In Montreal, Canada, architecture studio Naturehumaine has restored an apartment located in a period building within the heart of Little Burgundy, a vibrant neighbourhood with working-class roots. With one foot still firmly planted in history, the revived space – termed Quesnel Apartment after the street on which it’s located – is a juxtaposition of old and new.
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Designed to brighten up dark living spaces by maximising natural light and create a better connection with the backyard of the property, the Quesnel Apartment retains classical details like a stained glass doorway, curved arches, and ornamental columns, and draws inspiration from these to inform contemporary changes. “The intervention tends to preserve the original character and several existing decorative elements to draw subtle inspiration from them: whether it is through the curves of an arch, the fluting of the columns and cast iron radiators or the coloured stained glass doors,” explained Naturehumaine.
A reconfigured floor plan allows for closed rooms on one side of the apartment and open living spaces on the other, separated by a central corridor lined with custom closets. Taking its cues from the rounded arches and ornate columns in the existing living and dining room, Naturehumaine introduced a claustra composed of vertical white painted wood flutes to subtly delineate the kitchen and dining spaces and create a new level of intimacy within the latter.
The statement green water shade introduced into the apartment is influenced by the colours in the stained glass, and becomes a key component of the apartment. Dominating the curved kitchen cabinetry, the green water colour also appears in the hallway and greets visitors at the entryway.
In the bathroom, several shades of white work cohesively to compensate for the absence of natural light. Textural variety comes in the form of multiple types of white ceramic wall tiles set against subdued stone tiling. Brass lighting fixtures and a restored clawfoot tab “create a historical dialogue with the original architecture of the building,” according to Naturehumaine.
Words by Theo Rosen
Images courtesy of Ronan Mézière for Naturehumaine
