We gutted the second floor of this character home in Norwood, allowing us to design a new floor plan including a master bedroom with walk-in closet, a studio/guest room, and a large bathroom.  The original bathroom was one of the most awkward bathrooms we had ever seen.  With the door swinging into the already-tiny room, our clients had to fully enter the room and close the door just to get to the sink. The goal for the new space was to not only enlarge the bedrooms, but make the bathroom experience into an energizing yet relaxing daily ritual.  The bathroom needed a variety of textures and timeless elements to blend with the heritage of the existing home.  The design required thoughtful space planning and attention to detail, from conception to completion.

The entire second floor of this century old house needed reconfiguring and re-insulating.  There was significant space behind the knee walls that could be reclaimed to enlarge two bedrooms, a large bathroom, and a walk-in closet. The original bathroom was very tiny and awkward, and had been finished with cheap materials that needed replacing.  In order to achieve the new larger bathroom, and the new desired bedroom layout of the second floor, we had to gut the space and add structural support.  We found rot around some of the windows and replaced studs, and added insulation in all exterior walls.

 

When Fireside co-owner Jaclyn Wiebe purchased a house built in 1884, she knew a full gut would be involved to make the home energy efficient.  Opening up the walls to the studs left opportunities to re-think the layout and function of the new eat-in kitchen.  Tearing down walls, opening up the ceiling to the second floor, and installing all new windows almost gave the Fireside team a blank slate to start with.  So, we looked to the history of both the house and the homeowners to determine our design direction.

As with homes over 100 years old, the house was very solid and well constructed.   The kitchen, however, was a later addition and needed some structural intervention.  Even though the removed walls removed were not load-bearing, this section of the house was under-built.  A fake “beam” had to be replaced with structural members.  Additionally, the back corner of the house only had a crawlspace foundation and had sunk over 4″, which was very noticeable.  So we built up the first floor and lifted the second floor above.

The house was unique in that it was balloon-framed (extra-long wall studs run from foundation wall to attic, with the first and second floors hang off the vertical studs) which allowed us to easily create a large opening to connect the first and second floors.   This light well opening was done for passive cooling and day-lighting.  Heat rises and is exhausted through a quiet high-powered bathroom fan, in lieu of installing central air.

All new electrical, mechanical, and plumbing was installed to code.   Soy-based spray foam (instead of batt insulation) gave us the best R-value per inch, and sealed up any air leaks.

There’s a richness in the mystery of an old house.  The bricks in the old chimney are 130 years old, and likely older since they show evidence that they were reclaimed from a fireplace, traces of soot and paint hinting at their prior life.

The new light well opening allowed us to expose the full height of the old chimney, and the stamped coloured plaster leaves traces of the home as it was in its various incarnations.

The pink-washed rough wood shelving and corbels were found in the house and left the same colour, cut down to size for the new kitchen.   The umbrella plant was left behind by the previous owner.

We designed the space to leave visual reminders of places Jaclyn and her husband Matt have lived and loved in the past.  Pine panelling, exposed ductwork and ceiling joists, stamped tin, and the double-height ceiling can all be traced to past residences.   Even the midcentury tubular steel-and-caning chairs are saved from the family farmhouse.

Reeded glass cabinet doors, grooved panels on the island, and the dining chandelier provide visual continuity of delicate vertical lines.

We chose to provide continuity in surprising places.  The muted pink colour is found in a few of the chimney bricks, the leather bar stool, and the reclaimed open shelf.

The theme of translucence is exhibited in the weave of linen, the sparkle of faceted glass doorknobs, the openness of the caned-back chairs, and the luminosity of the reeded glass doors.

There is no other dining room.  The table can expand to seat twelve for informal community meals.  All lights are zoned and dimmable to fine tune the experience to suit changing needs.

The space is meant to be a living experiment, and nothing is precious.  For example, the island is only primed and needs the perfect shade of blue-grey to offset the warm tones. The exposed ceiling joists are easily drilled into for changing out light fixtures and locations.

The space was an empty shell. We had to rough-in the electrical and plumbing for exam rooms, washroom, and front bar area and have it all inspected before pouring the new concrete floor.  Together with our mechanical engineer, we designed the new mechanical system for the space, including appropriate heating, air conditioning, and fresh air intake.

The clinic and the retail area were large, but they still had to accommodate a lot of equipment, merchandise, and different functions.  We also wanted to take advantage of the high ceiling in the front retail space, through extra-tall built-in shelving, our main doorway with an added transom window (and custom neon signage), and dramatic ten foot black faux-leather curtains behind reception.

