LABOUR OF LOVE
Couple’s ‘labour of love’ renovation builds on good bones of Jeremy Sturgess-designed home
Inner-city infill gets overhaul
Often considered a design trend of the 21st century, Calgary’s inner-city infills actually began popping up in the early 1980s, bringing a heavy dollop of architectural bravado to vibrant established communities. These design forward homes — many of which set the tone for today’s streetscapes — are now hitting the market and ready for a refresh. In the process, buyers are finding some hidden gems.
“We didn’t know that we had just purchased a Jeremy Sturgess-designed home until we pulled the title and we saw the original blueprints,” says Bianca Bucarelli. In 2013, she and her husband, Jake Boguski, purchased the 40-yearold infill in West Hillhurst because of its great bones and unique architecture.
“We loved the space, the feel of it, the bones of it and we knew that it was something special, just by being in it,” says Bucarelli.
Sturgess is an international award-winning architect from Calgary and designer of projects including the Glacier Skywalk at the Columbia Icefields, the Calgary Water Centre, and Steps Bridgeland condo development.
Boguski notes that the home had many features that were a cut above the rest.
“There was just so much natural light. The way the spaces were configured, it was very open and there were a lot of skylights so the light just floods in,” he says.
At the time, in 2013, the couple had just moved from Toronto and were looking for a vibrant and walkable community. They were also looking for a home that they could add their personal touches to — Boguski is an engineer and grew up learning about renovations from his father, a general contractor. Bucarelli also feels comfortable donning a tool belt. Together the couple has renovated a few homes, and they enjoy architecture.
“We knew that we wanted to renovate. Many of the finishes were original and quite tired, but we really didn’t have a specific plan,” says Bucarelli.
Sheryl Thompson, realtor with the Real Estate Professionals in Calgary, says that aging inner-city infills are becoming a hot commodity.
“When it comes to buying something at a reasonable cost in the inner city, there is not a lot of choice. Most of the older bungalows have been snapped up by developers, so the option really is to buy an older infill and then put out some work into it,” she says.
Boguski and Bucarelli’s home features an interesting design — it’s an attached front to back duplex style home, leaving the couple with full leeway to design a private front yard space.
“That was such a fun project,” says Boguski. The couple created a large cedar-clad deck with a tall privacy wall, set back from the sidewalk.
“So we have this really nice sitting area, deck and garden,” says Boguski adding that one of the couple’s favourite features is the integrated library built into the privacy wall.
“Neighbours are always dropping by to exchange books and it fits really well with the spirit of the neighbourhood.”
The exterior landscaping was just one segment of the renovation, a process that encompassed the entire home in a series of smaller projects occurring over time.
“It evolved organically,” says Bucarelli.
“There were some things that needed to be done immediately and were easy decisions, starting with the basement,” which still had its original carpet, she recalls.
Throughout the 1,200-squarefoot home, the couple replaced all of the windows, doors and flooring,
There was just so much natural light. The way the spaces were configured, it was very open and there were a lot of skylights so the light just floods in.
upending the original narrow red oak flooring with wide-planked white oak and then painted the entire home in a shade of soft white, and changed out most of the fixtures.
“Aside from the kitchen, which had been renovated before we purchased the home, not a surface was spared,” says Bucarelli.
But perhaps the most comprehensive overhaul occurred on the second floor, a space she calls “the most architecturally impressive floor of the home.”
The entire upper was an open-concept master bedroom space with extensive vaulted ceilings and skylights (there are two secondary bedrooms on the lower level). The master ensuite was carved into the overall plan with a partial open to above wall extending eight feet high. It also doubled as the guest powder room.
“We really needed to create some sort of guest bathroom, as there wasn’t one on the main floor,” says Bucarelli.
So this design duo came up with a clever plan. They reconfigured the ensuite layout, separating the water closet from the rest of the bathroom with a pocket door disguised as a grid panelled wall and added another public doorway accessed from the top of the stairs. They then reconfigured a few walls and added a sizable sliding wall that seamlessly integrates into the design, closing off the master bedroom when needed.
“We did most of the work ourselves and didn’t hire a designer. It was really just Jake and I,” says Bucarelli.
“Sometimes we speak different languages — Jake is an engineer and I am a psychologist — it was really a process of blending our ideas together,” she says.
“But the entire home was a labour of love.”
And one that the couple is going to miss, as they are moving on to another adventure and another city with job offers in both Vancouver and Toronto.
“We are still making a decision as to where we are going, but any time you put this much work into something, it becomes a part of you. It’s always a journey though, and I think we will enjoy our next challenge,” says Boguski.