ENGINEERED FOR COMFORT
High-tech details key to bedroom retreat.
PAM AND JOHN STUMPF’S renovated bedroom suite is smart in so many ways, from its cool neutral colours and contemporary hardware to the warmth of wood and the minimalist control panel that makes every day easier. >>
>> “We work a lot, and by the time we get home and eat dinner we’re ready to relax,” John says. That’s when they retreat to their main-floor bedroom.
“I don’t know if I’d say we spared no expense,” he adds, “but we didn’t skimp on things like the bed, the floor and the stone wall.”
They built their house on a secluded road in Elora in 2000, and renovated it in 2013, after years of talking about what was even faintly annoying about the house and meticulously planning how they’d like it to be. One change led to others and the house was all but transformed inside and out during a nine-month remake in 2013.
In the bedroom, the sound of music emanates from the coffered ceiling. “I’d call it stealth acoustics,” John says. When they talked about building in a sound system, Pam told him, “I don’t want to see the speakers,” and she doesn’t.
The most eye-catching element in the room is the custom bed frame precisely built with 700 pieces of understated, exotic zebrawood veneer. The control panel governing the sound system, the 50-inch flat-screen TV, the lighting and even the pleated window shades are neatly set into the headboard, all but invisible unless you know where to look.
The zebrawood is bookmatched, the grain wrapping around corners, seemingly unbroken in the headboard and matching night tables.
Under the bed are long, soft-close drawers faced with zebrawood. At the foot, are twin dog beds for their elegant dobermans.
Not wanting anything to distract from the key elements in the room, such as the matched veneers, the bold hardware on the sliding barn-style door leading to the bathroom and the soft sheen of the oiled wenge flooring, just two small holes in the wall indicate the presence of an electrical outlet.
In place of baseboards, a custom-milled band of wood trim blends into the wall colour and the floorboards.
“I didn’t want a white racing stripe around the floor,” John says to explain the absence of the usual baseboards.
The bedroom looks out to the backyard. The shades could be opened and closed on timers, John says, “but our systems are smart enough to know when we’re out and then, if it’s a sunny day, they open the shades to take advantage of the sunlight.”
The systems also monitor the Internet and adjust themselves according to the season and time changes. On workdays, Pam gets up at 5 a.m. and whether it’s winter or summer, she can count on an appropriate amount of >>
>> lighting to let her move easily around the room without bumping into anything.
Behind the headboard is a long wall of slender Tivoli strip travertine, the stone set in a repeating pattern from wall to wall. Foam insulation behind the stone keeps the wall fairly warm even in winter, John says.
Surveying the colours in the room, Pam said “you can tell we like neutrals.” But even the most serene room needs at least one surprise, and in this room it’s the injection of lipstick red in a leather chaise longue where Pam relaxes while watching TV. Decorative pillows and a throw carefully tossed across the foot of the bed are also red.
As sales manager for Fergus-based Station Earth, John uses their home as an example to clients of how integrated technology can make life easier. As for what 12 cameras, thermostats, alarm, gate control and door lock systems can achieve, “anyone who gets that tour comes away with an appreciation for a ‘smart home,’ ” he says.
During the couple’s frequent travel, “being able to see and monitor our home from my smartphone is a must-have feature.” When they’re home, “having full control of the audio/video, lighting and window shades is very nice.”
House and dog-sitters find the systems equally easy to use, he says.
In redoing the ensuite bathroom, the couple gave a lot of thought to what they’d like, such as drawers deep enough to hold tall bottles and power toothbrushes. They wanted a spacious storage unit for all the toiletries John’s parents give them as gifts so the tall storage cabinet has deep shelves.
They also wanted two sinks rather than the single vanity they’d been using.
Pam’s has a lighted makeup mirror; John’s has a small television screen behind the mirror. With a light tap on a small control panel on the wall adjacent to his vanity, a TV screen appears in the mirror just below eye level.
Like the bedroom, the bathroom has neutral colours. The walls are a plaster veneer — “there will never be nail pops,” John says. “It’s way harder than wallboard.”
There’s a linear sleekness to all the elements, including the long glossy handles on vanity drawers. To shake up that horizontal plane’s smooth perfection, John wanted something rough and tumbled, hence the concrete sink made for each vanity. The vanities themselves were constructed in a man-made product that resembles zebrawood.
Concrete was also used for a built-in ledge and a bench in the shower, as well as the sill where glass walls meet the base of the shower.
The glass door slides on the same bold hardware rail as the door separating the bath and bedroom. Two rainforest shower heads and a spray panel provide the ultimate shower experience. The water temperature is pre-set: no adjustment required.
The bathroom and shower floors as well as the shower bench are heated, a luxurious
touch that isn’t overly costly if the heat pipes are installed as part of a renovation, John says. “It’s the same amount of labour to tile over heating pipes or over a plywood floor.”
For efficiency, they didn’t heat any floor area where they don’t step, such as behind the toilet or under the vanities.
They discussed heated towel bars, but couldn’t find a convenient spot for them. Even without them, showers are so enjoyable that John squeegees water droplets off the glass door without prompting, Pam says.
Lighting under each vanity showcases a band of small cobblestones that outline the larger floor tiles in the centre of the room. The window shade is remotely controlled and, remarkably, the industrial-strength bathroom fan is silent because the motor is anchored some 12 metres away.
Pam dislikes clutter and wanted everything to be fully functional. Hence, the drawers under the sink have cut-outs to slide around the plumbing. Wastebaskets are out of sight, too.
The bathroom leads to a compact walk-in closet where a former doorway into the bedroom has been closed off. In place of the doorway is a full-length mirror that swings open to reveal a fabriccovered panel with hooks for hanging pieces of jewelry.
They also considered their individual needs for the closet: Pam’s side has a storage unit that holds almost three dozen pairs of shoes. Along the top of the shelving and clothes rod are cubbies tall enough to hold handbags upright (yes, her purses were measured to be sure).
Of the design, materials and choices they made, Pam says, “We took a lot of time to think this through, and we’re really proud of it. We’re really enjoying it.”
“We use everything every day,” John adds, “and it still looks like it did the day it was finished.” >>