Favorites

Mercer Modern by Wittman Estes

Mercer Modern by Wittman Estes

White oak paneling lines the sleeping loft.

Uni exposed the ceiling beams, formerly concealed by drywall and a kitschy light fixture upon which Schenk would hit his head. They built a platform bed using a couple of hollow doors as a surface for the mattress.

The bedroom displays more existing wood ceiling beams and a storage loft above the bathroom.

In a guest bedroom, the “Olivia” pendant from West Elm.

New custom walnut cabinetry syncs with the rest of the built-ins throughout the home, to create a pleasing rhythm in the open plan. The backsplash is Heath Ceramics tile, and the counter is Pental Quartz. Open shelves at the rear overlook a cozy den, and allow sightlines out the new windows at the front of the home.

Hutchison replaced the old chimney with a wall of sliding glass doors that lead out to a series of decks. The designers also raised the ceiling, exposed the trusses, and brought in clerestory windows to create a sense of brightness and loftiness. A main goal of the renovation was to better connect the home with its forested lot. "One of the things that convinced me to buy the house was the fact that when you open the front door, you see all of this green coming in through the backyard," says Georgina.

One of the major challenges in renovating the century-old bungalow involved replacing the decaying log-pile foundation with 40 new concrete piers while maintaining the integrity of the overall structure.

Custom cabinets in a mix of white oak and lacquered paint join Miele appliances and a honed quartz countertop.

The original home was converted into a bedroom level, and given a second-story addition and roof deck. The dark exterior color, a charcoal-eggplant hue, lets the landscape colors stand out in contrast. “The existing house roof became the roof deck,” says Rogers. “And then I just shifted over the addition so that it floated over the landscape.”

The new bedroom is a bright, open space with views to mature trees and distant views to Lake Ontario. "T

"We try to find the straightest line between two points," explains architect Andrew Fischer. "We always want to edit down, and be efficient with space."

While the new facade is swathed in black stucco, it maintains elements of the original carriage house, which is hidden within the wall. Beyond the grounding stucco base, Healey designed two white volumes to be seen above, teasing the idea that more exists beyond the entry point.