For this project, an entire floor of 120 McGill, a 19th century heritage building in Old Montreal, was reconceived as a luxury residence for a client who loves to cook and entertain. The former industrial space had been previously converted into two equal-sized apartments.

Everything added in the remodelling was gutted with the intent of unearthing the space’s original character and exploiting the textures of its materials. The floors, however, were mostly unsalvageable so a heated concrete slab was laid in. The raw brick walls were painted, and other textures were preserved and rendered warmer. Part of the space became a secondary apartment.

Because of the building’s heritage status, the thick walls and exterior openings could not be modified, a floorplan was devised to optimize available light sources. The layout of the master bedroom and the office/guest room with its Murphy bed and discreet bathroom, exemplify this aspect of the approach. The result is open and lofty yet preserves a sense of privacy.

The kitchen is the project’s centrepiece, obviously designed to feed into the client’s love of entertaining. It features an 18-foot island topped with hardwood planks reclaimed from the floor, and, with the exception of the gas range, commercial-grade appliances.

This project won La Firme the Annual Fantini Design Awards 2018

Ulysse Lemerise Bouchard