MAKING ROOM FOR SPECIAL INTERESTS
Many people take comfort in having some sort of hobby, whether it be a favourite pastime such as doing crossword or jigsaw puzzles, using their hands and imaginations to tackle sewing or quilting projects, doing woodwork, or picking up paint and a brush. Whatever special interest takes up our spare time, dedicating an actual room in our home to this activity makes it that much more all-consuming and allows us to translate a passion into part of everyday life.
Montrealers are certainly no exception. Some of the city’s interior designers have helped clients create a myriad of spaces that echo either their own personal interests or those of their entire household. Joanne Padvaiskas of Wow Great Place has seen homeowners integrate home gyms, home theatres, and wine cellars into their houses.
“If they have the space and means, then I’m all for the specialinterest rooms,” she said.
“Perhaps you really want to dedicate yourself to something that may have started off as a hobby, so if you have the means and physical space in your house, making your home adapt to your interests just makes sense. Special-interest rooms make the whole home experience all the more enjoyable. I’ve seen people put in ballet rooms with the barres and mirrors because their kids are in ballet.
“You get to indulge yourself in
something that is very personalized.”
Rebecca Mitchell of Rebecca Mitchell Interiors has also worked on some very specific spaces for her clients.
“I created a tea room in a new two-storey condo in Griffintown and it was a very cool project,” she said.
The family was from Morocco and bought a residence in Montreal for their sons, who were going to school here. They needed it to be
a home for their boys as well as a place where they could come and visit.
“They wanted it to be modern but have a Moroccan flavour and they sprung this tea room at me. They had a mezzanine area that was perfect for it — it has the traditional elements of a tea room but with modern amenities, like a television.”
Mitchell also helped a musically-inclined family in T.M.R. create a music room where they could practise
playing their instruments together. She included a sitting area, so that guests could come and watch the family’s performances.
While families have tended to be on the move in years past, spending their money on restaurants and forms of entertainment like going out to see big-screen flicks, Padvaiskas said that special-interest rooms are on the rise because people are more inclined to now put their time and money into creating commercial-quality spaces at home.
“It all comes back to nesting,” she explained.
“It used to be a big thing to go out to the movies, but when you have the capabilities that we have nowadays for a home theatre experience that rivals going to a theatre, people are spending the money to make that space at home. They’re soundproofing and doing dark walls and putting in the lighting
as well as the seating and popcorn machine. You’re watching the movie in a dedicated room that is designed exactly like a miniature version of a theatre.
“I’ve seen steam rooms in master bathrooms, complete workshops in basements and garages, and full laundry rooms with a dedicated space for laundry and crafts and a TV.
“Those are truly special-interest rooms.”
There’s no denying that a specialinterest room is an awesome luxury. It offers a personalized space whose sole purpose is the pursuit of creative expression.
“It’s about this journey of selfdiscovery that we’re all on, and doing things at home other than work,” Padvaiskas said.
“You get to dedicate a space in your home (to something) that isn’t work and tap into the creative side. It’s the yin and yang of life.”