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Talo Studios introduces Japandi elements to historic Montreal house
Talo Studios has renovated a house in Montreal that’s almost 100 years old, drawing on Scandinavian and Japanese influences for the interiors. More
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Ravi Handa designs his own wine bar called Stem in Montreal
Reclaimed materials found during demolition work have been preserved and used as decoration in this Montreal wine bar called Stem that’s designed and co-owned by Ravi Handa Architect.
Named Stem, the wine bar was completed earlier in 2020 near September, a cafe and surfboard workshop designed by the same architect in Montreal’s Little Burgundy neighbourhood.
A piece of vintage wallpaper now hangs by the bar’s entranceUpon learning that a vacant space near September cafe would be taken up by a big-box pizza chain, the architect teamed up with some partners to lease the space themselves.“There was an uproar in the community and we [September] along with other local businesses on the block didn’t want a multinational chain as a neighbour,” Handa told Dezeen.
“There was a great deal of pressure to create something soulful and anchored to place since we had convinced our landlords to break with a brand that we felt was perhaps void of soul and rather generic,” he added.
Materials found on-site during demolition have been turned into artworksHanda envisioned an establishment that would draw cues from the cafe, offering a casual place for neighbours to gather in a nighttime setting.
“As a partner, and because the business is physically linked to an already successful business, I was more emotionally invested in the design process than usual,” he said.
“While the spirit of the cafe is reflected in the wine bar’s fine lines and warm palette, the new space has an identity of its own, using the stem as a source of inspiration.”
Slim slats of wood, intended to represent wine glass stems, are a recurring motif in the interiors.
A privacy screen separates the tasting room from the back-of-houseDuring the demolition of the existing space, several finishes and pieces of various materials were found and repurposed as artworks for the finished space.
“Scraps of wood and metal were collected in collaboration with artist and friend Jeremy Le Chatelier, who incorporated them into works of art,” the architect said.Montreal wine bar Vinvinvin by Ménard Dworkind takes cues from bottle labels
The long, narrow space features some walls painted in a dark green colour that was chosen based on a piece of vintage, hand-painted wallpaper that was found on site.
Elsewhere, the existing brick demising walls are exposed in a nod to the area’s industrial past.
Thin strips of wood that line the space are meant to look like the stem of a wine glassThin wooden slats cover the bar itself, a motif that is also found in a privacy screen that separates the back-of-house spaces from the tasting room.
“[The screen] conceals the washroom and dishwashing area, without alienating workers from the lively energy in the bar,” said architect.
New finishes contrast the existing walls in the bathroomIn the restroom, a concrete wall was left in its original condition, contrasting the new tiles and fixtures that were installed during the renovation.
In an effort to support local brands and designers, the architect sourced furniture and lighting from within the city’s tight-knit design community. The lights are by a Luminaire Authentik and the furniture was designed by Atelier Appareil, the furniture arm of Appareil Architecture.
Other projects in Montreal include a newly opened coworking space by Ivy Studio and a retro coffee bar downtown by Ménard Dworkind.
The photography is by Olivier Blouin.Read more: More
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Ivy Studio adds pops of colour to Spacial co-working office in Montreal
Mint green and burgundy are among the hues incorporated into a Montreal co-working space that Canadian firm Ivy Studio designed to “stand out from its competitors.” More
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Future Simple Studio creates family apartment within historic Montreal building
Bedrooms are enclosed within a pair of wood and glass boxes in this renovated apartment in Montreal designed by Canadian architecture office Future Simple Studio. More
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Jean Verville Architecte inserts gridded steel lightwell into Montreal home
Canadian studio Jean Verville Architecte has created a theatrical interior inside a Montreal house by adding a large steel structure capped by a skylight that casts dramatic shadows.For the project, called MSO; Play/Pause, the studio completely reorganised the interior of the building and built a 12-metre-high steel lightwell in the centre of the three-storey house.
Top image: the steel structure casts dramatic shadows. Above: it runs through the house
The house belongs to a pair of actors, Sophie Cadieux and Mani Soleymanlou, so Jean Verville Architecte designed them a home that could double as a performance venue.
“We subtracted floor sections from the heart of the house to insert the steel structural installation, ” studio founder Jean Verville told Dezeen.
“The rooms on the outskirts have been kept but redistributed to new versatile functions.”Light from the skylight is scattered across the ground-floor kitchen
The steel installation measures five by five metres. A skylight caps the structure, turning it into a lightwell that casts theatrical shadows in the rooms.
Its addition breaks up the shapes of the existing rooms, creating an interesting new layout for the owners as they go about their daily lives.The steel grids create decorative shadows
As the structure unfolds over the three floors of the four-bedroom house, it creates what the studio describes as “pauses,” with functional spaces at the bottom of the building followed by living spaces and then bedrooms.
“We start with the first two scenic pauses on the ground floor with the kitchen and the multifunction room,” Verville said.
“Then the six scenic pauses of the living spaces and artistic creation to then end with the two scenic pauses of sleeping breaks. Each space has been designed to be versatile and re-modelable with a new function, nothing is permanent!”A greige hue was chosen to enhance the shadow play
Metal grid screens and low walls were also added to the interior to create intriguing divisions between the spaces.
