Montreal might not be as well known an art deco capital as Miami, Mumbai or Havana, but the Canadian city is crammed full of striking 1930s buildings, from the Jardin Botanique, Atwater Market and Aldred Building to the charming townhouses and theatre of Outremont. It is in this affluent residential district on the slopes of Mont Royal that you will find the art deco-influenced Residence Beloeil, an elegant renovation by local studio Atelier Barda.
Take a tour of Residence Beloeil by Atelier Barda
Featured in our 2020 Architects’ Directory, the practice, founded by Cécile Combelle and Antonio Di Bacco, focuses on projects rooted in their local context, 'creating environments and spaces that reflect the identity and singularity of its clients'. This is certainly the case with Residence Beloeil, a 1937 residence updated by Atelier Barda into a light-filled home furnished with unique designs and complemented by a new curved terrace.
The team, led by Di Bacco, threaded carefully to renovate the 300 sq m, three-level townhouse, seeking to 'accompany it' rather than radically transform it. They used the 'balance embedded in the proportions of the rooms and the height of the ceilings' and general atmosphere as 'generous constraints for reworking the house', and preserved original features such as the original glass block tiles in the stairwell.
Designed in dialogue with the original building, the new layout amplifies the qualities of the existing spaces. A custom-designed natural stone counter takes centre stage in the ground-floor kitchen, while the adjoining boudoir has been turned into a glazed sunroom to make the most of the garden views. Here, the full-length corner banquette is paired with marble tables by Foraine, Atelier Barda’s furniture and design division.
Equally eye-catching is the walnut woodwork, which ranges from wall panelling to the coffered ceiling, and links the various living spaces together. They are matched by a wide oak flooring pattern, designed specifically for the house. Its chevrons, as well as the tiered corner mouldings and sculptural stone fireplace, echo art deco’s strong geometries. So does the new terrace, with its semi-circle shape and white sweeping staircase.
Inspired in part by the objects of German painter Marianne Brandt and the garments of French couturier Paul Poiret, the interiors feature sculptural pieces such as Foraine's stainless steel 'Chabanel II' chair, placed next to the fireplace, or in the dining room, Les Objets Raymond Raymond’s 'Cement' stool, a fun three-legged concrete design made using a textile mould.
'Every added element had to be able to stand on its own, through its geometry, its proportions, the quality of its execution, while still receding before the whole,' explain the architects. Other finds include a yellow garden bench by Barbeau Desrosiers, accessories and vintage pieces by Bruises Gallery and Séjour Studio, sculptures by Karim Charlebois, as well as lighting by Lambert et Fils.
