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LIVING/DINING ROOM: From the cool sand-coloured sofas and silver dining table, to the white oak floor, every finish keeps the space light-an elegant contrast to the striking black, double-sided fireplace.
Little things transform a place. For this riverside home in Calgary, a little thing became a big deal. Owner Elsa Kothawala had struggled for months to find the right shade of rich chocolate brown for her floors-testing shade after shade with designers Paul Lavoie and Nelson Culligan. But when the white oak, edge-grain boards were installed, the resulting lightness they imparted in the space brought the answer home: don’t change a thing. A clear coat to protect the wood, and it was done. "The whole house just picked up from that," says Culligan.
Before Culligan and Lavoie were brought in to resuscitate the late-’80s home, it reflected its era: a choppy floor plan with a sunken living room and dining area, a master bedroom on the main floor-and, despite its waterfront location, barely a window to showcase the view. Now, each space transitions gracefully into the next: a grand, double-storey entrance, emphasized with three groupings of glittering Bocci lights, opens into a comfortable seating area perfect for pre-dinner cocktails-where four angular chairs offer a modern take on the club chair. The couple collects oversize artworks, including stellar pieces from pioneering abstractionist Guido Molinari and minimalist Harry Kiyooka, so expansive wallscapes were preserved to provide a gallery-like showcase.
The kitchen is open and airy for entertaining: a stretched out 12-foot island is covered in marbled granite with an antique finish, roughed up with a wire brush to take down the shine and make it easy to maintain. "The pattern in the granite is your friend," laughs Lavoie, describing the textured Persian Pearl shade he chose for this kitchen. "It’s so much less work than a white counter-I’ve personally gone from black to white, and I’m not sure which is worse!"
Where the master bedroom once was, Lavoie created an elegant dining area, softened with velvet drapes lining one wall and glamorous accents like the Murano glass chandelier and a custom dining table covered in silver leaf. "There’s a tiny window behind those drapes, but we never liked the view," explains Lavoie. "I thought, let’s create some drama instead." The view is reclaimed at the back of the house, which gives way to a wall of sliding doors that look out over the river.
Throughout, Designer White paint from Pratt & Lambert creates a crisp European look, while skylights on both levels of the home flood light throughout. "We kept adding new skylights to bring in light," says Lavoie. "It was probably a reaction to the former aesthetic-it felt so suburban before, and it’s clearly not a suburban location."
Upstairs, a couple of poky bedrooms were converted into a spacious master, where Lavoie created a clever headboard of walnut and wallpaper. The adjacent master bath combines Calcutta marble with walnut millwork-the former’s warm white tone pairs perfectly with the wood. An addition to the front of the house allowed for a princess-pink bedroom for the couple’s two-year-old daughter, with a boyish brown and blue one next door for their eight-year-old son-complete with bunk beds at his request.
It’s the little details that make a difference here. Citing mid-century influence, Lavoie had the contractor install the thinnest window casings and baseboards he could-just one and a half inches-to enhance the clean, open look of the space.
But, as Lavoie reflects, the clean lines in this modern makeover aren’t at the expense of comfort-the homeowner was always in mind. "We’re seeing a departure from harsh minimalism, and this is a prime example," says Lavoie. "Elsa’s so fashionable and lively, her house had to feel a little more embellished. We’re so happy to see that hard cold minimalist look on its way out." wl
Sources
PAGES 44-45 Designer, Paul Lavoie, Paul Lavoie Interior Design, 403-229-1504, paullavoieinteriordesign.com.
LIVING/DINING ROOM: Custom table, custom chairs, Paul Lavoie Interior Design. Chandelier, Design Within Reach, Seattle, 206-443-9900, dwr.com.
Throw pillows, chairs, flower pot, custom outdoor table, Paul Lavoie Interior Design. Rug, Colin Campbell, Vancouver, 604-734-1512, colincampbell.ca. Outdoor chairs, Kingsley-Bate, Brougham Interiors, North Vancouver, 604-980-1524; Home and Patio Gallery, Victoria, 250-385-9928; Kitchen and Patio, Calgary, 403-259-5292; Dinette and Patio Showplace, Edmonton, 780-486-1401; Paradise LeisureScapes, Regina, 306-525-0508, Saskatoon, 306-244-6700, paradiseleisurescapes.com; The Garden Room, Winnipeg, 204-487-1151. Orange chairs, Gabriel Ross, Victoria, 250-384-2554, gabrielross.ca.
PAGE 46 ENTRANCE: Flooring, white oak. Light fixture, LightForm, Calgary, 403-508-9980, lightform.ca; Vancouver, 604.688.7022, lightform.ca. Bench, Paul Lavoie Interior Design. Custom chairs, custom pillows, Paul Lavoie Interior Design. Rug, Colin Campbell, Vancouver, 604-734-1512, colincampbell.ca. Island, fruit bowl, custom cabinets, Paul Lavoie Interior Design. Art, Angela Leach.