The studio chose a monochrome greige colour for the interior to underline the shadows and light patterns created by the steel structure, and to work as a background for potential future theatre events in the house.Jean Verville Architecte creates “luminous” white triplex in Montreal
“The great calm of monochrome greige and the changing and dancing light offer as much visual spectacle as inspiring spaces for theatrical rehearsal, and even soon the possibility of performance before a small audience,” Verville said.
Jean Verville Architecte shot a series of playful images with the owners
To capture the final result of the renovation, the studio shot a photo series of the MSO; Play/Pause space with photographer Felix Michaud that features the owners in different staged situations inside their home.
Jean Verville Architecte recently finished another Montreal project, a white triplex adorned with gold windows. Previous projects on Dezeen include an electropop-informed installation created with students in Quebec City.
Photography is by Studio Jean Verville Architects and Felix Michaud.Read more: More
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Ménard Dworkind creates retro coffee bar in downtown Montreal
Canadian studio Ménard Dworkind has unveiled a retro-themed coffee bar featuring Rubik’s Cube mirrors and a floor tiled to look like checkerboard Vans shoes.Situated in downtown Montreal, Caffettiera Caffé Bar features a monolithic black terrazzo bar that welcomes people into the open space.
Visitors are greeted with the terrazzo bar upon entering the cafe
Combining refreshments and a retail display, this main bar emphasises Caffettiera Caffé Bar’s social focus and curves down to meet the checkerboard mosaic floor.
“The checkered floor was inspired by Vans checkered shoes,” Ménard Dworkind co-founder David Dworkind told Dezeen. “As Guillaume Ménard and I both grew up in the 90s we tapped into our own personal nostalgia.”The checkerboard mosaic floor is influenced by Vans shoes
The cafe’s owner wanted to bring Italian coffee culture for Caffettiera Caffé Bar, where customers are encouraged to linger over a cup.
“We placed a footrest at the coffee bar so clients can stand there and have a chat with the barista,” said Dworkind.
“We included a long, standing bar in the middle of the space to increase the density of people with spots in the cafe, which helps to encourage socialising”.A standing bar encourages socialising
Curved mirrors are mounted onto faux-wood plastic laminate panels, a retro material that aims to connect customers through a sense of nostalgia.
“The 90s theme was the driving force for the colour palette”, explained Dworkind. “The use of plastic laminate fake wood panels on the wall and bright colours were all popular in the 90s. The Rubik’s Cubes to frame the mirrors in the bathrooms is another example of something from our personal memories of the 90s”.Rubik’s Cube mirrors feature in the cafe’s bathrooms
Circular tables boast a variation of five coloured laminates in graphic shapes and framed photographs of iconic fashion models from the decade embellish the walls.
Tables sit alongside two comfortable tan leather banquettes that face the main bar, making use of the small but open space to create a sociable atmosphere.90s nostalgia is emphasised by photographs from the decade
All of Caffettiera Caffé Bar’s available space offers a chance for customer interaction. The banquettes intersect at a self-service station, behind which a backlit planter is enhanced by the mirrors’ reflection.
“The long shared banquettes provide the option of sticking the round tables together, and since it’s linear people are actually all seated together”, explained Dworkind.Reupholstered vintage chairs match tan leather banquettes in the seating area
Batay-Csorba designs Milky’s coffee bar in Toronto without furniture
Curving furniture echoes the shape of the mirrors. Rounded vintage chairs sourced from classified ads have been reupholstered in the same tan leather as the banquettes.
Continuing the cafe’s curving lines, the ceiling’s exaggerated cornicing is another retro visual element. As with the main bar and the checkerboard floor, the cornicing seamlessly blends the walls and the ceiling together.Dynamic blue cornicing brings the ceiling to life
Lambert & Fils pendant lights are suspended from yellow telephone wire above the seating area, bathing the tables in a warm glow.
Traditional Italian food products are displayed on a long shelf behind the main bar, where a selection of sandwiches and pastries are served. Cafe merchandise is also for sale.The products stocked on the large shelf behind the main bar
Italian signs illustrating where to pay and order slide along an orange painted steel beam above the bar. Their locations can be rearranged by staff depending on each day’s flow of customers.
Various 90s books, toys and stickers feature in Caffettiera Caffé Bar’s windows, and around the space, making it a wholly nostalgic experience.
A similarly retro feel can be found at Baseball, a food court in Hong Kong designed by studio Linehouse, influenced by 70s films.
Co-founded by Ménard and Dworkind in 2017, previous projects from the Montreal-based studio include a kitsch Chinatown-themed pan-Asian restaurant and a recreation of a 1970s New York pizza parlour.
Photography is by David Dworkind and Alison Slattery.Read more: More
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Warm beige hues update Résidence Esplanade in Montreal
Design pair Michael Godmer and Catherine Lavallée created a sequence of meditative, beige-tone spaces in the partial renovation of this home in Montreal. Résidence Esplanade is situated in Mile End, a trendy area of Montreal host to various eateries, coffee bars and vintage stores.
