Indholdsfortegnelse for Interiors 2022 i Ottawa Magazine

ADISOKE Contract awarded: 2018 Opening: 2026 Architecture firm: Diamond Schmitt (Canada) Size: 216,000 square feet Cost: $306 million (as of January 2022) When Ottawa finally opens its new, $306-million central library — an œuvre named Adisoke, meant as a step toward reconciliation with the region’s Algonquin and Anishinaabe communities — one word will dance on the lips of all who glimpse it: adequate. Mockups for the building, named for the Anishinaabemowin word for “storytelling,” reveal what looks like an IKEA store on steroids, a melamine monument to a broken procurement process where the lowest price is the law. Never mind a design competition, or the thought of prioritizing aesthetics over cost. This building, destined for the edge of a field along a traffic thoroughfare, seven minutes away on foot from…

As governments at all levels address housing costs and home-lessness, a new term has emerged: housing-first. This concept suggests that a safe place to live is the best place to start when it comes to helping individuals who are suffering from trauma and/or addiction. “You see the difference when you give people a place to call their own,” says Deirdre Freiheit, president and CEO of Shepherds of Good Hope and the Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation. She also chairs the board of the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa. “When residents, who have been in a shelter for years, have a home where they can lock the door, have privacy, a small kitchen to warm up food, and have a community, they are in a much better place to deal with…

“We really wanted to do something a little different, something that we haven’t seen very much of here in Ottawa” In this time of supply chain shortages and Covid construction delays, Alexandra Corriveau and Andrew Decristoforo of Art and Stone Group built no fewer than seven luxury custom homes. One of these houses was their own. It’s a small miracle that a home with such a Zen sense of calm and attention to detail should result from such a busy year. “We really wanted to do something a little different,” says Alexandra, “something that we haven’t seen very much of here in Ottawa. We call our house the wabi sabi house.” Wabi sabi is a Japanese idea that beauty is found in simplicity and imperfection; for this couple, it meant…

The big move in this design project was the removal of a wall near the front of the house. “Generally, the area between the front door and entry to the kitchen is not a useful space,” says Emma Doucet of Grassroots Design. She says she has worked in many 1950s houses that face a similar problem: inadequate entryway storage and underused hallway space leading to the kitchen. “The hallway is often the place to get more room.” The reconfiguration made room for more storage near the front door and the fridge moved into the hallway. The extra space in the kitchen allowed for the addition of an island. Once the major decisions were made, it was time to choose the tile. “I’m always game when people want to do something…

Combining elegant modern design with a nod to the heritage architectural details of the building, Harmons offers a simple menu of high-end steaks and seafood — comfort food for uncertain times. Designer Ulya Jensen spent eight months on the project, transforming the former Fox and Feather pub into two elegant spaces: Harmons upstairs with a heritage feel, and the more contemporary Abby’s Lounge downstairs. She saved the exposed brick, as well as the copper inlays at the bars, but painted the bases white and added brass foot rails. The new light fixtures in copper, brass, and black, as well as new Silestone bar tops with copper veins, tie the rooms together. New wainscotting adds to the elegant atmosphere, and wallpaper from Maxwell Fabrics in the dining rooms combines black-and-white etchings…

The iconic boathouse near Rockcliffe Point, completed in 1925, was designed by architect C.P. Meredith for the Ottawa New Edinburgh Club (ONEC). In 2010, it was recognized as a Federal Heritage Building, in part because it is a rare example of 19th-century boathouse design — there are only four such buildings across Canada. Located in a natural harbour, its steel frame is supported by concrete pylons sunk deep into the riverbed below. As ONEC’s headquarters, it has been an important hub for watersports and tennis in the city for close to 100 years. All decked out in the red, white, and black of Ottawa’s sports teams, it’s a lovely and unique multi-purpose pavilion — and an epic venue for a wedding, an anniversary, or even a funeral. There’s a massive…

People come to Veterans’ House in one of three ways, according to Bill Beaton, a resident and former weapons technician with the Royal Canadian Air Force. “Some have PTSD, some have addictions, and others have what I call a ‘life happening.’ I fall under that category,” he says. “I had a bad case of pneumonia, was hospitalized, and ended up with chronic pain. With a very limited income, I ended up homeless.” Beaton found help in Soldiers Helping Soldiers, an organization that connects homeless veterans with support services. “They took me under their wing, got me a place, and got me involved in this project,” he says of Veterans’ House. Also known as the Andy Carswell Building, after the decorated Second World War pilot who died this past August, the…

When design duo Dylan O’Keefe and Haley Fiorenza were asked to plot out a ski chalet at Mont Sainte-Marie, the site was a steep, rocky, forested slope on the side of a mountain. “We scaled the hill, we climbed, we stood in the trees to get an idea of the site,” says O’Keefe. “Then they blasted the rock and we adjusted the orientation of the house and photoshopped the design onto the site to show the clients.” After that, very little changed. “They were very trusting clients,” says Fiorenza of Lindsay and Harley*, a young couple who work in the fields of mental health and tech respectively. “They were really nice to work with. They stayed the course and didn’t make any major changes.” The brief was simple: a comfortable,…

This airy kitchen has a classic feel thanks to a flecked countertop and gabled cabinet doors. The glass-fronted display cabinets add charm, and there’s just something soothing about the pairing of this shade of blue (Benjamin Moore’s Van Courtland Blue) and off-white (White Rock by Benjamin Moore). Previously, this kitchen was a case study in bad kitchen design. The U-shaped footprint did not allow for decent storage and made meal preparation an awkward act of shuffling between appliances and searching for counter space. Basically, it was a dark space that took the joy out of cooking. Enter designer Caroline Castrucci of Laurysen Kitchens, who renovated the Stittsville house for her mother a few years ago. Castrucci created a nice open kitchen with lots of counter and storage space. Key to…

