LUXURIOUS KITCHENS

A classic material for cabinets, wood is being used in innovative ways to create function and beauty in the most loved rooms at home.

ELEGANT LIVING

Curio House, Vancouver, BC

With two kitchens, this 3,500-sq.ft. single-level home accommodates a multi-generational family that loves to cook. The use of engineered timber was key in the design, which features 1,300 sq.ft. of exposed NLT roof panels supported on glulam beams. Ceiling wash lighting was carefully placed to throw light across the NLT panels, accentuating the alternating profiles. Wood is used extensively in the interior finish palette, including engineered oak flooring, natural Douglas fir veneer millwork faces, prefinished plywood cabinet interiors, a solid white oak curio cabinet and dining table, and solid European beech kitchen countertops. The main kitchen is integrated into the open plan of the main living space, with a remote-controlled adjustable-height island for entertaining or family meals. The adjacent wok kitchen is accessed by a two-way door and accented by solid European beech shelves and counters, including a moveable section for flexible configuration of prep space. The enclosed space allows for the preparation of large, elaborate family meals while keeping seafood and spice smells from entering the main living space. Both kitchens and the guest wing open onto a small courtyard framed by bamboo and wisteria.

ARCHITECT: Haeccity Studio Architecture/Vancouver, BC STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Fast + Epp/Vancouver, BC GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Vanglo Sustainable Construction Group/Vancouver, BC IMAGES: Ema Peter

OPEN-CONCEPT ENTERTAINING

Lake Mississauga Cottage, Kawartha Highlands, ON

A four-season escape for a busy young family, this luxurious cottage is located on the edge of a quiet bay with a dramatic Mississauga Lake vista. The L-shaped building strikes a balance between privacy and openness, with grand social spaces designed to accommodate large gatherings of extended family and friends. To control scale and impact on the site, the cottage is divided into two forms based on private and semi-private functions. A horizontal wing built parallel to the shoreline joins a large great room and an open, spacious kitchen which share deck access and expansive views. A second, vertical volume intersects the main form at a 90-degree angle to introduce two floors of sleeping quarters.

As key elements of the project, stone and wood emphasize the dialogue between architecture and nature by reflecting the building’s surroundings. Exposed pine walls and ceilings, reclaimed hickory flooring and structural wood help this vacation home feel like it belongs in the wilderness.

ARCHITECT: architects Tillmann Ruth Robinson inc./Toronto, ON STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: BFP Engineering Solutions/Peterborough, ON GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Design Alternatives/Buckhorn, ON IMAGES: architects Tillmann Ruth Robinson inc.

ZEN IN THE DETAILS

Loon Lake Retreat, Lakes Region, NH

With generations of family history in this small town, the owner of this lakefront property imagined a home that expressed deep and enduring ties to its place while also incorporating ideas learned abroad, such as wabi-sabi, a traditional Japanese aesthetic that centers on the acceptance of the imperfection and impermanence of nature. A 1,500-sq.ft. home was built inside the previous structure’s footprint to maximize lake views and receive winter sunlight while minimizing site impact. A T-shape plan implies two courtyards, extending the domestic zone of the home into the landscape. The entry courtyard is to the north and the south courtyard gestures toward the fire pit and lake. The house is clad like a cut log, with “bark” (Western red cedar stained black) and “sapwood” siding (Douglas fir with a natural oil finish).

The living space, housed in the vertical leg of the T, opens with glass sliding doors and a corner window to the lake. The horizontal leg of the T contains the bedrooms and bathrooms. The master bedroom opens to a private patio with an outdoor shower facing the lake. Windows high along the north wall of the living space offer light and ventilation while providing privacy.

The concept of “beauty in imperfection” can be seen throughout the interior spaces, like in an entry bench constructed from a solid block of Maine ash, with splits and checks. The interior wood cabinetry finishes mirror the dark and light treatment of the exterior cladding. The floor is polished concrete and the walls are unpainted veneer plaster, a nod to New Hampshire’s tradition of veneer plaster.

ARCHITECT: Whitten Architects/ Portland, ME STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Albert Putnam Assoc./Brunswick, ME GENERAL CONTRACTOR: K.P. Hood Construction/Meredith, NH IMAGES: Trent Bell

ARCHITECT: Akb Architects/Toronto STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Moses Structural Engineers/Toronto GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Mazenga North Building Group/North York, ON IMAGES: Shai Gil

HIGH DRAMA

Metrick Cottage and Boathouse, Muskoka, ON

A 2020 Canadian Wood Council Award winner (featured in the Spring/Summer 2021 issue), this one-storey retreat and boathouse on Lake Joseph was built in a remote location that required materials to be able to endure harsh seasonal conditions without relying heavily on paints or stains. As a result, Douglas fir timbers (exposed to the interior), cedar and torrified ash were selected as the main material components. The 5,400-sq.ft. property is organized into three distinct “pods” comprising four bedrooms, four baths and an open living area designed around an ample kitchen space. The home offers an unobstructed, panoramic view to the lake and shoreline beyond. In contrast to the more rugged exterior, which is clad in roughsawn fir, the interior was finished with finely milled, torrified ash for the floor, wall and ceiling boards. The overall effect conveys the rugged beauty and elegance of wood.