The property was originally built as two separate apartments, but five years ago was converted into the two-floor house it stands as today.The colour beige has been applied throughout Résidence Esplanade
Much of the property’s unique decor details were eliminated during the renovation works. Its new owner, a young professional who collects furniture and works of art, tasked Michael Godmer and Catherine Lavallée with designing a slightly more distinctive interior.
“We wanted to add identity to the house’s soul,” Godmer told Dezeen.Michael Godmer and Mathieu Turgeon renovate their Montreal design studio and home
He and Lavallée have, for now, overhauled the home’s upstairs landing, study and one of its bedrooms – the rest of the rooms will be worked on at a later date.
Walls in the bedroom have been loosely limewashed
The three revamped areas have been completed in various shades of beige, a colour that the design pair says is “reminiscent of the soft winter light” that they saw on the first day they visited Résidence Esplanade.
In the bedroom, walls have been loosely rendered with lime paint that leaves behind an eggshell-coloured finish.
A tall wardrobe inlaid with cane panels has been set towards the rear of the room, while a white-oak sideboard has been set beneath the window so that the owner can display personal trinkets or ornaments.
In the corner of the room is also a blush-pink slouch chair.In the study, a work desk has been set into a niche in the wall
Limewashed surfaces continue into the home’s study. An oak work desk has been built within a niche in the wall, accompanied by a simple black tub chair and a spherical pendant lamp that dangles from the ceiling.
Textural interest is added by the corrugated panelling that has been set at the back of the niche.
Finally, fluted glass doors with buttermilk-coloured framing have been fitted in front of each of the rooms on the first floor.The back wall of the niche is corrugated
Godmer and Lavallée say they plan to apply a similarly calming aesthetic throughout the rest of the home when they start the second phase of the renovation.
“We are also looking at adding a mezzanine and a rooftop terrace for [the owner] to enjoy summer days having views of Mont-Royal mountain,” added Godmer.Fluted glass doors have been installed on the home’s first floor
Résidence Esplanade is one of several homes that Michael Godmer has designed in his home city of Montreal. Others include Elmwood Residence, a Victorian-era townhouse in the Outremont neighbourhood which Godmer updated by creating a sequence of monochromatic living spaces.
Earlier this year, Godmer also made over the Montreal home that he shares with his partner, Mathieu Turgeon and their two poodles. Inside, it boasts fresh white walls and an array of wooden fixtures and furnishings.
Photography is courtesy of Catherine Lavallée.
Project credits:
Design: Michael Godmer and Catherine LavalléeConstruction: Frédéric LalondeCabinetmaking: Il FabriqueRead more: More
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Black dominates moody ELMNT spinning studio in Montreal
Cycling shoes are tucked into all-black shelving in this boutique spinning studio in Montreal, Canada, designed by locally based Ivy Studio.Ivy Studio chose the material palette for the indoor cycling facility to reflect the monochrome branding of ELMNT, a boutique gym providing spaces for yoga, spin, barre and high intensity interval training (HIIT).
Above image: Ivy Studio chose the palette to complement ELMNT’s brand. Top image: the spinning room
Black runs heavily throughout the 1500-square-foot (139-square-metre) studio but is intended to provide a different atmosphere between the calming lobby area, with lockers and changing areas, and a spin room for “excitement and energy”.
“Although both areas are united by the brand’s all-black colour palette, they each suggest opposing ambiances,” said Ivy Studio.Existing concrete beams are teamed with stained-black wood
ELMNT’s space, which occupies the ground floor of a residential building in the city’s Griffintown neighbourhood, features exposed concrete columns and concrete floors in the lobby.
This is teamed with built-in furniture made from black stained oak and reflective laminate.A curved black wall wraps around gender-neutral bathrooms
Among these is a black wooden bench leading from the entrance door along a glazed wall and then around an existing column. A black plant pot filled with greenery is tucked into a nook on the other side of the column.Ivy Studio models Montreal dry cleaners on a Parisian apartment
Facing the bench is a curved black wall that wraps around the studio’s gender-neutral changing rooms, including four showers covered in black tiles.
Cycling shoes are stored in black shelves
Before entering the studio, class attendees pick up their allotted spin-bike shoes – specially designed to click into the bike pedals – from black shelving. They can also store belongings in black lockers and fill up their water bottles from a cylindrical black fountain.
The spinning room is intended to provide a more electric atmosphere.Red LEDs illuminate the spinning room
“A series of color-changing LED lights span across the ceiling from one end to the other,” said Ivy Studio. “The walls are surfaced in acrylic mirrors that distort the reflections of their subjects.”
Ivy Studio is led by architects Gabrielle Rousseau and Philip Staszeksi in Montreal.
The firm has completed a number of interior projects in the city such as a dry cleaners that is modelled on a Parisian apartment, a grungy, tropical restaurant and a stark white boutique.
Photography is by Alex Lesage.
Project credits:
Project team: Kyle A Goforth, David Kirouac, Guilaume B Riel, Gabrielle Roussea and Philip StaszeweskiRead more: More
