Modernizing a 1910 Two Storey

In Calgary, turn of the Century houses are a rare find. For most purchasers, the charm of owning a 1900's veranda style house is clouded by an uncertainty about upgrade and restoration costs. In this case, the owner a single executive who recently relocated from MontreŽal, worked with housebrand to renovate the interior while still maintaining the classic charm inherent in a home of this era.

housebrand maintained the original front-to-back room organization with the living, dining and sitting room all in a row, and limited the structural changes to the removal of the walls between the kitchen and the sitting room. A new steel structural column now sits as a detail on the island and is the only visual reminder of the walls that used to divide up the house. Although the kitchen is brand new, subtle blending of features like ebonized oak cabinets, a black cast iron sink, refinished Douglas Fir floors and exposed brickwork all help to blur the line between modern and classic. The house is tightly detailed with drywall reveals creating an architectural ceiling plane. A bold stainless steel eating bar protrudes into the sitting room and is accented from below with a backlit piece of frosted glass. Aside from replacing some windows, the exterior of the house remains intact and still sits inconspicuously alongside its neighbours.