Belgravia retrofit updates ’50s home
One of the delights of being both the homeowner and the renovation expert is that you get to build the house you want. And if you want the flowering crab apple trees that have graced the backyard for decades to remain — despite the fact that they are located in the way of construction — well, that’s how it will be.
Such was the case when Ross Mitchell and his wife, Jodi Klatt, decided to tackle an addition, complete with a deep-energy retrofit, for their 1950s two-storey in Belgravia. The couple knew the pair of trees in the backyard would add leafy charm and privacy to their makeover, yet if an outside contractor had been in charge, the trees may have been deemed impossible to preserve.
But as it stands, Ross — who has a small design and renovation company by the name of Environmental Earth Builder — constructed the simple cedar deck in the backyard to complement the trees, which also can be admired from the quiet sanctuary of the second-floor master bedroom.
“I was devoted to them,” says Ross of the trees, with a rueful laugh.
REDUCED ENERGY USE
Principles of conservation and sustainability (another passion for Ross) can be seen elsewhere in the 2,450-square-foot home, which is net-zero ready. This means it is set up for the future installation of solar panels that would see the home use less energy than it produces.
Net-zero ready homes are a big trend in new home building, and accordingly, the couple insisted on a range of energy-efficient features in the home, including walls that are nearly a foot thick, and a soaring bank of south-facing windows to create passive solar heat.
Ross reused material from the original home where possible, including the rough-hewn, solid fir, post-and-beam two-by-fours.
NATURAL AND NEUTRAL
But what makes the home as visually appealing as it is practical is its style, including a paredback palette of colours, wide-open flow, and use of natural materials to create a soothing retreat for the couple. The entire house has only three colours on the walls and floor — grey, black and white. Couches, window coverings and bedspreads are also in neutral tones, with a selection of dramatic abstract paintings by Calgary artist Seka Owen to draw the eye.
The kitchen — black and white, with sleek and affordable cabinetry from Ikea — features toughas-nails quartz on the working surfaces, Carrera marble accents, and a gleaming subway tile backsplash. Russian crystal fixtures in the kitchen and other rooms allow for a playful dance of light.
The floors, engineered hardwood, are made of North American oak — considered more sustainable than other woods that must be shipped vast distances. Where the hardwood ends, ceramic tile that mimics the woodgrain in a similar shade of grey begins, working particularly well in high-traffic areas such as the mudroom and the home’s three bathrooms.
Ross installed “purpose-built” thresholds between rooms, made of strips of Carrera marble to provide a transition between the wood and the ceramic floors, rather than butting the two surfaces against each other.
“Adversity in design soon turns into opportunity,” says Ross.
SOPHISTICATED SPACES
The home’s three bedrooms on the second floor are bright and spacious, with deep, old-fashioned window wells and welcoming views of the southside neighbourhood’s vast, verdant canopy. The master bedroom, at 400 square feet, is the showpiece of the home’s addition, essentially a new wing on the northeast side of the home that also opened up space for a big kitchen and family room on the main floor.
Upstairs, the couple’s bed faces three massive, cathedral-style windows in a room with 14-foothigh walls. A large dressing area against the north wall has a bank of tall closets perfect for Jodi’s longer dresses. The master bathroom has two sinks on either side of the room, and a curved wall alongside a relaxing soaker tub. A dual-head, vast shower is finished with river rock to bring the feeling of nature into the space. Another bank of closets provides extra storage and a dressing area.
A charming holdover from the original home is the tiny powder room on the main floor. With its long, narrow rectangular sink surrounded by stainless-steel tiles in an arabesque pattern, and flanked by elegant white wainscotting, it wouldn’t look out of place on a luxury cruise ship. Remember, big bathrooms weren’t big back in the 1950s.
Now that the couple is thoroughly enjoying the results of their hard work, the inconvenience of living in the basement (now an 800-squarefoot nanny suite) during much of the 16-month long renovation has faded. Klatt loves to curl up with a book on the bed in the master suite. And Mitchell is endlessly grateful for those crab apple trees.
“Building this way is more difficult than knocking it down and starting over,” says Ross. “But I wanted to do something challenging as a sustainable builder.”