A 1920stransfiguration
NEW IDEAS IN OLD NORTH
BY JANIS WALLACE
Acentury-old house presents charm, craftsmanship and character that is difficult to produce in a new build. An old house also presents challenges for 21st-century living, especially in terms of space, light and function. How do you solve those issues without losing what you love about an old home?
Vanessa Cosgrove of Mosaic Design worked closely with Greg Hassall of Riverside Construction , combining their talents and companies — frequent business collaborators — to transform Hassall’s own 1920s Old North house into a modern home.
“We needed more space,” says Hassall, of Riverside Construction. “It was a smaller, chopped-up older home. The transformation is large in scope — it’s the whole property. It’s a brand new home with the advantages of the old neighbourhood.”
“The goal for this renovation was to update the entire home while keeping true to the age of the home and enhancing its original characteristics,” says Cosgrove, creative director and principal designer of Mosaic Design. “We wanted to create a comfortable, spacious home
with an appropriate overall layout for Greg and his wife Amanda’s young family to grow, while allowing for a great open concept entertaining space, home office and separate area for the kids.”
To achieve those goals required planning and knowledge. To seamlessly integrate new with old, materials needed to meet today’s standards and evoke craftsmanship from 100 years ago.
Cosgrove says they researched what materials were used when the house was built: “thin plank, oak flooring; large trim and mouldings; ceiling and wall
OPPOSITE PAGE Sleek and fitted white cabinetry in the kitchen, with white walls and a lightly-veined quartz backsplash and countertops, contrasts with the oak flooring and oak-clad range hood and large island. Vintage-style pendant lamps over the island reflect the home’s history. INSET Seen from the street, the house retains its original rooflines and brickwork, while the white fascia, soffits and porch, with pale grey accents, nod to the fresh contemporary updates inside.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT The bar area features matching kitchen cabinetry in a deeper tone, with open shelving and a beverage fridge centered between multi-paned glass doors. • The dining space includes an interesting mix of old and new styles. • Deeper storage flanks the refrigerator beside the oak pocket doors to the music room.
details; crystal door hardware; etc. While adding these elements to the overall design, we also introduced more transitional elements, such as quartz countertops and backsplash, custom range hood, mixing metals with lighting and hardware, modern style fixtures such as faucets and shower systems.”
The result is a home that has the look of 1920, yet the amenities of a new house today. Cosgrove and Hassal achieved the space, light and function the family needed while retaining all the charm, craftsmanship and character.
by a skylight in the
ceiling. Extra storage is tucked into the corner.
SPACE
“We made it open concept on the main floor. We doubled the square footage. We added a two-piece powder room and mudroom,” says Hassall.
A large backyard allowed for adding a two-storey extension. On the main floor, the open concept addition includes kitchen, bar, dining and family room as well as the powder room and mudroom. Upstairs, a main suite of bedroom, bathroom and double closets provides a quiet haven.
A closet is tucked conveniently into a space at the top of the stairs by the entry to the main bathroom. The limits of the sloped ceiling are maximized with cabinets between the shower and outer wall.
LIGHT
“Older homes can be dark and closed off,” says Hassall. “We significantly increased the natural light.”
New double-hung windows and new grilles (strips separating panes) maintain the original style.
In the addition, two walls of windows and French doors to the yard bring in the light all year. In the principal bedroom above, corner windows keep it light and airy. A skylight in a bathroom allows light to pour in.
Most of the walls and furnishings are light or white to reflect light and enhance the spacious feeling with a crisp and timeless look.
TOP The music room, with dark walls, a coffered ceiling and restored fireplace, feels like a private sanctuary. New windows match the home’s original style. LEFT The powder room feels spacious with vintage-style wallpaper and a subdued crisp white sink on brass legs and a co-ordinated faucet and mirror. BOTTOM The upstairs bathroom’s bright colour palette is accentuated
sloped
FUNCTIONALITY
New electrical, plumbing and furnace brought the house up to modern standards. The layout was opened up with the addition. Hassall says there was a different way of living 100 years ago. The kitchen is now a gathering place, the hub of family life. The large island reflects that desire to come together. “Everyone winds up in the kitchen,” says Hassall. “It allows for more people, more socializing. When you have young kids, you can keep your eyes on them.”
Modern amenities include the main floor powder room and mudroom. The vanity takes less visual space with brass legs supporting the sink. Pegs for clothes and backpacks, cabinets and space for footwear under the bench create an organized place for the comings and goings of busy family. A built-in bench in the family room includes storage cubbies.
In the hallway, cabinetry built into a nook under the stairs provides storage and a spot for keys and mail.
Double closets in the main bedroom are cohesive with the design. The shower in the ensuite features a built-in bench and glass walls for optimum light. Under the vanity, wood cabinets store all the necessities in style.
The result is a home that has the look of 1920, yet the amenities of a new house today. Cosgrove and Hassall achieved the space, light and function they wanted and retained all the charm, craftsmanship and character.
TOP The back wall, with a gas fireplace and built-in cabinetry, keeps the family room cozy and tidy while echoing the home’s original style. ABOVE Three large windows and French doors to the backyard deck provide generous amounts of natural light.
CHARACTER
Hassall, like many of his clients, was drawn to old neighbourhoods with mature trees, brick exteriors, houses with individual character and a community feel.
“We wanted to keep the character of the older home, so we kept the trim similar,” says Hassall. “Aim for subtle details that enhance the design.”
One way he and Cosgrove achieved that was through colour, texture and patterns. The overall palette consists of quiet neutrals of off white, cream, grey and accents of sage and warm woods. The bar area of the kitchen is a soft grey/green, complementing the white of the rest of the cabinetry. The range hood is clad in oak, matching the floor.
“My favorite part of the finished project would have to be the music room,” says Cosgrove “The front living room of the home acts as the music room, with record player, fireplace, television, and lounge area. We added some drama to this space by going with a dark wall colour (Benjamin Moore, Black Iron 202120) to add contrast from the rest of the home. We added a custom coffered ceiling design as well as a textured,
anaglypta wallpaper (thick, embossed, paintable) ceiling. Custom pocket doors were installed on two separate walls to divide this room from the rest of the home when needed.”
“It’s bold, but it does fit the private area,” says Hassall. “It’s our statement piece. The diamond windows, the fireplace — it all came together fantastic. It’s unique, and that’s what people love about it,” says Hassall. “It’s on trend but not trendy.”
Two sets of custom pocket doors reflect the age and style of the house. Wood treads are highlighted by white risers and a carpet runner on the stairway, another period feature with an updated look.
OUTDOORS
Part of the attraction of older neighbourhoods are the large yards. The addition allows easy access to a new patio. “The front porch is a great space where we can chat with the neighbours,” says Hassall. They added cedar accents to the curved ceiling, new lighting and painted the trim.
For anyone considering a similar transformation, Hassall says “stay true to the cool features you cannot
even after the construction of the large
addition and an expansive deck for entertaining.
get elsewhere. Don’t be discouraged by what the current house is. Look for ways to make it functional and beautiful again.
The appeal of the house is it does have the classic charm of older homes. But everything is brand new. We mimic the style and feel of the house without the imperfections. We bring it back to life.”
“It’s satisfying to transform a house,” says Hassall. •
JANIS WALLACE has written for newspapers, magazines, scripts and social media on topics from music to dog food, fashion to décor, agriculture to gardens. She wrote a book about a theatre, a place she loves to be — in the audience or on stage.
TOP The front porch makes for a welcoming sitting area and entrance, enhanced by a dramatic curved cedar ceiling and black trim and hardware. ABOVE The deep lot still includes a family-friendly grass lawn in the back yard,
two-storey