BALANCING ACT
Clean-lined architecture meets Deco-style elegance in this new-build Calgary home.
Deco- style elegance meets clean- lined architecture in this new- build Calgary home
IF EVER there was a house that dispelled the myth that modernity equals austere and cold, this one is it. Homeowners Brad and Judy Fedora, who have three young children, had outgrown their previous home and decided to try something new. “We lived in a traditional home for 10 years,” says Judy. “We wanted to explore something else, yet create a look that wasn’t too much of a departure from the classic style we love.”
Their house hunt led them to the Calgary neighbourhood of Britannia, a mature picturesque area close to parks, schools and a convenient shopping plaza, as well as a quick drive from the downtown core. The area has been experiencing a metamorphosis of late, with many new residents and developers taking advantage of the relatively sizable lots – tearing down the older houses to build substantial luxury homes – and the Fedoras followed suit. “We found an original 1960s house on a large lot, so we ended up tearing it down to build new,” says Judy.
Enlisting a dream team of architect Marvin DeJong, custom home builder Doug Rawlyk and interior designer Nam Dang-Mitchell, the homeowners built a 5,356-square-foot flat-roofed house with voluminous open-concept spaces and floor-to-ceiling windows. While its architecture is 21st-century modern, the house was given a decidedly rich warm look that’s consistent with the traditional bent the homeowners wanted. “The main intent was to prevent the interior from feeling cold and corporate, so the challenge was to bring in some warmth and luxury but keep it streamlined because it had to go with the architecture,” says
Nam. With this in mind, the designer took inspiration from the styles of the 1930s – notably Art Deco and Art Moderne – known for combining luxury and sleekness with modernity and drama. The foyer serves as a perfect example of this approach. Sculptural pieces like the console clad in faux shagreen, the Mongolian lambskin and cerused oak bench and the curvaceous sconces (based on a design by Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann, an Art Deco master) offer a hint of avant-garde ’30s glamour. “But everything goes with the architecture of the house,” says Nam, noting elements such as the contemporary staircase. The foyer’s architectural details like the reverse flat wall panelling, high baseboards and substantial crown mouldings, are kept simple, maintaining a clean-lined look while injecting traditional character.
With her passion for interior design, Judy values luxurious materials and fabrics, and this proved to be harmonious with Nam’s vision for adding layers and interest within the spaces. Materials popular in the ’30s, such as shagreen, parchment, alabaster and ebony, make appearances throughout the home. And there are plenty of standouts: the smoked glass Venini-style chandelier and hand-painted wallpaper in the dining room; the limestone-clad wall and fireplace in the living room; the ruched leather bench in the family room; and, of course, the stunning Statuario marble (sometimes bookmatched) throughout. “I like things to either be the showstopper or the support,” says Nam. This approach – as well as the muted, neutral palette pulled from the house’s limestone exterior – ensures the look remains relaxed and tasteful, as opposed to over the top. “The house is elegant understated luxury,” she says, “but not ostentatious or flashy in any way. It’s an appreciation for details and quality.”