RENOTOUR LOCATION #7 – ARTIUM DESIGN BUILD

Faced with a space that had potential architecturally but hadn’t quite hit the mark, Artium sought to turn this bungalow into a home that really reflected the personality of the owners.

Vaulted ceilings throughout created amazing shapes and shadows, says Artium owner Norm Lecuyer, but strong colonial detailing was competing with the style. Plus, the owners wanted a much more minimalistic feel. The solution was to strip away the excess — oak colonial railings, pillars, archways, and some walls — and let the soaring ceilings become the focal point.

“It really transformed the home into what the customers were looking for,” Lecuyer says. “They did not know how to get there and the designers were able to feed off their comments and create a space that they really love now.”

The kitchen renovation was inspired by clean-lined European designs and a desire for the home to be a serene oasis. Cabinet hardware and door profiles were eliminated, emphasizing the linear quality of the cabinetry. The light wood cabinetry adds interest and warmth, while the white cabinetry mixed with light countertops creates an airiness.

Yet there are still plenty of details, such as the unique wood niche in the island that connects with the upper cabinets and reinforces the room’s horizontal lines, or the creation of a human scale by limiting the height of the pantry wall and adding the island pendants to “lower” the ceiling height and create a sense of intimacy even in a large space.

“It’s striking in its change from what it was,” says Lecuyer, who adds that there will be before images on hand for comparison.

Source: Anita Murray, All Things Home