House Tours
This Montreal Home Is Like An Art Gallery, But Even Better
Photography, Maxime Desbiens. Styling, Nicola Marc, Jean Stéphane Beauchamp.
House Tours
This Montreal Home Is Like An Art Gallery, But Even Better
Masterful colour combos and much-loved art turn a home into an immersive, expressive world of its own.
Great interiors don’t just happen; they are designed and curated thoughtfully. Yet they also evolve like the collections they hold. This one – in an apartment in Montreal’s Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood – belies its owners’ professions. Husbands Jean Stéphane Beauchamp and Gaëtan Larochelle are both in the business: Jean Stéphane is a designer and Gaëtan co-owns the chic boutique Qui Dort Dîne. Their mutual love of textiles, colour, art and design plays out throughout their home. “We have a lot of art, a lot of things going on,” says Jean Stéphane. “Keeping to our palette and repeating the same colours keeps things cohesive.” Blue and green in a sea of shades – cerulean, sky, chartreuse and teal – not only connect the rooms, but the light tones also visually enlarge the 800-square-foot space. “It’s my favourite palette. It’s easy to live with and always feels fresh,” says Jean Stéphane.
The couple take a dynamic approach to decorating. Patterned fabrics mix and mingle; walls are filled with art; and everywhere objects are on display. But their home isn’t a museum – it’s more like a gallery with ever- changing exhibitions. They’ll switch out cushions, rearrange collections, swap paintings. “Our home is a reflection of our travels, our interests, ” says Jean Stéphane. “Each item has a story to tell. We both want to rediscover something every day in our home. This is our guiding principle.”
Designer Jean Stéphane Beauchamp uses an analogous colour palette (hues adjacent on the colour wheel) for a dynamic but not jarring scheme. The art and objects he and husband Gaëtan Larochelle love surround them. In the living room, a daybed (with coveted window view) has a step for the couple’s two small dogs.
“The apartment has style. It’s peaceful, warm. everyone feels good here. When we have guests, they don’t want to leave!”
PAINT, Cabbage White 269 (walls), Blue Ground 210 (ceiling), Vardo 288 (bookcases), Farrow & Ball. FIREPLACE TILE, Centura. FRAMING, Tout Autour Encadrement.
Jean Stéphane’s admiration of English style, with its emphasis on comfort, colour and eclectic collections, is evident. “I’ve always thought that contemporary British design is fearless but still inviting,” he says. “You can see it here in the mix of classic and modern pieces (a modern sofa with tufted armchairs); the mix of patterns; bold use of colour; strong contrasts in styles, colours, patterns; and the painted floors.”
On the living room’s custom bookshelves, Jean Stéphane and Gaëtan opted for a glossy finish for durability and to make the deep teal pop. The ceiling’s surprise shade of robin’s egg blue and the white walls with a blue undertone strike a harmonious chord.
DINING TABLE, Beige. PENDANT, Miora Luminaire. Custom BENCH AND CUSHIONS, NAPKIN, TABLECLOTH, Qui Dort Dîne.
“From room to room, colours and objects create a continuous and consistent theme.”
“We needed lots of storage and comfortable chairs because I love to cook and we also like to entertain,” says Jean Stéphane. Shelves for displaying antique porcelain and glassware, and storage in the custom banquette add functionality; a large round table makes it easy to move around the small space and embodies the couple’s welcoming informal style.
An efficient use of space in the small galley kitchen maximizes functionality. Separate coffee station and cleaning-up and cooking zones don’t overlap. Pots, pans, dishes, spices and utensils are stored in the cooking zone; everyday dishes are handy on the open shelves. The couple even eked out space for a café table for two by the window. The buffet is original. “It needed a lot of love but we decided to keep it,” says Jean Stéphane.
“The touch of yellow green on the bed wakes up the other colours in the room without being shocking. It allows us to see all the different shades of blue.”
SINK, Ramacieri Soligo. TILE, Centura. BATHTUB, Batimat. COUNTERTOP AND BACKSPLASH, Corian. SCONCES, Absolutely Inc. TOWELS, Qui Dort Dîne. STOOL, Nüspace. PAINT, Secret AF-710 (walls), Benjamin Moore; Blue Ground 210 (ceiling), Farrow & Ball.
Framed vintage art and objects bring the art-gallery effect into the renovated bathroom. An impressive dresser was painted black and repurposed as a vanity with a modern vessel sink. Subway tiles in two patterns – herringbone and stacked vertical – add graphic interest. The new heated floor is invisible but a thing of beauty to the owners when those legendary Montreal winter mornings dawn.
BEDDING, DRAPERY, Qui Dort Dîne. CUSHION, House of Hackney. SCONCES, Lambert et Fils. RUG, Tapis H. Lalonde & Frère. PAINT, Dix Blue 82 (walls), Pavilion Blue 252 (ceiling), Farrow & Ball; Gray Mist OC-30 (trim), Benjamin Moore
Gaëtan, resident sewing and all-things-textile expert, wasn’t convinced of his husband’s idea to frame the bed in curtains, so Jean Stéphane made them himself on the sly, patiently sewing each pompom. Luckily, the result wowed Gaëtan. Light blues in the north-facing room make up for a lack of direct sunlight. The painted wood floor is like those in British homes, “and it’s forgiving when you have pets at home,” says Jean Stéphane. An area rug is cozy by the bed.
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