from Mobilia – sit across from the Town & Country gas fireplace.

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Bedrooms overlooked the city and canal in the contractor’s plan. After much collaboration with Moreau and Stothers, it was decided that the layout would be flipped to create an open-concept living space with vantage points for watching sunrises and sunsets.

The couple also wanted a central hallway that would lead the eye to the view. A western branch leads to two bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms: the master and a child’s room for their two-year-old son Thomas. To the east, there’s an office, TV room and guest bedroom with ensuite, which doubles as a playroom.

Every room has a view.

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European white oak f loors soften the harshness of exposed concrete. Original artworks, mounted on white walls, add splashes of colour. A central shelving unit displays books and souvenirs but hides sundries in closed cubbies.

“My vision for the kitchen was maple and white,” says Annaliese. But the team persuaded the couple, with the help of three-dimensional renderings, to venture toward an all-dark kitchen to take advantage of the unique opportunity of so much light.

Lacquered matte charcoal kitchen cabinetry contrasts with cool, stark concrete.

A bank of cabinetry against a wall contains Miele appliances, customized drawers, and a shiny back-painted glass backsplash.

(Below) Simplicity and a consistent colour palette were key elements of Stothers’ design. Nello dining table, Wave chairs and Suffa pendant lamp: Mobilia.

Designing from scratch “was a pleasure” that enabled them to prevent the pitfalls of previous kitchens. Both Annaliese and Johannes are tall. Custom-built counters accommodate their height, as does the industrial-style brass light fixture above the island.

“We constantly played with scale, light and proportion,” says Stothers. “We offset the massive with thin and simple.” For example, the four-by-12-foot island countertop was hoisted in by crane. The ultrathin sintered stone material, called Lapitec, has a smooth, durable finish that offsets surrounding rough surfaces. •

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A major architectural feature is the wine closet, which holds about 360 bottles on aluminum and walnut racks. Inside, there’s a small serving bar and enough room to open bottles. “It creates a real impression when you’re coming down the hall,” says Johannes.

Recessed lighting at the base of concrete pillars highlights imperfections in the structures to stunning effect. Other sources of ambient light are overhead track lights and tiny sparkling beads in the Italian ceramic panels above the gas fireplace.

The master bedroom has a walk-in closet and European-style bathroom. Recessed opaque glass doors slide shut to prevent early risers from disturbing light sleepers.

Two can admire the view from the stylish tub. A television is hidden in the grey storage unit, which contains another gas fireplace and drawers for linens and toiletries.

The architect’s layout of the master bedroom maximizes efficiency and natural light. Cubo sliding doors hide the ensuite bathroom and walk-in closet, custom-built by KB Signature. Taiga bathtub: Vanico Maronyx; Orchestra porcelain tiles: Céragrès; Wilkie reclining chair with stool, Whiskey bed: Mobilia.

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In Thomas’s room, white cabinets blend into white walls. Toys in display boxes, mounted on an aluminum strip, and scattered over custom storage units add colour.

As Thomas gets older, he can easily adapt the room to suit his needs.

A glass niche over his bathtub brightens the space with natural light and a glimpse of the canal. Italian porcelain graffiti tiles add fun and character.

In the preliminary architectural plans, Thomas’s bedroom and a connecting playroom occupied the west side of the condo.

However, by moving the playroom to the east side, the couple were able to enlarge the master bedroom and take advantage of two sets of double-door windows.

“Coming from the furniture industry, Johannes has a broad sense of design,” Moreau says. “We challenged them on a few things, but once we showed them the visuals, they understood where we were going.” •

(Upper) Thomas’ bed and reclining chair are from Dutalier, a local manufacturer. (Lower right) The guest bedroom/playroom has a Versatiles sofa bed from Mobilia. Durable interlocking plastic squares protect the Urbania white oak flooring from Capital Carpet.

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The glass niche over Thomas’ tub brightens the interior room. Lively Bansky graffiti-clad porcelain tiles from Italbec add pizzazz.

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Moreau says that because the unit is custom-designed, it required a lot of on-site coordination; plumbing and electrical installations had to be relocated from where the builder had originally sited them. “It was a challenge to ensure that we had the final product that we wanted,” he says. “For example, all of the plumbing had to be reconfigured, so we wouldn’t have drains in places like the ceiling of the master bedroom. We did a lot of work that made a difference. Who knows where the pipes would have been!”

Recessed glass sliding doors isolate the TV room to contain sound. Patio doors access the balcony, which spans the eastern side of the building. A similar balcony runs along the western side. “It’s such a sanctuary, you don’t need to go outside for green space,” says Stothers. “You can see art installations and watch people interacting in parks or along the canal.

The view is off the charts.” •

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BUYERS’ GUIDE MONTREAL AUTUMN 2017

A PEACEFUL LANDSCAPE ABOVE THE CITYSCAPE Earth Inc. www.earthinc.com 416-216-0378 BEAUTIFUL ACCOMMODATIONS IN A PERFECT LOCATION Residence Inn by Marriott Miami Beach Surfside www.marriott.com 305-514-3101

A GROWING BUSINESS Les Serres Maedler www.maedler.com 450-294-2187 LOVE BEGINS AT HOME La Shed Architecture www.lashedarchitecture.com 514-277-6897

RIGHT AT HOME IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD Thompson Toronto www.thompsonhotels.com 416-640-7778

FACING THE CARDINAL POINTS MXMA www.mxma.ca 514-746-9057

FIFTY THOUSAND SHADES OF GREY Maison & Objet www.maison-objet.com

Catlin Stothers Design www.catlinstothersdesign.com 514-984-5122

SPECTACULAR AND UNIQUE Smithwood Builders www.smithwood.ca 604-789-2359

Mobilia www.mobilia.ca

INTO THE WOODS Design Essentials Group 514-249-1134 Cardilli Construction 514-708-0398 Ebenistes JYRO 514-996-7601 Le Marché aux Fleurs du Village 480 Victoria Ave., St. Lambert 450-672-5554

IN OUR NEXT ISSUE

It’s fascinating to watch design evolve.

Each year brings with it new colours, new shapes, new text u res, new concepts. In our upcoming Trends issue, we report on what’s happening in the realm of design, and chronicle the changes that are having an impact on our homes and gardens. Don’t miss Montreal Home’s annual Trends issue.

On sale in October.

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OF ART AND LIFE Monica Nudelman, Artist www.monicanudelman.com

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THE MINIMALIST SPA ACO Canada www.acocan.ca 905-829-0665 Aquabrass www.aquabrass.com 1-888-941-4411 Nortesco www.nortesco.com 514-636-6116 WARM UP Valor Fireplaces www.valorfireplaces.com

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