Near Montreal, a 1950s House Gets a Modern Makeover

The interior design firm Clairoux and the architecture firm Open Form collaborated on this update of a 2,850-square-foot family home in Laval, Quebec, north of Montreal, that was originally built in the 1950s. The challenge that Julie Lafontaine and Frédric Clairoux of Clairoux set for themselves as to preserve a space that they say is "steeped in memories" for its longtime owners while giving it a modern update.

They did this by transforming a formerly cramped, inward-looking space, giving it a much more open and inviting layout. They retained one major feature of the original space: a natural stone chimney in the large central fireplace. 

"Above all," Lafontaine and Clairoux said in a statement, "we wanted to avoid sterile black-and-white juxtapositions, which have been overused in recent years. Our goal was to create an elegant contemporary space by breathing new life into an architectural legacy from the previous century. To pull this off, we relied on subtlety and a clean-canvas approach that focused on lines, volumes and materials.

Our colleague, interior decorator Patrick Robichaud, delivered distinctive design totally in compliance with the project’s requirements. Furnishings and accessories were selected with the owner – a joint effort that resulted in the sober and elegant finish we were aiming for. A home has life and character, it is something that is always evolving, and so some design touches will continue to be added over time.