It all started with the kitchen, as so many home renovations do. And as the owners of this 1925 Montreal home knocked out a wall to turn the small, old-fashioned space into a large, contemporary, multi-use room, they salvaged an 80-year-old built-in panelled cabinet. It was a fitting act of renewal since, from the beginning, this was a project undertaken with an eye to preserving the past. Not only did the homeowner have a collection of beloved inherited furnishings that were marked for reuse, the house itself was, in the best sense, recycled. It was her childhood home, and the renovation signaled the continuation of the contented
family life she had enjoyed growing up there.
Though located in the city, country influences formed the guiding principles of the house, including the use of strong colour and patterned and textured fabrics, and an informal approach to decorating that's less expected in an urban house, yet wholly appropriate for modern life. The kitchen not only became the rendezvous spot for this family of six, but also the jumping-off point for the like-minded renovation that “grew room by room,” says designer Kristin Shannon.
Now, with space for a work island, comfortable pine table and chairs, and a long, low cushioned window seat often obscured by “a multitude of kids and school books,” the massive kitchen, Kristin Shannon points out, suits its owner's open, “exuberant” style of living. This includes playing host to the “masses of people” often on hand, and the owner acknowledges that the kitchen works well with her improvisational approach. “She can plan a dinner party at 5:30, do the cooking herself, and serve it at 7:30,” adds Shannon, who has attended a few.
DINING ROOM: (shown above)
After finding these chairs in a Notre-Dame Ouest antiques store and deciding instantly that “we wanted the colour in our dining room,” the owners experimented with a complementary reddish pink for the panelled walls – which they hated. Designer Kristin Shannon then suggested applying a glaze, which resulted in this more subtle raspberry shade.
KITCHEN: The room that started it all is now sunny and open, with linen-coloured, hand-painted cabinetry, ample work surfaces, a second oven that pitches in for parties and handy island storage. “Everything is workable,” the owner says, noting that it's a great space for kids.
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