{"id":2556,"date":"2024-04-15T08:27:08","date_gmt":"2024-04-15T00:27:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/2024\/04\/15\/an-architects-narrow-townhouse-in-montreal-design-studio-included\/"},"modified":"2024-04-15T08:27:08","modified_gmt":"2024-04-15T00:27:08","slug":"an-architects-narrow-townhouse-in-montreal-design-studio-included","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/es\/an-architects-narrow-townhouse-in-montreal-design-studio-included\/","title":{"rendered":"La estrecha casa adosada de un arquitecto en Montreal, estudio de dise\u00f1o incluido"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3224862496933407053.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter\">    <\/p>\n<p>The ask was formidable: update the Victorian-era townhouse; restore some of the period details that had been removed in an ill-conceived 1980s renovation; bring more light into the building, which had just two exposures (at the front and back); carve out a functional, client-ready office space that would feel separate from the rest of the home. And P.S., the building has a footprint of just 10 by 50 feet.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, the architect, Michael Godmer, was more than up for the challenge. It was his house, after all. Michael shares the sliver of a home\u2014three stories tall but skinny as can be\u2014with his partner Mathieu Turgeon. The two had originally planned on overhauling only the kitchen, but then, in Michael\u2019s words, \u201cwe began to scrap everything including the exterior.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Good thing they did, because the results are transformative. Let\u2019s take a tour of Maison Boutique Coloniale, their name for the project, and see how they turned their small and dreary townhouse in Montreal into a clean, well-lighted space suitable for work <em>y<\/em> home.<\/p>\n<p>Photography by Maxime Brouillette, courtesy of Michael Godmer.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/4271272187358871506.jpg\">  <br \/>Above: Michael and Mathieu\u2019s house, located in Montreal\u2019s Plateau Mont-Royal neighborhood, is sandwiched between two larger buildings.<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2352037416982173079.jpg\">  <br \/>Above: The front door leads to the ground floor, which Michael has turned into his dedicated design studio. \u201cWe didn\u2019t want to have the feeling of living in an office, and we also we didn\u2019t want the client to have the impression of being in our home,\u201d he explains of their decision to silo the office to this floor. Two black Gym Hooks by Hay hang at the ready for coat storage.<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2937760838257019755.jpg\">  <br \/>Above: The staircase is original to the 1885 house. The couple added a Tretford carpet runner in lambswool. The main work area is to the left. The String shelving and desk unit on the right is additional work space for colleagues that occasionally drop in to collaborate.,<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/7709752345752004752.jpg\">  <br \/>Above: Michael in front of simple built-in desks and a display of tile samples. Under the desk are two Alex Drawer Units from Ikea.<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/8996551570306786748.jpg\">  <br \/>Above: Another Ikea find: the Sinnerlig cork stool designed by Ilse Crawford, now discontinued. Michael decided to turn the middle, window-less portion of the floor over to storage and utility closets and a powder room.<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1424201142133414885.jpg\">  <br \/>Above: On the other end of the floor is a conference room for visiting clients. Michael added orange velvet drapery for a \u201cspeakeasy atmosphere.\u201d<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/6610056339883714631.jpg\">  <br \/>Above: The terrazzo powder room, featuring a sink from Porcelanosa.,<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3808929282930465073.jpg\">  <br \/>Above: The kitchen, dining, and living rooms comprise the second floor. The terracotta tiled floors are new but replicate the original flooring in the kitchen.<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/8610979130378651301.jpg\">  <br \/>Above: Just off the kitchen is the couple\u2019s lush courtyard. Calacatta arabescato marble was chosen for its dramatic dark gray veining. The suspension light is by Lambert &amp; Fils; the stools are from Hay.<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/6736198023236599690.jpg\">  <br \/>Above: The custom oak cabinetry is by \u00c9co-\u00c9b\u00e9nisterie Saint-Dominique. A slim shelf rests above the backsplash.<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/4412176250738445878.jpg\">  <br \/>Above: The couple furnished their home with a mix of vintage finds, new modern pieces, and family heirlooms, including the dining table and the rake, both from Mathieu\u2019s side of the family. \u201cHis mother and father where living in Iraq for a time. They used it to scrape the sand,\u201d says Michael of the rake.,<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/4389447828250391758.jpg\">  <br \/>Above: The long view, from the living room, toward the dining room, into the kitchen.<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/7388202008591465216.jpg\">  <br \/>Above: The simple living room, with a Serif TV by the Bouroullec brothers for Samsung. The couple chose Sherwin Williams\u2019 High Reflective White for the walls throughout the home. The wood floors are original; they were simply sanded and treated with a matte varnish.<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3254451624729429320.jpg\">  <br \/>Above: The third floor has two bedrooms. Here, simplicity abounds. A Nelson bubble lamp hangs above a platform bed from Floyd. The mirror is from Ikea.<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/428710751752384177.jpg\">  <br \/>Above: \u201cThe pink side table is custom-made for our small collection of furniture that we sell,\u201d says Michael. A Carrie Portable LED Lamp by Norm Architects is cleverly used as a sconce here.   <\/p>\n<p>For more narrow homes, see:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Narrow Escape: Thoughtful Storage and Design in an Architect\u2019s Small Home<\/li>\n<li>Dappled Light: A Slim, Poetic Townhouse on a Tree-Lined Square in Ghent, Belgium<\/li>\n<li>In Lisbon, a Narrow but Glamorous Marble-Clad Apartment<\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>La tarea era formidable: actualizar la casa adosada de la \u00e9poca victoriana; restaurar algunos de los detalles de la \u00e9poca que se hab\u00edan eliminado en una reforma mal concebida en los a\u00f1os ochenta; aportar m\u00e1s luz al edificio, que s\u00f3lo ten\u00eda dos exposiciones (delantera y trasera); crear un espacio de oficinas funcional y preparado para los clientes que se sintiera separado del resto del [...].<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2557,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2556","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interior-design"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2556","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2556"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2556\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2557"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2556"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2556"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2556"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}