Stairs

The upstairs loft is the perfect balance of work and play with a low platform bunk-bed set up and a full desk that overlooks the living space below.

A second story loft offers a cozy place to lounge and watch movies. The stairwell wall is the "guest book

The new timber stairs wrap around the outer walls of the home, replacing the original staircase which divided the living and dining spaces on the ground floor. The new stairs allow the two spaces to be connected via an open plan.

With the home’s relatively compact footprint and efficient floor plan comprising two bedrooms and two bathrooms over a single living level, smart use of space was critical. "Built-in storage everywhere [is] number one," says Melanie. A pantry and storage drawers are tucked under the stairs.

Underneath vines hanging down from above, a dual-sided entertainment center provides partial separation of the public space. "We designed the dual functioning entertainment/bar fixture to visually separate the living and dining areas while remaining low enough to allow your eye to read the space as one continuous environment," says Melanie.

Central Area Home

The wooden staircase is a nod to the original timber cabin.

A restrained palette of wood and white makes the architecture a neutral backdrop. "It’s kind of cliché, but we believe you can create good spaces simply with modest materials and light," says Legge. The stairs are oak, and the built-in shelving is Douglas fir.

The home’s two levels used to be connected only by an external staircase. The architects reorganized the floor plan to insert a new indoor stair, which is bordered by a screen of steel cables grounded in stones the couple collected on their beach. The columnar lantern is by Stefan Gulassa, a local artist who made many of the home’s light fixtures.

The entry hall is open but inviting. “When you get into the property you can see thru the space, so I didn’t want it to be cluttered,” Bérubé says. The white oak built-ins for coats and shoes are simple and seamless. The Jan Kath rug warms the the poured-in-place concrete floor. The owners acquired the Nicola Hicks bear sculpture at an art fair in Hong Kong from London-based Flowers Gallery.

“It’s very similar to what you’d see for corn storage,” the homeowner says of the custom designed stairwell screen. On the landing, a long vertical window frames a picturesque view of the property. As a passageway that you would typically walk through quickly, the design details in the stairwell create an experience where you instead stop and linger.