Toele-Thibodeau Residence
The remodel of this 85 year old Tudor house was anchored by the need to completely re-envision the kitchen/dining room and the master suite, but touched many more spaces around the residence. The existing building vernacular challenged contemporary living with its small, low spaces and legacy flow. The design team aimed to insert measured gestures in the areas most heavily affected by contemporary lifestyle changes, while leaving the exterior mostly alone. The critical decisions reconfigured some structural bearing and removed partitions to simplify the layout and accommodate the owners. Thus, the solarium and the kitchen were combined to create a contemporary kitchen/breakfast area with entertainment potential. On the second, bedroom floor, the master suite was created by aggregating the bedroom, bathroom and several tiny closet spaces into a contemporary anfilade.
The finishes palette leaned heavily on the vibrant colors and textures of natural wood and granite, combined with ceramic tiles with deep stylized relief which featured in the kitchen and bathroom backsplashes and were extended into the closet animating that often timid area. A feature wall in the master bedroom incorporated salvaged wood flooring and the original wood doors were mounted on barn door hardware. As the contemporary treatments were meant to cohabitate with the original eclectic ornamentation, a lot of attention was given to selecting fixtures and furniture supporting a harmonious whole.
The project manager, Will Benson, was the collaborative spirit and creative force behind several of the design and detailing decisions.
