When Marie-Pierre Duclos and Félix Mckoy-Perreault moved into this bungalow in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, they only had two children. Two more have since been added, making the dwelling cramped for the family of six they have become. The classic dilemma of selling or renovating has been solved by the addition of an extension where the kitchen is king.
Originally the residence was a classic 1960s bungalow. A split-level house (split level) with a partially finished basement. In a first phase of work, the owners finished it after extracting the pyrite, and opened one of the rooms on the ground floor. Then they added a garage. And came an observation: the house had become too small to meet the needs of the family whose children are aged 4 to 10 years. “We got used to it for six years, but there we were at full capacity,” emphasizes Marie-Pierre Duclos.
-
MAXIME BROUILLET PHOTO PROVIDED BY DESK ARCHITECTS
The kitchen and its island are at the heart of the house.
-
MAXIME BROUILLET PHOTO PROVIDED BY DESK ARCHITECTS
In the kitchen, priority has been placed on storage and on the central island large enough to accommodate the whole family.
-
MAXIME BROUILLET PHOTO PROVIDED BY DESK ARCHITECTS
At the meeting of the two axes of the “L” formed by the cabinets, a full-height opening has been slid to let in the light.
-
MAXIME BROUILLET PHOTO PROVIDED BY DESK ARCHITECTS
To define the spaces, metal partitions (trellises) were used.
-
MAXIME BROUILLET PHOTO PROVIDED BY DESK ARCHITECTS
In the dining room, an integrated console serves as storage, but also as a hiding place for the plumbing.
-
MAXIME BROUILLET PHOTO PROVIDED BY DESK ARCHITECTS
At the front, the boudoir also serves as a games room. A frosted glass partition separates it from the entrance.
-
MAXIME BROUILLET PHOTO PROVIDED BY DESK ARCHITECTS
A small relaxation area in the boudoir
-
MAXIME BROUILLET PHOTO PROVIDED BY DESK ARCHITECTS
To make circulation more fluid and harmonize with the corridor added to the basement, the direction of the flight of the stairs has been reversed.
-
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
At the rear, the extension, all in masonry, clings to the existing body.
1/ 9
If the idea of selling was seriously considered, it was ultimately the expansion that was favored. A volume measuring 24 by 17 ft, going from the basement to the main floor, has been added to the back of the house, saving approximately 800 ft2. On the first level, the new space is occupied exclusively by the kitchen, open to the dining room and the den. On the second floor, we find the master bedroom and an adjoining bathroom. In total, there are now five bedrooms in the basement.
“The objective was to open, but also to section so as not to have an indefinite open space,” notes Étienne Duclos, co-founder of DESK architectes, an office founded in 2018 in Montreal (he is also Marie-Pierre’s brother). It is the idea of the different trellises which come to create a certain plan. This demarcation of spaces is also accentuated by the height of the kitchen compared to the rest, an idea that was proposed to the architect by his clients and which was driven by the desire to be able to benefit from high ceilings on both levels.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Marie-Pierre Duclos, owner, with Étienne Duclos, co-founder of DESK architectes
“Initially, we wanted to dig the basement more and have to go down a step or two to get to our room, so, upstairs, we could have had a continuous level, explains Marie-Pierre Duclos. But that greatly increased the bill. Come to think of it, I really liked the big steps to get into the dining room. It’s something we had in our childhood home. I love the split. I find that it delimits well. It gives another look. ”
Bathed in a soft light coming mainly from the north, the kitchen has become the focal point of the project. “It had the effect of staging it,” notes Étienne Duclos. It is also the place where the family meets most often. To accommodate all of its members, an imposing central island 12 feet long has been installed. Primordial for the owners, its size defined that of the extension.
Enlarge without altering
When the couple bought the house, it was after many more visits. No question of distorting the one who had conquered them. The idea of adding a very contemporary box which marks a break with the existing building was not considered. “The house has a natural charm,” notes the architect. We wanted to be discreet and respect what we had in our hands without distorting anything. We also wanted to respect the surrounding built environment since the whole street is made of this style. ”
-
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MAXIME BROUILLET
Built in the 1960s, the house takes on the classic style of the time.
-
PHOTO PROVIDED BY DESK ARCHITECTS
The ground floor of the house, before its transformation
-
PHOTO PROVIDED BY DESK ARCHITECTS
The kitchen, without a pantry, lacked storage.
-
PHOTO PROVIDED BY DESK ARCHITECTS
The rear facade of the house before the extension. The new volume has been added on the left.
1/ 4
For the interior, there was also this desire not to be at odds with the spirit of the 1960s, the era of construction. The color chosen for the wood is that of the existing floors. The original slope of the roof has also been recreated. “We fell in love with this fairly gentle slope,” says Étienne Duclos. We didn’t want to make a flat roof. It was the idea of integrating into the existing. ”
Carried out in self-construction – the owners coordinated the work – the project ended just before the outbreak of the pandemic. A relief for the family who were able to avoid the delays due to this event and enjoy their new big home during confinement.
Visit the DESK architectes website
- Completion of works: 2019-2020
- Budget: $ 200,000
- Collaborator: Meuble Architectural M. Lambert