For its first major residential project, Atelier Paradis was entrusted with the mission of transposing the functional and aesthetic qualities of a Japanese house into a former factory in Montreal. The new decor of the loft, which is spread over three levels, is accompanied by a change in the life of its owner from Asia.
The horizon was rather limited in the forest of towers where Rebecca Chan once lived in Hong Kong. It is largely for this reason that she let herself be charmed by a penthouse of some 1,000 sq.2 in a factory in Pointe-Saint-Charles dating from 1913.
“I really like my new environment. I can see the Farine Five Roses building from my window and watch the sunsets from the roof terrace! “, she enthuses from the outset. This woman with contagious good humor, who grew up in the United States and studied in Great Britain, immediately fell in love with the cultural richness of Montreal, where she is beginning a new chapter in her life.
While she was more than 12,000 km from the Quebec metropolis, she turned to Atelier Paradis, warmly recommended by a friend for the renovation of the loft articulated on three levels, the walls of which are covered with wallpaper and the floors , vinyl. The bespoke work of the design firm founded in 2021 by Dave Paradis and Gabriel Jetté convinced her to make the right choice. Passionate about design, she sends the team a list of her furniture, which includes beautiful Eames chairs. “Seeing this list, we thought we were speaking the same language,” says Dave Paradis.
Put into perspective
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PHOTO RAPHAËL THIBODEAU, PROVIDED BY ATELIER PARADIS
A walnut and velvet bench in the extension of the kitchen allows you to work while enjoying a beautiful view of the surroundings of the Lachine Canal.
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PHOTO RAPHAËL THIBODEAU, PROVIDED BY ATELIER PARADIS
Rebecca’s mixing console, housed in a niche at the back of the bathroom and laundry room can be moved to the living room.
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PHOTO RAPHAËL THIBODEAU, PROVIDED BY ATELIER PARADIS
Great care was needed to install the rice paper panels taking into account the harsh Quebec winters.
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Very quickly, Rebecca informed the designers of her desire to find at home the aesthetic and practical qualities that she appreciated during her travels in Japan. “I go there several times a year. I told myself that I was going to miss it, ”recalls the one who, alongside her French and photography lessons, assists a Japanese pastry chef from the city center two days a week.
Luckily, Dave Paradis had the opportunity to discover Japan in the past. The dialogue therefore continues fluidly with the help of emails in which the owner shares images of the style she seeks to introduce into her home. Gradually, things become clearer.
Three distinct atmospheres follow one another in the loft, so that each floor can be invested according to the needs or desires of Rebecca and her future guests.
The industrial character of the ground floor has been carefully preserved. A concrete shelf along the large windows responds to the gray ceramic floor and backsplash of the open walnut kitchen, designed by Atelier Paradis. The tablet and the bench in its extension allow this bright space to lend itself to both work and relaxation. A walnut veneer is also placed on the wall on the living room side to make the interior warmer and to combine it with Rebecca’s “mid-century” furniture which, thanks to a niche in a large cube hiding a laundry room and a bathroom , also has at hand a music mixing console.
Up to date
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PHOTO RAPHAËL THIBODEAU, PROVIDED BY ATELIER PARADIS
On the last level of the loft, tatami mats, whose futons are hidden in a walnut structure, allow Rebecca to welcome her family or friends, but also to take a nap or read in a Zen interior.
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PHOTO RAPHAËL THIBODEAU, PROVIDED BY ATELIER PARADIS
Rebecca’s bedroom with a walnut bed designed by Atelier Paradis overlooks a rejuvenating bathroom with a covering of small black ceramic tiles.
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PHOTO RAPHAËL THIBODEAU, PROVIDED BY ATELIER PARADIS
View of the different living spaces
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Hyphens between each scene of life, the ceilings are dressed in wooden slats. This trick, useful for hiding the plumbing, sprinklers, ventilation system and lighting, also ensures harmony inside the loft. “These slats on the ceiling give the impression of natural lighting. They bring a lightness and a diffused light”, specifies Gabriel Jetté.
The ascent to the bedrooms transports you to another, more intimate universe, thanks to borrowings from traditional Japanese houses and springs. Frosted glass is notably installed on one wall of the shower, to obtain a relaxing contrasting effect.
Higher still, tatami mats are installed for guests. The room, which overlooks a terrace, is equipped with sliding rice paper panels inspired by those found in the Land of the Rising Sun.
These doors built with traditional Japanese references and North American standards were the biggest challenge of the project.
Dave Paradis, co-founder and lead designer of Atelier Paradis
As for the rest of the loft, this work requiring specialized expertise was carried out with the company OVI ébénisterie, faithful ally of the designers.
Wherever she is, Rebecca now takes full advantage of her new living environment. “The most pleasant moment is when I enjoy a glass of whiskey while listening to music in the evening, especially when it snows,” she confides in French tinged with a distant elsewhere.