KITCHEN: Island, fruit bowl, custom cabinets, Paul Lavoie Interior Design. Sink, faucet, Royal Flush. Art, Paul Kuhn Gallery, Calgary, 403-263-1162, paulkuhngallery.com. Countertop, granite and caesar stone. Sub-Zero Fridge, Coast Wholesale Appliance, Victoria, 250-475-0277, coastappliances.com; Midland Appliance, Vancouver, 604-608-0600, midlandappliance.com; Denca Cabinets, Calgary, 403-252-5552, dencacabinets.com; Appliance Gallery @ Lightform, Edmonton, 780-455-8807, appliance-gallery.ca; Midtown Appliance World, Saskatoon, 306-242-8363, saskatoonappliance.com; Rick’s Custom Cabinets & Renovations, Regina, 306-352-6044; Stalwart Appliances By Design, Winnipeg, 204-786-4879, stalwartappliances.com. Wolf stove, Midland Appliance, Vancouver, 604-608-0600, midlandappliance.com; Coast Wholesale Appliance, Victoria, 250-475-0277, coastappliances.com; Denca Cabinets, Calgary, 403-252-5552, dencacabinets.com; Appliance Gallery @ Lightform, Edmonton, 780-455-8807, appliance-gallery.ca; Midtown Appliance World, Saskatoon, 306-242-8363, saskatoonappliance.com; Rick’s Custom Cabinets & Renovations Ltd., Regina, 306-352-6044; Stalwart Appliances By Design, Winnipeg, 204-786-4879, stalwartappliances.com.. Miele coffee maker, Miele dishwasher, Coast Appliances, Victoria, 250-475-0277, coastappliances.com; The Ultimate Kitchen, Vancouver, 604-688-2020, theultimatekitchen.com; Calgary Home Appliance, Calgary, 403-269-3600, calgaryhomeappliance.com; Appliance Gallery, Edmonton, 780-455-8807, appliance-gallery.ca; Coast Appliances, Saskatoon, 306-933-4993, coastappliances.com; Coast Appliances, Winnipeg, 204-786-8811, coastappliances.com. Eating bar, Paul Lavoie Interior Design. Stools, Inform Interiors, 604-682-3868, Vancouver, informinteriors.com. Pendant lights, Philippe Starck
PAGE 48 LIVING ROOM: Fireplace, Stone Tile West. Carpet, Colin Campbell. Table, Platnar. Flower pot, lamp, custom chairs, custom pillows, Paul Lavoie Interior Design. B&B Italia mirror, Inform Interiors, 604-682-3868, informinteriors.com. Inform Interiors Inc., Vancouver, 604-682-3868, informinteriors.com; Robert Sweep Homefurnishings, Calgary, 403-262-8525, robertsweep.com; Le Belle Arti, Edmonton, 780-454-0677, lebellearti.com.
DINING ROOM: Custom table, custom chairs, Paul Lavoie Interior Design. Chandelier, Design Within Reach, Seattle, 206-443-9900, dwr.com. Window treatments, Global Shades.
BEDROOM: Window treatments, Global Shades, Calgary, 403-508-7200, globalshades.ca. Bedding, lamp, Paul Lavoie Interior Design. Wallpaper, DWA Interior Furnishings Inc., Calgary, 403-245-4014, dwainteriors.com.
PAGE 50 OUTDOOR ROOM: Patio set, table, pillows, Paul Lavoie Interior Design. Orange chairs, Gabriel Ross, Victoria, 250-384-2554, gabrielross.ca. Outdoor chairs, Kingsley-Bate, Brougham Interiors, North Vancouver, 604-980-1524; Home and Patio Gallery, Victoria, 250-385-9928; Kitchen and Patio, Calgary, 403-259-5292; Dinette and Patio Showplace, Edmonton, 780-486-1401; Paradise LeisureScapes, Regina, 306-525-0508, Saskatoon, 306-244-6700, paradiseleisurescapes.com; The Garden Room, Winnipeg, 204-487-1151.
BATHROOM: Custom vanity, Paul Lavoie Interior Design, Calgary, 403.229.1504, paullavoieinteriordesign.com. Sink, sink faucet, tub, tub faucet, Royal Flush Bath Boutique, Calgary, 403-228-2934, royalflushbathboutique.com. Custom mirror, Paul Lavoie Interior Design. Tile, Stone Tile West, Calgary, 403-234-7274, stone-tile.com. Silver Jug, Paul Lavoie Interior Design.
PAGE 52 DINING ROOM: See page 48. KITCHEN: See page 46. ENTRANCE: See page 46.
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