The renovation of a 2,000-square-foot property updates a century-old design for a family of four. "We placed the kitchen at the center of the house to link with the dining room and the outdoor space," Moreau says. In the kitchen, a Wolf oven brings out the silver details in Coit’s Bianco Cararra backsplash and island. Hee bar stools by Hay are lined under the island.

The owners’ goal was to transform the 19th-century building into a bold single-family residence. Historical architectural details were made modern with a striking black facade, while inside, a flexible living space that opens into an exterior garden enables a simplified lifestyle.

This revamped Montreal flat includes a rooftop sauna lined with torrified, or dried, cedar. Outfitted with glass paneling and oriented to capture views of Mount Royal, it is the ideal haven for this hardworking homeowner.

Mark Fekete and Viviana de Loera of MARK+VIVI transformed a former tire shop in the Verdun borough of Montreal into a welcoming home-office, exposing beams on the ground floor and making liberal use of locally sourced Canadian plywood.

Leo Marmol and Alisa Becket enjoy one of their home’s many outdoor spaces.

By acting as both the designer and general contractor, MARK+VIVI was able to complete the renovation for just $150 per square foot.

The facade was outfitted with a commercial-grade storefront window.

White was used extensively throughout the addition, a choice that the architects say enhances the spacious feel of the rooms and draws attention to the views.

The bathroom is on the second level.

Fekete and de Loera at work in their new space.

The architects carved these bookshelves into the drywall above the kitchen.

By living "above the store" in the most literal sense, Fekete and de Loera hope to set an example for sustainable, neighborhood-oriented living.

The semi-closed entryway contains a white cabinet for storing coats and scarves. The LED ceiling lights are from Contrast Lighting.

The architecture firm L. McComber Itée demolished a sloping ceiling in this Montreal attic to create a bright, roomy live-work space.

A short wall on the kitchen island hides clutter and keeps the straight lines of the design unmarred. Almost every lighting fixture, including the overhead Artemide Tolomeo light, is movable. The refrigerator and oven are from Fisher and Paykel.

The renovated attic is oriented around a central volume that houses the bathroom. The wooden shelves were fashioned from hemlock planks that were salvaged during the demolition of the roof structure.

Greenery bursts out to the street from the side yard of Paul Bernier and Joëlle Thibault’s home.

The renovated house is outfitted with a sauna.

A 13-foot-wide sliding door by Portes Unis St-Michel opens the rear exterior onto a terrace, where the owners spend much of their time. The Series Skyline fireplace by Marquis and movable furniture make the garden an extension of the living space in all seasons.

The kitchen features a distinctive cantilevered countertop.

A new staircase turns a corner at the large stone chimney, an element of the original house that the designers were careful to preserve.

The spacious kitchen makes it ideal for entertaining.

While the second level has more privacy, the first floor’s airiness continues upstairs. Sliding doors are kept open to allow light to pass through the bedroom, which has a cherry-stained walnut floor.

A clear railing follows the stairs to the second floor.

The architecture firm Open Form and the interior design firm Clairoux collaborated on this modern update of a 1950s-era house in Laval, Quebec, north of Montreal.

The architects and interior designers did away with the home's cramped, darkened layout and recast the interior as an open space defined by clean lines.

A before shot of the bathroom.

The couple entertain friends on one of several lanais that Steely added. The chaises are from Target.

Contrasting prints in the living room of this Montreal quadruplex are echoed in gauzy, patterned curtains with a lightweight privacy lining.

The steel beam original to the building was left exposed but toned down with gray, flame-proof paint. It runs the length of the flat, delimiting the passage area.

Rydingsvärd often cooks out on his terrace, which offers a view of Mount Royal. The volume housing the sauna is clad in cedar planks that were painted black. The door and windows are by Alumilex, and the custom outdoor shower is by Avantage Plus.

A radiant hot water heating system was installed under a new concrete floor slab above the old foundation. It was coated with epoxy — light gray for the common areas, white for the bedrooms and bathrooms — then finished with matte polyurethane.

Stainless steel was selected for the kitchen countertops, and the pair relied on a local industrial sheet metal fabricator to help them prepare the material for residential application. The mix of warm and cool adds depth and dimension to the space.

Here's what you need to know before undergoing a building project with a contractor but no architect.

When not in use during winter, the tub is hidden from the home’s view. The entrance has a sheltered overhang for car parking.

Atop the spiral staircase, a custom iron bench is festooned with Turkish throw pillows from SophiesBazaar.