The owner’s tour | A parallel world in the Village

Owners open the doors of their exceptional residence to us, offered on the resale market.

Sylvain Sarrazin
The Press

With its confusing and bewitching architecture, this condominium offers a modern game of hide and seek where chic marble, high-end wood and original lighting dictate the rules.

It’s a bit like a contradictory construction, where all the pieces are connected, yet each of them has a very strong character. And although the whole immediately charms the eye, it doesn’t really know where to fix itself so much the layouts, openings, nooks and materials intertwine.

This geometry with multiple faces is explained by the history of the property, designed in the heart of the Village, in Montreal, by an architect in the early 1990s, since it first housed an important collection of antiques. “It is a unique and incomparable house. The former owner built it around the objects he had in hand or was thinking of acquiring. The configuration of the rooms was created according to these objects and their volume,” explains broker Daniel Beauchemin, in charge of the sale.

At the turn of the millennium, the residence changed hands, and even if the antique works were evacuated, the new occupants retained the original spirit, while adding their personal touch, inspired by multiple travels and elements. of Art Nouveau. “The current owners have actually completed some of the improvements started by the previous owner,” says Ms.^me Delambre. One example among a hundred: balustrades were recovered in New York and integrated into the balconies. By infusing it with influences from all over the world, we have thus created a real parallel world, in the end.

welcome aboard

Let’s start with the upper deck. The choice of words is not insignificant: it looks like entering a real boat cabin, embellished with a ceiling of woodwork and white beams, semi-circular openings and an astonishing squared floor area, similar to a wood grid. This one, built by a cabinetmaker from interlocking maple blocks, is evocative of a sailboat; we also find the same kind of work on the lower floor. Don’t panic: it’s solid. Just like the building, moreover, whose concrete walls are very well soundproofed.

A very large dome installed in the roof bathes the floor in natural light, while an onyx bathtub has been strategically placed just below. If the mood isn’t bathing, why not a sauna? The entrance is a stone’s throw away. From the bedroom, a flight of stairs leads to a living room surrounded by a wood-burning fireplace, a nook converted into a greenhouse, as well as magnificent 1920 stained glass windows recovered and adapted for the room. From there, there is access to two terraces, one of which is perched high and offers a panoramic view of the city (guardrails to be provided).

She leaves no stone unturned

Now let’s go down to the lower floor, another open area where the rooms fit together perfectly. On the east side, a majestic dining room is flooded with light entering through the high French window, itself surrounded by transparent tiles, and all extended by a small, very inviting balcony. On the floor, as on the vaulted ceiling, there are marble slabs of the most beautiful effect (one of the favorite materials of the builders, which is also found on the facade, mixed with granite).

On either side of the stair railing, two cozy spaces (a semi-circular bench seat and a bistro table) have been scattered. And the kitchen? At first glance, the residence seems devoid of it. In fact, it is cleverly camouflaged by circular sliding panels. It is neither the most spacious nor the most impressive on the market, but it has the merit of being well optimized. On the west side, there is a beautiful living room and the library area, magnified by octagonal motifs (marble on the floor, wood on the ceiling), and embellished with a more intimate boudoir. Here again, marble is king, and in addition to being beautiful… it is warm!

The staircase leading to the lower landing is a work of art in itself, with translucent brickwork on the wall and an illuminated epoxy slab on the floor.

The opportunity to evoke the lighting of the property, worthy of the Jacques-Cartier bridge: from the bathtub to the kitchen, from the ceilings to the display units, a myriad of light bulbs of variable color and intensity have been scattered to create original nocturnal atmospheres . Abundant natural light and soothing artificial lights: the best of both worlds…

Finally, on the ground floor is a commercial zoned office, potential professional office, with kitchenette and bathroom. Originally independent of the main unit, it is now connected to the latter, but the operation is easily reversible. “The location is one of the assets of the property. It could interest a single person or a couple, who already lives in the city center or wishes to approach it. Zoning would also allow a lawyer, a notary or an accountant, for example, to practice on the premises,” recalls Mr. Beauchemin.

In real estate, the term “unique” is often overused. Whether you like these arrangements or not, in this case, it turns out to be quite relevant.