Text by Studio North
The increasing interest in Calgary’s inner-city neighbourhoods is resulting in not only exciting new buildings, but exciting new lives for their many aged character homes. One such house, recently purchased by preservation enthusiasts in Calgary’s Bridgeland neighbourhood, had all the character and craft that is typical of these homes and was ready for a new chapter in its life.
Its walkout two-level floorplan, intricate period details, and bright panoramic site set out a clear design challenge to create a greater sense of connection – connection from the past to the present, from the upstairs to the downstairs, and from the interior to the exterior.
Design decisions in the home’s transformation by Studio North were all informed by the clients’ upbeat personalities and interests, with special spaces and details tailored to their love of beer brewing, music creation and consumption, and gardening. The resulting home is one that is calming, welcoming, and upbeat, while also providing spaces for a variety of different vibes throughout the day and night.
With a modest footprint, creative material choices, and a careful attention to detail, the Jam Rock Reno shows off the possibility of transformative yet sensitive inner-city home preservation.
One of the home’s most defining features was its upstairs archway openings between main rooms. By restoring the original arches and adding new ones, the main floor takes on new life with boundless south-facing natural lighting and softer divisions between rooms.
Midcentury character was at the forefront of the home’s identity and was key to a sensitive redesign. Existing elements such as the front door and upstairs hardwood flooring were kept and restored, while new pieces such as the freestanding gas stove bring the home in line with modern aesthetic and function.
Not only serving to provide the extra light and views, the archways were also added as a smart low-impact way to open up the home’s floorplan without damaging the original plaster ceiling texture and crown mouldings.
Inspiration from the home’s existing soft-edged details, as well as label art from the clients’ craft brewery, inform custom details such as the stairway feature railing. Cut on Studio North’s in-house CNC, the railing frames a new axial view through the upstairs to the added extra large south-facing stair window.
The entirely new kitchen maintains the openness of the floorplan and establishes the home’s main material palette additions. The similarly soft wood tones of the existing hardwood and new cabinets blend together, while the orange provides a pop of colour contrast used in key moments throughout the home.
The home’s original stairs landed into a utility room that separated the upstairs and downstairs suites. Mechanical equipment is neatly tucked into a discrete closet and the plumbing mains are hidden behind a removable millwork shelving wall, allowing this room to become a welcoming rear entry and a seamless passage to the downstairs living room.
The updated character of the home culminates in the downstairs walkout living room. Filled with southern light and blending into the backyard, this area provides ample opportunity for indoor and outdoor plant tending, as well as a serene and intimate sitting space.
Material tactility and warmth ensure the home’s private spaces are also relaxing and immersive. Special touches are added with elements such as the repurposed midcentury sideboard-turned-vanity, colour matched tile and accent paint, and the refinished fir doors.
Photos by Hayden Pattullo and Damon Hayes Couture
Design by Damon Hayes Couture
