‘It just works’
BRAZILIAN EXPATS DESIGN NORTH TORONTO HOME WITH A WEALTH OF SUBTLE TOUCHES REMINISCENT OF RIO
The couple that built this North Toronto house got to do what many of us only dream of: they created their home from scratch, down to the finest details. And because the pair happen to be Brazilian expats, it has a wealth of subtle design touches that are reminiscent of Rio.
“One thing we do miss about Brazil is the weather,” the wife says. “We knew we wanted a house where we could enjoy our short summer as much as possible. So having plenty of light all through the house, glass doors that open very wide, and a really functional back yard were very important right from the beginning.”
They worked in collaboration with house designer David Smith, builder Derek Nicholson and Natascha Bertotto de Wallau of NBW Architecture and Design, an interior designer friend of theirs who lives and works in Brazil. But the general design is their own, and they had clear notions of what they wanted long before construction began.
The front elevation features a pleasing symmetry of dark grey brick and matte black steel, warmed by deep eaves in Douglas fir strip. The door itself, a tall slab of fir with a long steel handle, is the first Brazilian reference; the deadbolts are unobtrusive and separate from the handle. A sidelight next to the door is shaded by slatted wood vanes that can be adjusted by hand to let in light or maintain privacy as required.
Step inside and it’s the first instance of just how cleverly the space is designed to feel bigger than it really is. Some of this is done in the familiar way: lofty 10-foot ceilings and strategically located mirrors, which give the impression of other rooms beyond. But it’s also more subtle than that.
Having lived in several cramped city homes previously, they dreamed of storage the way others might dream of crown mouldings and walk-in closets. Starting right in the vestibule and down both sides of the hallway, doors that reach to the ceiling conceal generous shelves and cupboards for all manner of things.
“We entertain a lot, and sometimes we can have large numbers of people over for parties, so we wanted a house that was big enough to invite over people without feeling too crowded,” the wife explains. A hidden closet on one side is dedicated just for guest coats, enabling them to leave more cluttered family stuff to a second cupboard on the other side. “We put storage everywhere we could find it,” she laughs, pointing out, in passing, other secret stashes: a set of cupboards under the stairs, another under the kitchen breakfast peninsula.
Light was brought in at every opportunity; generous rooftop skylights flood light down through the glass walls of the staircase, and in several instances the outer shell was modified to maximize windows, despite the proximity to neighbouring houses. (One example is the daughter’s room, where a corner was notched inward to create both rear-facing and inner side windows.)
“Another thing that is typically Brazilian, I suppose, is that there’s a lot of texture in Brazilian homes,” the husband says. “So we used a lot of texture everywhere we could.”
A gypsum-based wall product the homeowners sourced, which resembles paper that’s been crushed and then smoothed out, particularly stood out for builder Derek Nicholson. “One of the more interesting features of the house is the Modular Arts Crush Rock panels installed in the glass-enclosed stairwell,” he notes. “Bathed in light from the overhead skylight, it gives a three-dimensional and textural image to the wall.”
The kitchen is defined by a long swath of black granite counter and backsplash that extends along one side between white lacquer cupboards. In front of it, a prep area with a countertop of natural quartzite, with a swirling pattern that’s quite distinct from granite, joins a lower level that serves as a breakfast area and for feeding kids. A basketweave framed panel marks the end of the kitchen, a direct import from Brazil and found in many homes there.
The intimate dining table just beyond it could have been lost in the space, but for a clever bit of trompe l’oeil: a swath of mirror in the side wall that makes it feel like there’s another room next to it. It’s one of the subtler touches that banishes completely the narrow feeling of most houses without side windows.
By now, one’s eye is being drawn to what lies beyond the big glass doors that span the back wall of the space, but there’s one more “room,” defined by a big and comfortable sectional. A long grasscloth-lined wall forms a backdrop to a large oak-panelled built-in home entertainment unit. At the far corner is another basketweave panel, this one fronting a glassware cupboard. In the centre, a large TV, a modern-day hearth, hangs over a set of low slatted cupboards — practical as well as beautiful, since they hide boxes and cables but still allow the remotes to work.
The varying textures and sense of conviviality make the main floor of the home feel Brazilian enough. But actually, the most Brazilian section is the back yard, beyond the big sliding glass doors. The first section, under deep overhangs (lined, as at the front, with fir strip), shelters a barbecue and room for guests to stand around and chat; part of the deck is slatted like a subway grate, allowing light to penetrate to the basement level below. Just beyond, two hammocks made of rope and tropical-print canvas provide a perch on a lazy summer afternoon. There’s also a sectional seating area on this level, as big as the living room inside.
Down a set of steps and off to one side is a small pool, divided into two sections: one, shallow and suitable for the couple’s preschool children; the other just big enough for a cooling dip or, later in the season, heated for use as a hot tub. The descent continues to a strip of artificial grass big enough for pint-sized badminton, kicking a soccer ball around or throwing a few hoops.
The journey ends at the bottom level, with a netted trampoline (being enthusiastically enjoyed by the couple’s young daughter when we visited) and a small storage shed. The whole experience compares favourably to a tropical vacation, without having to pack a suitcase.
“As with every project, the final result is the reflection of an established balance between the wants and needs of the clients and the potential of the property,” says designer David Smith. “They had a clear vision of a contemporary home that blended the interior space with their expansive rear yard. Taking advantage of an open concept plan, with generous spatial layouts and many opportunities for natural light, allowed us to create a home that embodies their relaxed demeanour while meeting the everyday needs of their growing family.”
The wife adds, “We just love how functional it is; it just works. And especially in summer, it does feel very Brazilian. We’ll open up the glass doors and have an oldfashioned Brazilian barbecue, and our friends say it doesn’t feel like they’re in Toronto at all. It feels like they’re on vacation.”
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF AN OPEN CONCEPT PLAN, WITH GENEROUS SPATIAL LAYOUTS ... ALLOWED US TO CREATE A HOME THAT EMBODIES THEIR RELAXED DEMEANOUR WHILE MEETING THE EVERYDAY NEEDS OF THEIR GROWING FAMILY. — DESIGNER DAVID SMITH