Separate Boîte Equal

Rather than the tight, dark entry hall typical of century-old row houses, Bernier and Thibault’s three-story-high stairwell is flooded with sunlight that illuminates surprising architectural details and an open-plan interior. Bernier, an architect, and Thibault, a lawyer specializing in alternative dispute resolution, managed to renovate and expand their home for about $100 per square foot by using affordable materials, forgoing extravagant hardware and finishes, and taking on much of the work themselves. Bernier tells us how it came together.