artful move
Ines and Peter Mazzotta transformed their period home with sleek lines and striking art
Downsizing to a bungalow in Ontario proved to be a shrewd decision for these two designers
Designers Ines and Peter Mazzotta were keen to leave behind the frenetic pace of Toronto when they made the move an hour west, to the historic university town of Guelph, just over four years ago. ‘Although we craved a calmer lifestyle, we still wanted to be part of a lively community, and this town has a wonderful cultural, food and music scene,’ says Ines. ‘But, being smaller, it is easier to navigate. We were also drawn to the period architecture, as many of the properties here date from the late 1800s.’
The one-storey building the couple and their two sons, Luca, now 14, and Jake, 10, came across is a case in point. ‘At first, the layout seemed a little unusual to us, as we were used to multi-level living,’ says Ines. ‘But the period features and high ceilings soon won us over.’ Nonetheless, the house needed a few tweaks to suit family living. ‘The flow needed adjusting, as there were three separate entryways to the dining room, and no clear access from there to the kitchen,’ Ines explains. So the couple closed off two of the doorways, knocked through between the existing dining room and kitchen to create an open-plan space, and added generous floor-to-ceiling French doors to provide easy access to the garden.
Although the property was in good shape, it needed plenty of contemporising touches. The previous inhabitants had owned a timber yard and evidence of their profession ran throughout the house, with curly maple kitchen units and an oversized
cherry mantelpiece in the sitting room. ‘It felt a little dated,’ says Ines. ‘At the same time, much of the original plasterwork had been removed, so one of our first tasks was to reinstate mouldings and ceiling roses.’ Peter, who runs Kelly Hopter Interiors along with Ines, did much of the work himself, overseeing improvements, laying new oak floors and, as a trained carpenter, overseeing cabinetry making.
The interior exudes a sense of calm, largely due to a constrained colour palette of white, black, coffees and soft neutrals. ‘I work with colour all day, and for me, it’s important to create a restful scheme,’ says Ines. ‘Our home is all about layering. I love sheens, hues and textures. Juxtaposing sisal and jute with silks, wool and velvets is a way of creating an organic, lived-in look, and accessories are important – from books and objets to glassware and vintage candlesticks.’
Of all their treasures, it’s art that means the most to this family, and Ines has used her magpie eye to unearth pieces from several quarters. ‘Collecting art is a passion and I hunt everywhere, from galleries to flea markets,’ she says. ‘I began when I moved from Poland to Canada when I was 19, and I accumulated pieces gradually. I love mixing original art with affordable prints, especially portraits and theatre posters, while Peter is drawn to photography and abstracts.’
Organic shapes, from ceramics and glassware to lighting and sculpture, are the hallmark of this home, combined with subtle touches of glamour. But it’s also a practical and lived-in space. ‘The layout flows so well now,’ says Ines. ‘ We love to hang out together, whether in the family room watching a film or relaxing by the pool.’ And when Ines is working from home, it’s nature that inspires her. ‘ We have a beautiful wild apple tree growing outside the bay window at the front of the house,’ she says. ‘Sometimes, I’ll decamp from my office and revel in the dappled light that it creates in the sitting room. Our home has become a soothing sanctuary that works for all of us – moving here has certainly been good for the soul.’
DECORATING ADVICE ‘Layering turns a room into an inviting space. I love well-curated collections of objects and textiles’