Gallery House

Gallery House was a once two apartment home that was converted to a single-family home for a young family with three small children. The resultant spaces from this conversion left the home feeling very isolated and separated. Long discussions were had about the interrupted feeling of the family spaces; the feeling that one really had to commit to a room because they were so removed. Although the privacy was nice to have when needed, for family life with three children, it could feel disconnected and strangely lonely.

The design brief called for a strategy to unify the underused rooms into a single concept, introducing a sense of purpose and feeling into the spaces by providing a functional and visual identity for the home – elevating the everyday.

The ground floor was opened up in key areas – improving the flow and connection between the spaces, and between everyone in the everyday. The rear sun room – previously an under-used sitting room, was given a gold bar – bright, reflective and animated. The room, with its new-found purpose and atmosphere – transforms into both a brilliant space to be in, and one in service to the existing front patio. In the dining room – a long walnut banquette conceals new storage for everyday use, incorporating a credenza, stereo storage, and soft place to land during larger dinners and parties. At the rear of the home a disconnected media room where afternoons ‘went to die’, was revitalized into a family lounge, now connected with the mudroom. A heavy velvet curtain creeps around the perimeter, softening the space as well as the sound – handy when the new wine fridge is tucked into, later on in the evening. The second floor was renovated to include a bright walk-in closet, and a study just off an existing balcony for a bright, energizing space to work from home. The existing ensuite washroom was enlarged and renewed with a clean layout with a custom brass light fixtures and mirror. The existing powder room was converted to a guest bath – the yellow cabinet a nod to the yellow jerseys on display, a subtle morning motivation for cyclists of the house. The playful colour palette and lighting adds an unexpected surprise into a typically simple space.
A strangely prescient design brief for times to come – the result, an ideal space for the family to enjoy time together – and apart – for an unexpected and extended time together.