Houzz Tour: A Dark, Cramped Home Gets a Light, Open Makeover
Meticulous space planning, clean, simple style and bespoke joinery hugely improved flow and brightened a duplex home
Smart space planning was the key to maximising every inch in this 1,250 sq ft Vancouver duplex. The homeowners also wanted to lighten up the home, update the style, and create strong connections to their recently redesigned garden.
Interior designers Sarah Gallop and Jamie Judd of Top Shelf Design reconfigured the layout and gave the space a clean, minimalist style, while also adding clever bespoke features.
Interior designers Sarah Gallop and Jamie Judd of Top Shelf Design reconfigured the layout and gave the space a clean, minimalist style, while also adding clever bespoke features.
This was the original view from the front door. The biggest problem with the layout was a large block that took up space in the middle of the first floor – the end of it is seen here with the mirrored door. It contained the cloakroom, a coat cupboard and utilities. “This thing was right in the middle of the floor. It inhibited the flow and ability to use the full depth of the space,” Sarah says.
The block narrowed the main room to [just over 2m] wide. And the hallway it formed to the right was a waste of space. The desk under the window served as the home’s only office space.
The block narrowed the main room to [just over 2m] wide. And the hallway it formed to the right was a waste of space. The desk under the window served as the home’s only office space.
The designers removed the block to open up the floor plan. But they also wanted to create a sense of entry at the front door, so they designed a new slatted white oak room divider that has a semi-open feel, allowing for views and daylight to be shared between the entry and living room. The new floors throughout the space are also white oak.
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This original floor plan shows the block containing the cloakroom. The small, L-shaped kitchen was in the bottom right corner, which was dark because almost all the windows were in the living area running along the top of the plan.
The top left corner contained the desk that served as the home office. Because one of the homeowners worked from home full time, the main living space had a cluttered look.
The top left corner contained the desk that served as the home office. Because one of the homeowners worked from home full time, the main living space had a cluttered look.
The designers removed the cloakroom block to open everything up. With much more floor space to work with, they moved the kitchen towards the middle of the space and used the corner where it had been for the cloakroom and storage.
The fireplace was originally along the back wall of the house. It can be seen at top centre in the ‘before’ floor plan.
“The fireplace location split up the windows – we couldn’t fully open it up to the backyard,” Sarah says. “The location of the fireplace also made it difficult to furnish the room.”
“The fireplace location split up the windows – we couldn’t fully open it up to the backyard,” Sarah says. “The location of the fireplace also made it difficult to furnish the room.”
By relocating the fireplace, the designers were able to create a long, continuous wall of windows that open up the views to the garden.
“It also allowed us to pull the kitchen forwards for a better connection to the backyard and the natural light,” Sarah says. The new kitchen location is convenient for serving people on the patio.
“It also allowed us to pull the kitchen forwards for a better connection to the backyard and the natural light,” Sarah says. The new kitchen location is convenient for serving people on the patio.
Sarah and Jamie determined that moving the fireplace to this side of the living room would give the homeowners a cosy den within the large, open space. Because it’s on the side of the house that faces the neighbours, it didn’t cut down on potential window locations.
“Furniture placement was tricky in here, but this side of the room gave us enough space for two chairs and the reclining sofa our clients wanted,” Jamie says. The armchairs can swivel to face the fireplace, the view outdoors or the sofa for conversation.
“Furniture placement was tricky in here, but this side of the room gave us enough space for two chairs and the reclining sofa our clients wanted,” Jamie says. The armchairs can swivel to face the fireplace, the view outdoors or the sofa for conversation.
The new fireplace surround is porcelain with a polished stone look. The designers kept the lines clean and streamlined in keeping with the minimalist aesthetic. The chocolate brown accent colour adds contrast in the light space and helps cosy up the TV den area within the main room.
“This wall also provides a focal point, and the brown colour made it cohesive with the slatted wall,” Jamie says. “It also tied in the veining on the fireplace surround. And it kept the TV from sticking out as a big black box, as it would have on a lighter wall.”
On the back left, the slatted room divider helps form the den area and adds visual interest to the room.
“This wall also provides a focal point, and the brown colour made it cohesive with the slatted wall,” Jamie says. “It also tied in the veining on the fireplace surround. And it kept the TV from sticking out as a big black box, as it would have on a lighter wall.”
On the back left, the slatted room divider helps form the den area and adds visual interest to the room.
The kitchen had originally been wedged into a corner of the space, cut off by the big cloakroom block.
Now that corner contains the relocated cloakroom. Sarah and Jamie came up with an island that serves as the back of a built-in banquette. This helped them fit a dining space into the living room.
Here’s the old cloakroom block and the hallway it formed to the right.
Removing the cloakroom block opened up space for the dining table. The designers wrapped the new cooker hood in the same quartz as the worktops and splashback. Using the same surface for all these elements lightened things up and contributed to the kitchen’s elegant minimalism.
The designers added windows between the worktop and upper cabinets on either side of the cooker to let in more light.
The designers added windows between the worktop and upper cabinets on either side of the cooker to let in more light.
The integrated fridge-freezer fits right in with the cabinetry. Every inch of storage in the home mattered – the slim doors to the right are deep, pullout pantry cabinets.
The sink is on the peninsula and part of a work triangle layout. Anyone prepping food or washing dishes can enjoy the views out to the garden. The peninsula also has a waterfall quartz worktop that creates a seating area.
