Posted at 12:00 p.m.
Sometimes the most beautiful projects are born out of bad luck. In the basement of his duplex in Verdun, Philippe Côté had to mop up not one, but two water damages. It was after the second that he decided to undertake major renovations and tear down the original staircase, which dated back to 1945.
“It really didn’t bother me; it was an old wooden staircase with hemlock stringers, but it was really crooked and made a lot of noise,” he recalls.
He then began to draw sketches on AutoCAD (computer-aided drawing software). Then germinated this idea which seemed brilliant to him.
PHOTO CATHERINE LEFEBVRE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Philippe Côté, sitting on the steps of his… library
“I wanted it to be like a piece of furniture; and when you look at the stairs, it really looks like someone dragged it there. It was a bit original as a project, but it had a great result! »
The original idea was to design an entire library under the stairs. Then his wife asked him for storage space, which led to this interesting compromise.
In the two largest closets, whose depth is equivalent to the width of the steps – that is 38 inches –, the couple stores snowboards and ski boots in one, and suitcases in the other. “It has really become an ultra-practical library and storage unit,” emphasizes Philippe Côté.
There are so many stairs that are cold, ordinary. I wanted to do something original, different, practical and fun.
Philippe Côté, interior designer
“I also wanted it to be pretty to display lots of books and objects; my spouse is Dominican and we always bring back small objects for fun. I have a New York box from when I was a kid…”
A basement like a loft
What he likes above all is the loft aspect that this “furniture-object” gives to the basement. “It’s a bit like the famous apartments in Tokyo, very compact, where you’ll see this kind of staircase with storage. »
The realization of this project took about five days, full time, but with a very skilled contractor – and who was already on site for the renovation of the basement, specifies Philippe Côté.
The fact that he also got his hands dirty saved him nearly two-thirds of the price. “In cabinetmaking, it would have easily cost me $15,000, a staircase like that; but there, it cost about 5000 to 6000 $. »
Absolutely everything was done on site, except for the pre-cutting of the Russian plywood panels that serve as the structure of the staircase (which has no stringer) and cupboard doors, where he drilled holes for handles. The advantage of this type of plywood, explains the designer, is that it is a high quality, rigid and extremely strong veneer. In addition, it has this raw and less refined side which gives it “a Scandinavian look” that architects are fond of, he adds. Cherry wood steps were then laid over the plywood cabinet and, to finish, a high-end varnish was applied to the entire surface.
“It was really a project live where we discussed and we decided by doing it. It was a bit different from the projects I do with my clients, but it was for me, so I had fun,” he laughs.