Photography, Angus McRitchie

Design, Jean Stéphane Beauchamp Design. SOFA, ARMCHAIRS, COFFEE TABLE, Roche Bobois. Blue side table, Ambienti Design. pendant, &Tradition. Wall light, Lambert et Fils. cushions, Jean Stéphane
Beauchamp (design); Qui Dort Dîne (sewing). Throw, curtains, Qui Dort Dîne. RUG, H. Lalonde & Frère. wall art, Mélanie Arcand. paint, Iceberg 2122-50 (walls), Oxford White CC-30 (trim), Benjamin Moore; Parma Grey (ceiling), Farrow & Ball.

The lovely 1915 triplex in Montreal’s chic downtown Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood had some truly wonderful assets – high ceilings, plenty of light, lots of period character – but, says designer Jean Stéphane Beauchamp, there was work to do. “Many of the original mouldings and decorations were still there, but sadly, some of them were in sorry condition,” he says. “So we tried to keep as many elements as we could, and then reproduced the rest exactly.” Repurposing the grand rooms to make them work better for a modern-day couple was also key. The biggest change, says Jean Stéphane, was switching the kitchen and dining room, which gave new life to both rooms. But the pièce de résistance was the clients’ openness to combining a carefully curated mix of traditional and contemporary furnishings with a free-spirited approach to colour. The result: a comfortable, artistic interior that pays homage to the past, but with an exuberant charm that’s thoroughly 21st century.

Just Breathe

Many Montreal apartments have a second, smaller living room off the main one that serves a number of purposes: here, it works as a bar area and extra breathing space. The painted glass doors of the console remind Jean Stéphane of the cut surfaces of agate. Always alert for ways to add interest, he used a bright teal pedestal as a striking base for a large philodendron.

 

Photography, Angus McRitchie

 

Photography, Angus McRitchie

 

Photography, Angus McRitchie

SIDEBOARD, TABLE LAMP, Ambienti Design. MIRROR, Beige. PENDANT, &Tradition. BUG ART, VASE, Jamais Assez. WALL ART, Mélanie Arcand.

Chic Cuisine

As a dining room, it was away from the action and the wrong size; as a kitchen (in a palette of blues, from deep navy to clear blue for the new island), it’s the perfect size and shape for clients who love to cook. The original built-in china cupboard gains new utility with the addition of drawers beneath; a formerly wasted corner becomes a sweet spot for a little banquette with a garden view.

 

Photography, Angus McRitchie

 

 

Photography, Angus McRitchie

 

Photography, Angus McRitchie

CABINETRY, Luxart Ébénisterie. FLOOR TILE, BACKSPLASH, COUNTERS, Céragrès. CHAIRS, Ambienti Design. Faucets, SINK, Batimat. PENDANT, LIGHTING, Tungstène Luminaires Créatifs. PAINT, Oxford White CC-30 (trim, bottom of walls), Noir de Vigne 2128-20 (top of walls), Benjamin Moore; Parma Gray (ceiling), Blue Ground (inside cabinet), Farrow & Ball.

Sky, Light

The kitchen turned dining room retained a beautiful old cupboard (unfortunately, the only one from the original kitchen that was salvageable), which Jean Stéphane treated to a new coat of ochre paint. Inside, there’s plenty of room for servingware. A collection of pretty plates and a “murmuration” of birds flying up an ombré-painted side wall serve as decoration. Gold touches in the dining chairs at each end of the table and the light fixture add sheen. 

 

Photography, Angus McRitchie

 

 

Photography, Angus McRitchie

TABLE, Kastella. Upholstered CHAIRS, Ambienti Design. ARMCHAIRS (at each end of table), Kartell. PENDANT, Jean Stéphane Beauchamp Design. PLATES (on the walls), 3 Femmes et 1 Coussin. TABLECLOTH, NAPKINS, Qui Dort Dîne. RUG, H. Lalonde & Frère. PAINT, Oxford White CC-30 (walls), Blue Lantern 1620 (ceiling), Gold Sublime 2152-30 (wall cabinet), Benjamin Moore.

Colour Play

Along with rich aubergine walls, a selection of plush, textural bedding in blues, yellows, golds and white and a green linen
bedspread makes the bedroom feel cocoon-like. Artwork by Mélanie Arcand (a favourite of Jean Stéphane’s), whose work appears throughout the apartment, adds to the serene mood.

 

Photography, Angus McRitchie

BED, Tommy Bahama. BEDDING, Qui Dort Dîne. SIDE TABLE, Ambienti Design. RUG, H. Lalonde & Frère. WALL ART, Mélanie Arcand. WALL PAINT, Pelt, Farrow & Ball. TAble lamp, Beige. 

Old & New

Because this is the powder room as well as the main bath, a fluted glass wall lends a sense of separation between the sink area and the rest of the bath. The wall and floor tiles perfectly straddle the line between contemporary sleekness and what might have been here originally.

 

Photography, Angus McRitchie

 

Photography, Angus McRitchie

BATH, SINK, FAUCETS, Batimat. TILE, Centura. SIDE TABLE, Ligne Roset. Mirror, towel holder, RH. WALL LIGHT, Tungstène Luminaires Créatifs. Drapery, Jean Stéphane Beauchamp Design (design); Qui Dort Dîne (sewing). PAINT, Naples Blue 2057-30 (ceiling, walls), Oxford White CC-30 (trim), Benjamin Moore.

 Small Wonder

Jean Stéphane carved out a second bathroom from one of the two small bedrooms at the front of the apartment. He admits that although it’s one of the smallest rooms, it proved to be the greatest challenge, especially for the tile installers. “There isn’t a square corner anywhere! But with a few tricks, they managed to make it look beautiful,” he says.

 

Photography, Angus McRitchie

 

Photography, Angus McRitchie

VANITY, Ramacieri Soligo. faucets, Batimat. MIRROR, RH. PENDANT, Tungstène Luminaires Créatifs. TOWELS, Qui Dort Dîne. PAINT, Black Panther 2125-10 (top of walls), Oxford White CC-30 (trim), Iceberg 2122-50 (ceiling), Benjamin Moore.