The retail space was designed to create a bold, layered, exciting experience for customers.  We wanted to appeal to children without feeling childish, and appeal to men without feeling too masculine.  Our design inspiration was drawn from old apothecaries, general stores, casual pubs, as well as the personalities of the two owners who would transform the space seasonally with their merchandising creativity.

By sectioning off the retail area into quadrants, we could focus on each distinct function while encouraging customers to flow between them.   The four quadrants are reception, waiting area, fitting desks/merchandise, and adjustment counter.  During a party, they become buffet counter, lounge, dance floor, and bar, respectively.

 

We created the custom houndstooth tiled floor out of 3×6 tiles in both black granite and polished carrera marble in a grout-less installation.  The houndstooth stone tiled floor delineates the quadrants in the space, and creates the higher-traffic “hallways” within an open-concept space.   To eliminate any tripping hazards, we built up the adjacent wood plank flooring to the same height for a flawless transition.

 

 

 

Our challenge here was to fit a modern open-concept living space into a well-preserved character building in downtown Winnipeg.

The approach from the public street to the private condo exhibited traditional craftsmanship and materiality that we chose not to conceal, but to celebrate.

This is no longer a small room for mere food preparation, but a grand open space for sharing and entertaining.

Our design was inspired by the textures and materials we found in the 100-year-old building. The patinaed metal, the solid oak trim, the foot-worn marble, and the attention to detail informed everything we added to the space.

The kitchen was completely closed off from the dining room, making the dining room a formal (and under-used) space. The homeowner wanted a much more informal space for cooking and entertaining.

The unique challenges of condo buildings required us to get creative with plumbing and wiring that was in the demolished walls.

We also carefully salvaged the solid oak baseboard and crown moulding to be re-installed with the new floor plan. With still extra left over, we sent the remaining oak to a custom millworker to create a solid wood bar top and a vanity counter for the bathroom. While the wood was planed down and sanded for these pieces for a more refined look, the original nail holes remain as signs of its past life.

There was significant damage to the plaster walls and ceiling, so we chose to fully remove it and expose the structure instead of cladding with drywall.

Since the back panel of the island is in direct line of sight for someone seated in the dining and living room, we wanted to add some visual interest in this area. We salvaged the old lath pieces from the demolition and installed them in a geometric pattern, adding texture and pattern.

The ceiling-mounted installation was made with traditional tin cornice painted out in a glossy black, and additional salvaged lath pieces spaced 1/2″ apart to allow light to diffuse from above. (LED lights are installed behind the lath).

The posts to support the island are 4×4 solid reclaimed wood, and the bar countertop is made of solid oak left over from the extra baseboard and door trim.

We solved the problem of crumbling plaster (which would have exceeded the budget to repair) by removing the lath and plaster and exposing the structure both on the ceiling and the load-bearing interior wall. We love how the exposed brick wall and concrete ceiling display the construction methods of the early 1900’s.  The concrete ceiling was then painted out white to further highlight the imprint of the wood formwork that spanned the width of each unit.

Because sand-blasting can damage the face of softer bricks, we chose to use soda-blasting for a less invasive (and more cost-effective) method. The process is still pain-staking — the homeowner first had to manually chip the plaster off the surface in preparation for soda-blasting.

SAVE AND SAVE:  While in some cases it costs significant money and/or labour to reclaim materials and re-introduce them into the design, other times it’s as simple as re-using a couple old pendant lights like these ones we took out of the hallway. All they needed was re-wiring and a coat of black paint.

MODERN DETAILS:  Conscious of keeping the space fresh and modern, we balanced ornate details with modern minimalism, as seen in the acrylic countertop reveal and the cabinet hardware.

DAY AND NIGHT:  Since the kitchen and dining room will be primarily used for evening entertaining, we created a lighting design that incorporates abundant accent and task lighting to make the space dramatic but still functional. Through the use of zoned lighting and dimmers, the room becomes totally customizable to any situation.

Reflective, textured, and translucent materials were all used to manipulate the play of light in the room.

One of the main goals of the design was to achieve a connection to the rest of the house. By further opening up the wall, adding new windows, and utilizing the same materials on both levels (such as white reclaimed brick and harmonious wood tones), the new great room now feels like it’s part of the original 60’s architecture.

One of the main goals of the design was to achieve a connection to the rest of the house. By opening up the wall, adding new windows, and utilizing the same materials on both levels (such as white reclaimed brick and harmonious wood tones), the new great room now feels like it’s part of the original 60’s architecture.

Opening up the interior wall helped to further connect the sunken great room to the upper dining room.

