A soberly renovated classic apartment

While grand residences are usually the ones that make the headlines, simplicity and accessibility can also inspire. In this typical Montreal apartment, the designer-owner has bet on sobriety by carefully balancing his interventions.

“It’s not a castle,” says Louis-Philippe Pratte straight out as he opens the door to his condo for us. The industrial designer, founder of À Height d’homme (Hh), a company that designs ecological kitchens and furniture, is used to big-budget projects, some carried out in collaboration with the largest architectural firms in Montreal. .

“We discovered that we could do great renovations in Quebec, it’s fun, but at the same time, it’s expensive,” he notes. Thus, he wishes to send a message of “reasonableness”, in harmony with the subject of his essay The Y method — Thinking and experiencing deconsumptionpublished last April.

But maybe not for long, since it’s an adoption project, which could unblock very soon, which led him to move into this 1000 sq.^⁠2.

Located on the first floor of a duplex, on a pretty avenue in the borough of Verdun, the apartment is of classic construction with its hardwood floors, moldings and double room at the front.

Louis-Philippe Pratte moved there at the end of the first confinement in 2020. An event having been beneficial for his real estate quest, since he submitted his purchase offer at the dawn of this unexpected confinement which will have had the effect of keep the competition away.

He quickly saw potential in this apartment, which had retained its original character, but whose kitchen and bathroom needed modernization. The designer estimates the sum invested for this renovation at approximately $100,000.

Expose and choose

A follower of minimalism, he opted for a kitchen where the storage is largely exposed, a step that few are ready to take, he admits. But for him, this choice brings a friendly and European side.

On the wall, he installed MDF shelves that he painted, a simple and economical arrangement, the visual impact of which he himself had underestimated. In particular, he exhibits his bulk jars there, an additional motivation to integrate this type of consumption into his lifestyle.

This choice of layout, without traditional cupboards, was made possible in particular by the presence of a large pantry cupboard.

The furniture design is also unusual. With a view to research and development, he chose a kitchen without cabinets, but in white oak. The designer has been questioning the box system for a few years now, which requires a large quantity of wood particle panels. In 2019, Hh launched a system in which the caissons are replaced by a steel structure. This time, he wanted to turn to solid wood, with sliding shelves, creating a warm and timeless furniture effect, not at all ostentatious, which fits well into the apartment.

A Japanese bathroom

His attachment to wood is even more evident in the bathroom. Inspired by the Japanese style, where natural materials are very present, the room is completely covered with large sheets of plywood.

“You don’t expect that in an apartment like this,” admits Louis-Philippe Pratte. Not wanting the presence of a shower curtain, he installed retractable panels that can be opened on either side of the bath-shower to avoid splashing. A compromise which is not perfect, since it obliges him to pass a blow of rag afterwards.

On the floor, there is also plywood, but if it had to be done again, he would opt for solid wood, which is more durable and just as harmonious.

Besides the doors and windows he replaced last summer, the only other change to the apartment is the addition of glass and steel doors to separate the two sections of the double room, which have separate functions. , that of the dining room/office and that of the living room. “It’s one of the things I’m most satisfied with. Glass adds reflection, like light. For the moment, the choice is mainly aesthetic, but the possible arrival of a child could make it very useful.