Decorating & Design
See Some Of Canada’s Coolest Contemporary Homes In This New Book
Published on February 26, 2019
Canadian Contemporary: The Northern Home is a new book that captures the best of modern homes in an array of settings, whether it’s a forest, snowy valley or city. Photographs and detailed plans highlight a range of stylish designs from some of Canada’s most talented contemporary architects. Each of the 33 projects in this book marries contemporary design and natural materials with Canada’s breathtaking landscape. Take a look at some of the inspiring examples from the book’s pages.
This home in the hills of Mulmur, north of Toronto, was designed by buzzy firm superkül. The design is based on the longhouse, which has a narrow footprint. In the dining area, the walls are made from white oak and knotty white cedar for warmth, while a retractable glass wall blurs the indoor/outdoor divide.
The courtyard of Compass House features a compact plunge pool, outdoor dining area and lounge space around a contemporary outdoor fireplace.
Sited in a hemlock forest in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, Fahouse has a fairytale quality. Designed for a family with two children, the interior is sleek and clean, yet has a touch of whimsy.
An imposing cantilever shields the terrace. The windows face the lake, while at the back of the home, cladding makes the conifer-shape structure seem to melt into the surrounding trees.
A farmhouse in North Hatley, Quebec, is set between a horse farm and oat field, and is clad in repurposed hemlock boards salvaged from old barns for authenticity. In this room, the concept of a barn aisle is driven home with slip-proof bricks laid in a herringbone pattern.
This downtown Toronto loft revolves around a ‘bed box,’ a warm focal point to contrast the painted brick and concrete surfaces of this home, which belongs to a young professional. A sheer curtain provides some privacy and noise dampening, but allows the space to feel open.
Chalet Blanche in Cap-à-l’Aigle, Quebec, is a nod to the stone foundation of old wooden barns that peppered the landscape in the La Malbaie area. In this dining room, generous windows give diners a 360-degree view of the treetops and water.
Perched on a podium, the raised structure allows for perfect sunset views of the St. Lawrence. An open-concept plan highlights the social nature of this chalet while the use of natural materials (stone, wood and steel) links Chalet Blanche to the beauty outside.
Dubbed The Rock, this chalet in Shefford, Quebec, is designed to seamlessly segue into the rugged boulders and maples that surround it. A large terrace gives lots of opportunities to get up close and personal with the setting. The walls are open at each end of the stucture, for a feeling of being both protected by the roof and immersed in the forest.
For decades a small, shingled house (left) was used as a hunting lodge in La Malbaie, Quebec. Instead of renovating, the new owners decided to build a new structure (right), naming both the homes The Sisters. The tamarack exterior cladding will weather to match the original home.
Built on a suburban street in Vancouver, The Treehouse cantilevers 26 feet perpendicular to a cliff face. Cedar was used to replace drywall and turn the house into a sanctuary for the owners. The original screened-off kitchen was opened up to the main atrium, and concealed posts and beams were exposed in this rustic aerie.
A live-edge table is a fitting addition to this spare dining area. Extensive use of charred accoya wood and copper was used to craft cabinets and light fixtures.
Ben Rahn/A Frame
@ Canadian Contemporary: The Northern Home, edited by Hannah Jenkins, Images Publishing, 2018
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