The clients had already owned this house for several years when the call was made—initially a call for ideas, almost like an open conversation. She, an art therapist, works with the body, gesture, and emotion as primary material. He, a social programs manager, is engaged in building sustainable human structures, attentive to balance and use. Together, they have lived internationally, gathering fragments of cultures, colors, and spatial experiences. Montreal emerged as a deliberate return: a way to reconnect with family, provide a stable anchor for their two children, while preserving the openness shaped through travel. The first consultation quickly revealed the scope of the project. What was meant to be a punctual reflection evolved into a full-scale renovation, conceived over time. Over nearly a year, Michael Godmer Studio supported the clients, equipped them, and connected them with contractors, artisans, and local collaborators to build a shared, grounded, and committed vision.

Even before construction began, the house became a sensitive laboratory—drawings on walls, family-made artworks, free and spontaneous gestures that inscribed the family’s identity into the space. The project unfolded with pleasure and without compromise, guided by a clear and lasting intention: to create a singular home, far from standardized imagery, faithful to their personality, their love of color, theatrical environments, and a vibrant domestic life.

The house already carried a rich history. An Outremont residence of character, defined by warm woodwork, a central staircase, and generous proportions—elements of a heritage worth preserving. The challenge was not radical transformation, but dialogue with the existing structure. To maintain its character, warmth, and material depth, while introducing a refined, contemporary architectural language. The staircase was preserved as is, acting as a point of balance between past and present, ensuring the project’s timelessness. New interventions extend the architecture rather than replace it. Rounded door frames, redesigned windows, and new openings soften transitions and introduce a sense of fluidity. The house becomes a palimpsest, where each architectural gesture reveals an additional layer, without erasing those that came before. It is within this balance, between memory and transformation, that the project finds its precision.

The architectural solution was shaped around use, family rhythm, and the multiplicity of contemporary functions. Working from home has become a structuring reality: a dedicated art-therapy space for Ira, seamlessly integrated into the domestic flow, and an upstairs office for the client, conceived as a place of focus and retreat. Each room was designed according to the specific needs of its occupants, and integrated cabinetry became the primary tool for defining spaces—often replacing traditional partitions to reclaim square footage, organize functions, and offer tailored solutions. Doors, a central element of the project, received particular attention. Custom wood-framed glazed doors, solid bespoke doors, louvered wardrobes—each a unique piece developed in close collaboration with local artisans. These collaborations, central to this project and to our practice as a whole, allow for deep personalization in resonance with the identity of both place and inhabitants.

Despite technical challenges, this precision-driven work resulted in a strong, sensitive, and enduring signature. The rhythm of the house varies by zone: a deliberately “all-in,” theatrical powder room in shades of pink inspired by the universe of Wes Anderson; dynamic, colorful spaces for the children; and the parents’ wing—calmer, more sensual—where bedroom and bathroom engage in a quiet, intimate dialogue.

Materiality is conceived with softness, through subtle layering. A warm base color—mayonnaise-toned—creates a tonal backdrop that envelops the spaces. Existing woodwork is preserved and highlighted, dialoguing with brushed lacquered woods, uniform lacquer finishes, Botticino Fiorito marble, and travertine flooring. Limewash paint, sometimes dark, sometimes nuanced, introduces sandy textures that interact with sculptural and decorative elements, evoking the clients’ travels and eclectic sensibility.

The curve becomes a recurring motif: the softened lines of the kitchen island, door frames, and bathrooms repeat a fluid language that moves through the house without fixing it in time. The kitchen, gentle and restrained, avoids literal references—particularly to the French bistro—through an abstract repetition of tile lines between floor and island. The project’s signature materializes in a precise detail: a narrow-plank white oak floor recalling the home’s origins, framed by a tiled border echoing the kitchen. A small tile marks the transition between wood and ceramic—a detail repeated throughout the house, forming a discreet narrative thread. Lighting, conceived as subtle points of light, supports textures and reveals materials, largely sourced through local collaborations. Every gesture, every material, every detail contributes to a sensitive, coherent, and deeply human composition.

Above all, this project tells a story of relationships—woven with pleasure—between us, a family, and their home; between past and present; between architecture and craftsmanship—revealing a place capable of evolving, welcoming, and growing richer over time, without ever losing its soul.