This photo shows how the kitchen, dining area and den work together within the open floor plan. Before, the cloakroom block was in the middle of this space, blocking the view of the staircase.
This photo shows how the kitchen, dining area and den work together within the open floor plan. Before, the cloakroom block was in the middle of this space, blocking the view of the staircase.
Now there are expansive views towards the newly renovated garden, as well as easy access from inside.
The existing staircase didn’t fit in with the home’s new contemporary style.
The designers saw the staircase as an opportunity to do something beautiful. “We played with different ways to make the wall a feature and tie it in with other features, including the slatted wall,” Jamie says.
They designed a 3D wall with MDF and had it painted a warm grey. New white oak treads and risers match the new flooring. Glass balustrades provide an open view of this feature from both floors of the house.
They designed a 3D wall with MDF and had it painted a warm grey. New white oak treads and risers match the new flooring. Glass balustrades provide an open view of this feature from both floors of the house.
The drama of the staircase continues all the way up to the first-floor ceiling. A contemporary light with a double-curve shape complements the feature wall.
“The light provides a moment, draws the eye around and looks cool from different angles,” Jamie says.
“The light provides a moment, draws the eye around and looks cool from different angles,” Jamie says.
This is the main bedroom. “It was really important to our clients to use as much space as possible for wardrobes,” Jamie says. The designers crafted storage around the bed to form an alcove. On either side of the bed are wardrobes, with more storage for out-of-season clothing overhead.
The dark wood seen inside the bed alcove provides warm contrast, much like the staircase feature wall and fireplace accent wall do. The designers also built in the bedside tables and lighting to save space and maintain the clean, minimalist look.
On the other side of the room, they took space from the adjacent bedroom’s wardrobes to create a wall of built-in cupboards. “Setting them up as cabinetry saved about [11.5cm] over using [freestanding] wardrobes with full doors – the built-ins have thinner doors. Again, every inch counted,” Sarah says.
The dark wood seen inside the bed alcove provides warm contrast, much like the staircase feature wall and fireplace accent wall do. The designers also built in the bedside tables and lighting to save space and maintain the clean, minimalist look.
On the other side of the room, they took space from the adjacent bedroom’s wardrobes to create a wall of built-in cupboards. “Setting them up as cabinetry saved about [11.5cm] over using [freestanding] wardrobes with full doors – the built-ins have thinner doors. Again, every inch counted,” Sarah says.
There’s one bathroom upstairs that had a door into the hallway as well as the main bedroom. The homeowners wanted a bigger shower enclosure with a built-in bench. And they didn’t have much use for the pocket door between their bedroom and this bathroom.
This was one room where the designers didn’t change the layout much. “We found a smaller bath so we could create a larger shower,” Jamie says. “This is Kohler’s Greek drop-in tub. It’s not very long, but it’s quite deep.”
Note the way the designers covered the bath surround in large-format porcelain tiles with marble-like veining – it makes the bath surround appear to be carved from one big block of stone. The block extends into the shower enclosure, forming the bench that was on the homeowners’ must-have list.
Note the way the designers covered the bath surround in large-format porcelain tiles with marble-like veining – it makes the bath surround appear to be carved from one big block of stone. The block extends into the shower enclosure, forming the bench that was on the homeowners’ must-have list.
One of the homeowners works from home full time, and both were happy to get the home office space out of the main room. By installing a Murphy bed in the second bedroom, Sarah and Jamie allowed it to work both as a true guest room and as a home office.
They designed a built-in desk and shelves, using wood for contrast like they did downstairs and in the main bedroom alcove. Repeating these materials and colours created a pleasingly cohesive feel throughout the home. The location under the window provides more garden views.
Because they had taken over this bedroom’s existing wardrobe space for the main bedroom, they also included wardrobe cabinets around the Murphy bed.
They designed a built-in desk and shelves, using wood for contrast like they did downstairs and in the main bedroom alcove. Repeating these materials and colours created a pleasingly cohesive feel throughout the home. The location under the window provides more garden views.
Because they had taken over this bedroom’s existing wardrobe space for the main bedroom, they also included wardrobe cabinets around the Murphy bed.
Things to note in this previous upstairs floor plan are the guest bedroom wardrobes and the pocket door between the main bedroom and bathroom. That door didn’t save much travel time between the two spaces.
The guest room’s wardrobes now belong to the main bedroom, and the pocket door into the bathroom has been removed. This floor plan also shows the location of the vanity unit in the bathroom, which doesn’t appear in the photographs.
Tell us…
What are your thoughts on this reworked layout? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Tell us…
What are your thoughts on this reworked layout? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? A couple
Location Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Size Two bedrooms and one bathroom; 1,250 sq ft (116 sq m)
Designers Sarah Gallop and Jamie Judd of Top Shelf Design
Photos by ISHOT
The home occupies the back half of a duplex. “Our clients had recently had given their backyard a makeover,” Sarah says. “They wanted to be able to view it and to create stronger connections to it from inside.”
To get a good sense of their clients’ style, the designers asked them to share Houzz ideabooks full of spaces they liked, along with comments. Then they asked about the specific aspects they liked about each photo. “We could see they liked a clean and bright, minimalist look,” Sarah says.
Space planning was of the utmost importance. “This home had a modest footprint, so it was really important that we make the most of every inch,” Jamie says.
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