Dominique Dufour and Devon Bionda relish the challenge to take rough ingredients and create something refined. The two chefs are partners in life and business; over the past few years they have built Gray Jay’s menu around foraging ingredients and a snout-to-tail policy. So perhaps it is no surprise that, when it came to relocating their restaurant from its tiny Preston Street location to a large 100-year-old building in dire state of repair, they rolled up their sleeves and did most of the work themselves. The new Gray Jay is a welcoming 60-seat space with a strong vintage vibe. Guests are greeted by whimsical floral wallpaper and a vibrant terracotta bar stocked with bottles and cookbooks. Adding to the magic is a flower arrangement suspended from the ceiling. It’s a…

Chef Justin Champagne saw an opportunity to create something new and swooped in. The former Bar Lupulus chef wanted his own place to address issues of inequity and environmental waste, and the former Gray Jay location seemed the perfect place. Bridget Sullivan, an Ottawa realtor and home stager, was brought in through Perch general manager Amanda May MacIntosh. Sullivan imbued the Preston Street space with a distinctly Nordic feel through clean lines and simple materials such as concrete and wood. The ceiling was repainted, wainscotting was added, and the talents of local makers were tapped. Derrick Smiley of WoodSource made the tables and the Scandinavian-style wood dividers were hewn from a fallen pine tree by Jonathan Thibert and Roland Roy. It all comes together to create a fitting backdrop for…

A work crew is installing hewed logs outside the Carlington Community Health Centre entryway. They form long benches around foliage and groupings of rocks. Next year, there will be a rubber tricycle track added to the area, forming a loop around the garden. It’s easy to imagine the block teeming with life. Just behind the garden is a former school building, which has been refurbished as a community hub. It now offers programs for preschoolers, as well as a prayer room and a community kitchen. That building links to the impressive new 42-unit Ottawa Community Housing complex for seniors, which includes a medical clinic on the ground floor. Together, these spaces make up the Carlington Hub. You may have passed the complex on Merivale Road near Coldrey. Its exterior siding…

It was a short but meaningful journey, only a few steps around the block but into a whole new domestic world. This is Charlotte Gray and George Anderson’s third house on the same block in New Edinburgh. The couple began in a modest house on MacKay Street; three sons later, they built a home on the adjoining lot. Then, after 40 years on MacKay raising their family and solidifying extremely successful careers, they longed for something smaller and simpler than 4,500 square feet and five bedrooms. “We didn’t want rooms we weren’t using,” says Charlotte. They both loved the welcoming vibe and comfort of the family home, with its vibrant wallpaper and lively colours. “We didn’t want to throw it all away and start fresh.” They also longed to stay…

This kitchen manages to make a bold statement while maintaining a relaxed, welcoming vibe. That’s due in large part to the blue backsplash and the sharp eye of designer Caitlyn Blaney of RND Construction. From the start of this project, the homeowner made it clear that the kitchen should be both colourful and unique. As soon as a sample of this royal blue arabesque tile was shown, it was declared “the one.” The kitchen update was part of a larger renovation, which included the removal of two walls to create an open-concept layout on the main floor. “The layout and style didn’t support the habits of this young family,” says Blaney. In addition to a modern design, the family needed more storage and food preparation space. For their eldest child,…

Bold and bright, this kitchen renovation was part of an overhaul of the main floor. Susan Mitchell of Distinctive Bathrooms and Kitchens worked with the client to adapt the 1960s house into a more contemporary home. The deep blue (Benjamin Moore’s North Sea) on the cabinets strikes a bold tone while the simple, sleek lines of the counter and cabinets keep the spaces practical and serene. This renovation aimed to give the homeowners — a young professional couple who both love to cook — a spacious kitchen that could also serve as a fun hub for small gatherings. Their bungalow in Alta Vista was previously sectioned off into distinct spaces and included an underused piano room near the entry. With the removal of two walls, the kitchen is now bigger…

The second location of the Soca Kitchen was born of the pandemic. Forced to reconsider the standard restaurant business model, chef Daniela Manrique knew she needed a new way to interact with customers. After assessing the large space in New Edinburgh, previously home to Sutherland, she decided to divide it into sections in order to create areas for dining in and takeout. The main space, pictured here, serves the same menu as Manrique’s first Soca location — a seafood-focused lineup with a Spanish spin. Earthy tones create a calming space, and light floods the room through soaring glazed windows along the front of the building. Metal filigree dividers and a green wall separate the dining room from the other areas. Accessed through the same entrance is Plantain Cartel, a casual…

AS EMPLOYERS IN OTTAWA FINE-TUNE THEIR RETURN-TO  office schemes, I’ve been thinking back to the beginning of the pandemic and the early absurdities of work-from-home life. Banal things, such as the long moments I spent contemplating whether to include the “dialing in from a phone” instructions when sending out my first Zoom invites. Gross things like my cubicle mate’s abandoned mug, its half-inch of spare coffee more resemblant of cracked leather every time I went to the office to pick up hardware or use the printer. And nice things, such as the daily post-work walks that my partner and I made a habit of. On those early-pandemic walks, social bubbles were always apparent — people either walked alone or with their spouses, side by side. I remember being cognizant that,…