We designed and built a custom modern railing to have slender lines and visual openness, allowing natural light and views to pass between rooms.

The living room was converted garage, poorly constructed and barely insulated.

It was a cavernous space that was visually and spatially disconnected from the rest of the otherwise beautiful and bright 1960’s modern home. The space was dark and depressing by both day and night, and the entry point consisted of a too-steep and too-narrow set of stairs.

Once initial demolition was complete, we discovered several mouldy and rotted areas that needed re-constructing.

We also framed a new structural bi-level floor that spanned the width of the room, allowing us to run proper heating ducts and add insulation where none had existed previously.

On the exterior, the grade needed addressing to prevent additional water damage in the future. We excavated along the grade beam and added a membrane to the foundation wall, added weeping tile and proper backfill, and adjusted the grade to slope away from the house.

1960s homes are a huge architectural departure from previous decades. 1960’s designers always sought to bring nature indoors, often through large windows and natural textures.

We added three new windows with views into adjacent trees, which filter the afternoon sunlight.

The TV wall is clad in sustainably-harvested eucalyptus veneer, with a walnut stain finish. A black niche allows the TV to blend with its backdrop.

Midcentury residential design integrates interior fixed elements in bold monolithic forms. We applied this design principle in the two fireplaces and TV unit, which are devoid of any ornamentation or visual clutter.

Midcentury modernism also incorporates varied textures to add warmth and visual interest while maintaining a minimalistic form. (Adam hand-picked the reclaimed white brick, which had been salvaged from the building at 274 Garry st.)

The addition of four skylights in the bedroom made the loft bright and open.

The introduction of various textured materials like reclaimed brick (repurposed from the old Army Surplus store), custom furniture, and new maple hardwoods installed on the diagonal really gave the space the unique atmosphere that the homeowner was after.

The combination of reclaimed local materials and new modern materials creates a sense of history, story, and renewal that gently inspires reflection and wonder.

A dark and unusable attic becomes another finished floor of a small house. The homeowner wanted a restful retreat that avoided the sterile and lifeless aesthetic that can often result from new construction.

We began with reconfiguring and reconstructing the previously steep and treacherous stairs. Though space was tight, we suggested adding a powder room to the walk-in closet in the volume of space left over on the other side of the stairwell opening.

The addition of four skylights in the bedroom made the loft bright and open.

The introduction of various textured materials like reclaimed brick (repurposed from the old Army Surplus store), custom furniture, and new maple hardwoods installed on the diagonal really gave the space the unique atmosphere that the homeowner was after.

The combination of reclaimed local materials and new modern materials creates a sense of history, story, and renewal that contribute to the experience of being in the loft during various times of day and lighting conditions.

Previous to any finishing, the attic had some serious issues to address with regard to the structure as well as the building envelope.

We brought in our engineer and corrected several issues, including construction of proper supporting knee walls and collar ties, creation of a new floor to meet the load requirements, and building of a new winder staircase in a different configuration. The new floor allowed us to correct the slope by running a laser level line and sistering huge new floor joists to the old members.

Most significantly, we lifted the sagging front dormer and the roof of the front porch almost seven inches.

We strapped out the ceiling and added soy based spray foam insulation to the rafter bays.

LIGHTING + ART INSTALLATION: The 25-foot-long undulating light fixture is made up of over 500 pieces of lath, some new, some old. (We went dumpster diving for about half of them). A diffuser sits behind the lath, where strips of LED lights on dimmers filter a warm glow through the gaps in the wood. The fixture was designed as a result of the artist-homeowner wanting a space that felt like a studio but did not want the typical track lighting. This was our solution.

COMPACT + FUNCTIONAL: This section of the attic had some serious space constraints, but with a lot of measuring and planning, we knew we could get a powder room and walk-in closet on the other side of the stairwell without making it feel dark and cramped. A skylight over the toilet created necessary head room, and a pocket door prevents a door swing from blocking the stairs or closet access.

RUSTIC + REFINED: The custom vanity, like the bed, was fabricated with the century old cedar floor boards that were pulled out of the space during demolition. Original to the 1912 home, they add both history and texture to the new space. The rough wood is contrasted with a simple square sink and sleek faucet.  The pocket door was reclaimed from a local antique store, and our finish carpenters were able to modify it to fit seamlessly into the space.

HEIRLOOM + SALVAGE: The custom bed was born of necessity and serendipity. We designed it to have friction-fit joinery so it slides apart to fit up the narrow winding staircase. Like the vanity, the bed incorporates the salvaged cedar floor boards and juxtaposes them with refined black-stained birch. Clean lines and modern reveals compliment the rusticity.